Main Dishesciaoflorentina5.0
Chicken Carnitas Recipe
The most tender, juicy, flavorful, crispy caramelized edges chicken carnitas recipe of your dreams!
👥 6 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 40m⏳ Prep: 10 min🔥 Cook: 1h 30m👤 Florentina📖 ciaoflorentina
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- oven
- dutch oven
- pot
- baking sheet
- bowl
- stove
- slow cooker
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Oven Method:Preheat your oven to 325”F.
2
In a large cast iron dutch oven add 2 tbsp of olive oil and layer the chicken thighs on top. Sprinkle with the chicken carnitas seasoning: sea salt, garlic and onion powder, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and chili powder. Add the garlic cloves and orange peels.
olive oil3 tbspchicken thighs (boneless skinless)3 lbgarlic6 clovesgarlic powder1 tbsponion powder1 tbsporegano2 tbspred pepper flakes1 tspchili powder2 tsp
3
Pour the orange and lime juice over the top and give everything a good toss to coat. Cover with a tight lid and transfer to the preheated oven for 1 1/⏱️ 2 hours until the chicken i tender and falls apart when stabbed with a fork.
4
Use two forks to shred the chicken in the same pot you cooked it in then transfer it to a broiler proof baking sheet or dish. Drizzle the carnitas with the honey all over the top and broil for a few minutes until caramelized at the edges. Make sure to keep a close eye on the carnitas so they don’t burn.
5
To cook the acorn squash, preheat oven to 400”F.
6
Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut a thin slice off of the bottom of each acorn squash half so it sits flat during baking.
7
Rub the inside of each acorn squash with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously all over with sea salt, red pepper flakes, freshly cracked black pepper and cumin. Roast for ⏱️ 50 minutes to ⏱️ 1 hour until tender and caramelized around the edges.
olive oil3 tbspred pepper flakes1 tsp
8
Serve the carnitas inside the roasted acorn squash bowls, sprinkled with the pepitas and garnish with the cilantro and edible flowers if available. Serve with lime wedges, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sour cream.
olive oil3 tbsp
9
Chicken Carnitas Stove Top Method:
10
Follow all of the above steps and finish the braising process on the stove top on low flame, until the chicken falls apart, about ⏱️ 45 minutes to ⏱️ 1 hour. Transfer to a broiler proof dish together with the juices and caramelize under the broiler following the instructions above.
11
Slow Cooker/ Crock Pot Method:
12
Add the chicken thighs together with the carnitas seasoning, orange juice, lime juice and orange peel to the bowl of your slow cooker. Toss to combine well. Cook for ⏱️ 7-8 hours on low or about ⏱️ 5 hours on high, until the chicken is fork tender.
chicken thighs (boneless skinless)3 lb
Nutrition Facts
calories
442.5 kcal
fat Content
17.1 g
serving Size
1 g
fiber Content
5.3 g
sugar Content
8.7 g
sodium Content
958.5 mg
protein Content
40.5 g
cholesterol Content
152.7 mg
carbohydrate Content
34.3 g
saturated Fat Content
3.3 g
unsaturated Fat Content
10.3 g
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