Carnitas Enchiladas

Carnitas Enchiladas (AKA Pulled Pork Enchiladas) are a delicious alternative way to eat enchiladas. Rich, crispy carnitas are wrapped in tortillas and covered with a tangy homemade enchilada sauce and plenty of cheese. This recipe makes ten enchiladas which can be baked all at once or frozen in batches for smaller households.

Two weeks ago, I shared the best, most crispy and amazing Homemade Carnitas Recipe along with Carnitas Tacos, made three different ways . And I hope you’re not all carnitas’d out because I have one more carnitas recipe for you today: Carnitas Enchiladas.

During my carnitas recipe testing extravaganza, because of the truly astounding amount of carnitas I had around the house for a solid two months, I made these enchiladas SO often, and never ever got tired of them.

Photo of Carnitas Enchiladas in a pan sprinkled with cilantro. - 2

Photo of Carnitas Enchiladas in a pan sprinkled with cilantro. - 3

Carnitas are a fabulous filling for enchiladas because they are super rich and flavorful all on their own so they don’t get overwhelmed by the other ingredients. Add all the cheese and sauce you want, and you’re still going to get plenty of that great carnitas flavor when you bite into these enchiladas.

And the sauce, I LOVE this sauce. It’s smooth, a little tangy, and not too bitter. It’s perfect over meat and tortillas, but I always kind of want to eat it with a spoon too.

It’s that good.

That being said, it’s definitely not authentic enchilada sauce, so if you have a favorite sauce of your own, feel free to use that instead.

I always make these enchiladas with my homemade carnitas recipe as a way to use up leftovers, but if you don’t have carnitas made already, I’ve embedded my carnitas recipe below the enchilada recipe. You can also click through to that post to see more step by step carnitas instructions.

OR, if you have regular pulled pork on hand, you can use that. Pulled pork and carnitas are made from the same cut of meat, and there’s enough seasoning in the sauce that it doesn’t matter too much how the pork was originally seasoned.

How to Make Carnitas Enchiladas (Pulled Pork Enchiladas)

Step by step photos of making carnitas enchiladas. - 4

Step by step photos of making carnitas enchiladas. - 5

These are some of the easiest enchiladas to whip up. The sauce is made from pantry staples that simply get whisked together on the stove and simmered until thickened. And then you’re ready to assemble your enchiladas.

The carnitas are mixed with a bit of sauce, wrapped in tortillas, and lined up in a casserole dish. Then you pour on the sauce, add cheese, and bake.

Thirty minutes later, you end up with enchiladas that are cheesy, rich, and perfect for piling high with sour cream and pico de gallo and serving to friends and family.

Wide photo of pulled pork enchiladas with carnitas, sour cream, and pico de gallo. - 6

Wide photo of pulled pork enchiladas with carnitas, sour cream, and pico de gallo. - 7

Freezing Carnitas Enchiladas

The recipe I’m sharing today makes a full-size casserole dish and will serve five people two enchiladas each. I’m sharing a full-size version for two reasons: 1, I really like to make this for other people. It’s a real crowd pleaser and a low-stress dinner to make for guests. 2, it freezes very well, so if you’re a small household, freeze this (unbaked) in batches and you can get two or three meals out of it.

I’ve included detailed freezing and reheating instructions in the recipe card, but this will make two 8×8 pans of five enchiladas or three 5×7 pans of three or four.

Carnitas Enchilada Recipe Notes

If you have a favorite enchilada sauce of your own, use 3 cups of your favorite sauce.
If you like really saucy, wet enchiladas, 1 1/2 this sauce recipe.
Feel free to add more cheese, corn, black beans, etc., to the carnitas filling. Make the carnitas enchiladas of your heart.
Serve alongside quick and simple sides like Cilantro Lime Rice , Green Beans , or Steamed Broccoli .

