Chicken Carnitas

While traditional pork carnitas require hours of slow cooking, these chicken carnitas are the perfect shortcut. You get a faster cook time, leaner meat, and zero compromise on that crispy texture and juicy flavor.

You’ll have plenty of time to whip up your favorite toppings and sides – think quick pickled red onions, cilantro lime crema, guacamole, pico de gallo, and more!

Ingredient notes

• Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken thighs offer juicy flavor due to the higher fat content. You can also use chicken breasts. 
• Chicken Broth – Or, swap in my instant pot bone broth. 
• Spices – garlic salt, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, dried basil, ground coriander, and paprika. 
• Brown sugar – Rounds out the flavors. 
• Citrus – Juiced oranges and limes for a touch of bright acidity. 
• For Serving – Tortillas, pickled onions, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and jalapenos. 

How to make it

Slow Cooker Method

Step 1

Cook the chicken

• Add the chicken, chicken broth, spices, brown sugar, orange juice, and juice of 1 lime to your slow cooker.
• Stir together, cover, and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours.

Step 2

Shred the chicken

• Preheat your oven broiler. 
• Shred the chicken using two forks and arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Pour 1 cup of the chicken juices over the top.
• Taste the chicken for saltiness. At this point, you may want to sprinkle some additional salt on top. I especially like using my homemade citrus salts!

Step 3

Broil

• Place underneath the broiler until tips of the chicken are browned and slightly crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t burn or become overly browned.  
• Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice and chopped cilantro.

Instant Pot Method

Step 1

Cook the chicken

• Add the chicken and remaining ingredients to your instant pot.
• Make sure your sealing ring is in place on the lid.
• Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
• Once the 10 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.

Step 2

Shred the chicken

• Preheat your oven broiler. 
• Shred the chicken using two forks and arrange it in a single layer on a baking sheet. 
• Pour 1 cup of the chicken juices over the top.
• Taste the chicken for saltiness. At this point, you may want to sprinkle some additional salt on top. I especially like using my homemade citrus salts!

Step 3

Broil

• Place underneath the broiler until tips of the chicken are browned and slightly crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t burn or become overly browned.  
• Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice and chopped cilantro.

How to cook chicken breasts for carnitas

Using chicken breasts for these chicken carnitas? Since they are leaner and cook faster than thighs, use these modified instructions to prevent overcooking or dryness:

• Slow Cooker: For the slow cooker, chicken breasts cook faster than thighs because they have less fat and connective tissue. Reduce cook time to 3-4 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH. 
• Instant Pot Chicken Breasts: The cooking time remains the same, but use quick release (not natural release) to prevent the lean breasts from drying out. After 10 minutes, immediately release remaining pressure.
• Sous Vide Chicken Breast: Learn How To Cook Chicken Breast Sous Vide for these chicken carnitas! Since this alternate method doesn’t produce as much liquid as with the slow cooker or instant pot, I recommend that you combine the bag juices with extra chicken broth to total 1 cup for pouring over the shredded chicken in preparation for broiling.

Tips and tricks

• Always taste your shredded chicken before broiling to adjust the salt as required. This is particularly important when using broth in recipes as different brands of chicken broth will have different amounts of salt.
• Keep a close watch on the chicken under the broil as it can easily burn or turn overly brown. 
• Adding orange and lime juice to carnitas gives the meat a great tang and amazing flavor!
• Don’t skip the broiling step, regardless of which cooking method you choose. It helps the shredded chicken develop those delicious, crispy edges, just like you’d expect from traditional pork carnitas. 
• I almost always pair my carnitas with quick pickled onions, whether in the traditional style of a street taco or a chicken bowl. You can make those pretty pink pickled onions up to two weeks ahead of time. In truth, I normally have a jar in my fridge at all times.

Serving suggestions

I like to serve these chicken carnitas in the traditional style of the street taco – dressed simply with cilantro, avocado and some quick pickled onions. 

Whether enjoying chicken carnitas in taco form or loaded into a healthy grain bowl, here are some of my favorite topping ideas to pair this juicy and crispy meat with:

• Pickled Onions
• Salsa Taquera
• Cilantro Lime Crema
• Chipotle Crema
• Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Chipotle Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Mango Salsa
• Pineapple Salsa
• Salsa Verde
• MORE 7+ taco sauce recipes

In addition to toppings, check out these 30+ Mexican Sides that are perfect for serving alongside carnitas! Some of my favorites include:

• Instant Pot Refried Beans
• Mexican Black Beans
• Arroz Verde (Mexican Green Rice)
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Oven Roasted Carrots (Elote Style)
• Vinegar Slaw
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice

Storing

• Store leftover chicken carnitas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
• You can also freeze chicken carnitas for up to 3 months. I find it helpful to portion the cooked chicken into individual freezer bags and freeze them flat.

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