Square picture of carnitas enchiladas with pulled pork, sour cream, and pico de gallo. - 8

Ingredients

Special Equipment

▢ 9x13-inch rectangular casserole dish or smaller dishes for freezing and half batches*

Enchilada Sauce

▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
▢ 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/4 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
▢ 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
▢ Black pepper

Enchiladas

▢ 10 8-inch tortillas flour or corn
▢ 4 cups pulled pork carnitas warm
▢ 1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or colby-jack cheese

Toppings

▢ Cilantro
▢ Pico de Gallo
▢ Sour Cream

Instructions

Enchilada Sauce

Pre-measure all of your sauce ingredients (flour, spices, and salt will be added together so they can all go in the same small bowl) and place them next to the stove.
In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour, spices, and salt and whisk until a thick paste forms and begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Whisk in tomato paste and stir until mostly combined. Slowly pour in broth, whisking out any lumps as they form and whisk until completely smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until sauce has thickened, 6 to 9 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.

Assemble Enchiladas

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease your baking dish and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of your dish, spreading it so that it mostly coats the bottom in a thin layer.
Place warm carnitas in a bowl and add 3/4 cup of sauce. Stir until well-combined. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of meat and roll tightly. Place in the baking dish, seam-side down.
Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are just slightly crispy and browned.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and pico de gallo if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Sauce Adapted From Cookie and Kate

Photo of easy carnitas on a plate with limes. - 9

Ingredients

Special Equipment

▢ Large Dutch oven

Carnitas

▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
▢ 4-6 pound pork shoulder roast boneless or bone-in, trimmed of fat cap and cut into fist-sized chunks
▢ Salt and pepper
▢ 1 large onion diced
▢ 1 clove garlic crushed
▢ 3 tablespoons lime juice
▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 6-8 cups ( 3-4 14.5 ounce cans) chicken broth

Instructions

Pre-measure all your ingredients, dice your onion, and prep your garlic. Once you get started cooking, things move fast.
Generously salt and pepper pork chunks on all sides.
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown meat on all sides, in batches if necessary. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.
Add onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and enough chicken broth so the meat is mostly covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer meat to a cutting board (reserve the broth) and use two forks to shred the meat. Transfer shredded meat to the baking sheet and spread it in an even layer over the surface. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid over the meat, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 minutes.
Drizzle a little more broth over the meat, cook 10 minutes more, and repeat for a total of 30 minutes, until edges are crispy and browned.
Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Three different ways to make Carnitas Tacos. Rich, crispy pork carnitas make the best pork tacos, whether piled with cilantro and onions, topped with cheese and sour cream, or served with eggs and salsa for breakfast.

Three different types of carnitas tacos on a plate. - 11

So, yesterday I posted a recipe for the best homemade carnitas (have you checked it out yet?) and I have to admit, I am so glad to have finally finished that post because I have spent the last two months up to my eyeballs in carnitas doing recipe testing.

As much as I love carnitas, there’s only so much super rich, delicious, crispy pork a girl can eat. My freezer is currently packed with it, and what I didn’t eat, I’ve been making into all sorts of delicious things these last two months.

Which is why I’m here today with not one, but three different carnitas tacos recipes. There are so many really excellent ways to use carnitas that it seemed a shame to limit this post to just one. I have a bunch more carnitas recipes coming your way over the next month and a half (update: Carnitas Enchiladas , Carnitas Nacho Fries , Carnitas Burrito Bowls ), but today I’m starting with these three different perfect little pork tacos.

These three carnitas taco recipes all call for cooked carnitas, so they’re perfect for using up leftovers. But if you don’t have some already cooked, go make them ( this post will walk you through making carnitas from start to finish because even though they are super easy, it’s a bit of a process), and then come back.

Anyways, on to the tacos!

Carnitas Tacos, Three Ways

Classic Pork Tacos I

Three classic carnitas tacos, pork tacos with cilantro and diced onion. - 12

Three classic carnitas tacos, pork tacos with cilantro and diced onion. - 13

It doesn’t get much easier or tastier than traditional tacos. A handful of simple ingredients really let the carnitas shine. You get the bright, clean flavors of cilantro, finely diced white onion, and a squeeze of lime that go so well with the crispy richness of the pork.

Classic Carnitas Tacos II

Picture of carnitas tacos with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes on a plate. - 14

Picture of carnitas tacos with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes on a plate. - 15

These are the tacos I think a lot of us grew up eating, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese and sour cream, usually with hamburger in the place of pork. I love these tacos for using up leftover carnitas because you probably have these ingredients on hand already.

And I know it’s not traditional traditional, but cheese and sour cream are delicious, and they taste extra delicious in a taco.

Carnitas Breakfast Tacos

Picture of breakfast carnitas tacos, pork tacos with egg, cheese, and salsa. - 16

Picture of breakfast carnitas tacos, pork tacos with egg, cheese, and salsa. - 17

And finally, why not eat pork tacos for breakfast? Scramble some eggs, add salsa, carnitas, and a handful of cheese, wrap it all up in a tortilla, and you’ve got a breakfast that starts your day off right.

More Taco Toppings and Ideas

All of these recipes can be made with flour or corn tortillas (warmed in the microwave or pan fried (SO GOOD!)) and customized any way you want. There are so many other good things you could add to a carnitas taco, like:

Chipotle Yogurt Sauce Chipotle Aioli Sriracha Aioli Avocado Crema Pineapple Slaw

What to serve with Carnitas Tacos?

Serve the tacos alongside some cilantro rice and a simple veggie like roasted broccoli , green beans , or zucchini .

Ingredients

Carnitas Tacos

▢ 4 cups pork carnitas
▢ 8 taco-sized tortillas flour or corn
▢ Paper towels optional

Classic I

▢ 1 cup diced cilantro
▢ 1/2 cup finely diced white onion
▢ 2 limes quartered

Classic II

▢ 1 cup chopped tomatoes
▢ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
▢ 1/2 cup sour cream

Breakfast Tacos

▢ 4 large eggs
▢ 2 teaspoons milk
▢ Salt
▢ 1 cup salsa
▢ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Prepare Your Ingredients

If starting with cold, leftover carnitas, reheat them in the microwave. To warm your tortillas, microwave 4 at a time on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. Heat in 30-second increments until warm.

Classic I

Layer each tortilla with 1/2 cup carnitas, cilantro, and white onion. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice. Serve and enjoy!

Classic II

To each tortilla, add 1/2 cup carnitas, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Breakfast Tacos

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Lightly grease a medium skillet and heat over medium heat. Add eggs and a sprinkle of salt, and scramble the eggs. Top tortillas with 1/2 cup carnitas, scrambled eggs, salsa, and cheese.

Notes

Three different ways to make Carnitas Tacos. Rich, crispy pork carnitas make the best pork tacos! |#tacos | #carnitas | #Mexicanfood | #easydinner | - 19

This Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting tastes just like an extra creamy batch of cookie dough that you happen to get to spread over a cupcake. If you’ve ever made chocolate chip cookies and been tempted to just eat the dough by the spoonful instead of baking it, this is the frosting for you.

Overhead photo of Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting in a bowl. - 20

Overhead photo of Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting in a bowl. - 21

Hey, friends, I have another small-batch frosting recipe for you today. I started sharing these frosting recipes alongside my small-batch cupcakes back in August because I wanted you guys to be able to mix and match small-batch cupcakes and frostings to make whatever kinds of cupcake creations you were craving.

And today, we have Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting! I used this a couple months ago on these Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes , but today I’m sharing just the frosting as a stand-alone recipe.

And if you haven’t tried it yet, this frosting is crazy good. If you’ve ever made chocolate chip cookies (these Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies perhaps?) and been tempted to just eat the dough by the spoonful instead of baking it, this is the frosting for you. It tastes just like an extra creamy batch of cookie dough that you happen to get to spread over a cupcake.

And I mean, that’s the dream, right?

Like my other small-batch frosting recipes, this Cookie Dough Frosting makes about one cup of frosting and is enough to generously top four to six cupcakes with a piping bag or about eight cookies or cupcakes when spread on with a knife. It’s fabulous over cupcakes, but I’m currently dreaming of spreading it over brownies , or maybe even sugar cookies …

Photo of Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting on a chocolate cupcake. - 22

Photo of Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting on a chocolate cupcake. - 23

The reason this Cookie Dough Frosting tastes like cookie dough because it is essentially cookie dough, minus the eggs and leaveners and with slightly different ingredient ratios. It’s even made the same way. Just like with cookie dough, you start by creaming softened butter and brown sugar, adding vanilla, and then beating in the flour and salt. But then instead of putting that mixture into the oven, you drizzle in some milk or cream and beat the frosting until it is light and fluffy before folding in lots of chocolate chips.

It’s sooooo good.

If you’re reading this thinking that flour seems like an odd ingredient for frosting, 1) it’s actually really important to the flavor. Part of the cookie dough taste is the flour taste. You might not think of flour as tasting like anything, but it absolutely does. And 2) flour is used in frosting all the time. There’s actually an entire category of frosting called Flour Buttercream or Ermine Frosting made with flour, so it’s way less strange than you might think.

As with under-cooked eggs, consuming raw flour does run the very slight risk of food poisoning , so if you’re concerned about that, you can absolutely cook your flour before adding it to your frosting. I do find that cooking the flour removes the raw flour taste which is part of the cookie dough flavor (I know, who knew there were so many facets to the taste of flour), but your frosting will still be excellent.

To cook your flour, simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread your flour out over the top. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes and then allow the flour to cool completely. Baked flour has a tendency to clump together, so you’ll need to sift it to get rid of any lumps, but after that, you’re just a few minutes and a few ingredients from the Cookie Dough Frosting of your dreams.

Picture of Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting on a spoon. - 24

Picture of Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting on a spoon. - 25

Properly softened butter is a MUST for the frosting recipe. If your butter is not soft enough, the ingredients will not mix completely and you will end up with little flour lumps in your frosting. You want butter that is not melted but soft enough to easily squish with a finger. This shouldn’t be a problem during the summer, but in cold kitchens during the winter, you might need to cut the butter into cubes and place somewhere warm for a couple minutes.
Finally, I recommend using a handheld electric mixer for the frosting. Small-batch frostings can usually be made by hand in a pinch, but I suspect you’ll have a hard time getting the flour to mix completely in this recipe if doing it by hand.

Looking for more small-batch frostings, try my Vanilla Frosting , Chocolate Frosting , Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and Cream Cheese Frosting .

Ingredients

Special Equipment

▢ Handheld electric mixer
▢ Fine-mesh strainer or sifter for sifting cooked flour

▢ 1/2 cup ( 60g ) all-purpose flour measured by weight or using the spoon and sweep method*
▢ 1/4 cup ( 2oz ) unsalted butter softened (very soft but not melted)
▢ 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ( 75g ) brown sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 2 tablespoons milk plus more to taste
▢ 1/4 cup ( 42g ) semi-sweet miniature chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle flour over the parchment paper and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
In a medium bowl, use a handheld electric mixer to cream well-softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add vanilla and beat until well-combined.
Sift flour and salt over the top, and with your mixer on medium, mix until flour is completely mixed in, 1 to 2 minutes. The frosting will look like course crumbs.
Add 2 tablespoons of the milk and beat, starting on low working up to high until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
If frosting is too stiff, add milk by the 1/2 teaspoon until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Fold in your chocolate chips.
Use frosting to frost cupcakes, brownies, or cookies, and enjoy!

Notes

This Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting tastes just like an extra creamy batch of cookie dough that you happen to get to spread over a cupcake. | #frosting | #cookiedough | #smallbatch | - 27

Frosting Adapted From I Am Baker