Easy Carnitas Street Tacos with Fresh Pineapple Salsa

These Easy Carnitas Street Tacos are a flavor-packed fiesta in every bite—crispy, tender shredded pork tucked into warm tortillas and topped with zesty, juicy fresh pineapple salsa. They’re quick to throw together, perfect for weeknights or taco night with friends, and guaranteed to disappear fast. Sweet, savory, and a little spicy—just how street tacos should be. Gluten-free Option.

📝 Ingredients

• 3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp sea salt ((Feel free to reduce, if desired))
• 2 tsps smoked paprika
• 2 tsps dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 red onion, chopped ((Feel free to use white or yellow, if desired))
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 limes, freshly-squeezed
• 2 cups organic chicken or beef broth ((You can also substitute with bone broth))
• 2 cups BBQ sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
• 8 street tacos, flour or corn
• cilantro lime rice, optional ((See Notes!))
• 2 cups fresh pineapple salsa
• Guacamole ((You can make your own using my Guacamole recipe))
• Queso fresco or your fave cheese
• Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• Lime wedges

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- PREP + SEAR THE PORK SHOULDER: ---
2. 2Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. 3In a bowl, add together the seasonings: salt, black pepper, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder, mixing everything until combined.
4. 4Generously rub your clean and patted dry pork shoulder with the combined seasonings until fully covered. NOTE: You can cut the shoulder into chunks for greater ease.
5. 5In a medium or large dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once heated, add the seasoned boneless pork shoulder and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove seared meat from pot and set onto a plate with paper towel.
6. 6In the same pot, add the chopped onions and garlic, sautéing until fragrant and translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken or beef stock, lime juice, and BBQ sauce and stir together, allowing everything to simmer for about 1-2 minutes. Add back in the seared pork shoulder and stir again and reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another minute or so.
7. 7--- TO MAKE THE CARNITAS [BRAISE IN OVEN]: ---
8. 8Carefully, transfer the dutch oven into the oven and let everything slowly cook and braise for about 1 ½ hours or until the pork is really tender and can be easily shredded using forks. NOTE: Add another 1 cup of stock at the halfway point if liquids dry out too quickly.
9. 9Remove from oven and begin shredding all of the meat until completely "pulled" in texture. NOTE: You want to have a good amount of sauciness to serve over the tortillas for best results.
10. 10--- CHAR OR WARM TORTILLAS: ---
11. 11To lightly toast taco tortillas, preheat oven on 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place tortillas directly on rack. Turn off oven once heated and let tortillas warm for 2 minutes. Remove from oven. For char on a stovetop: pop one of the tortillas unto a gas burner until you begin to see a little smoke. Remove tortilla to rotate it onto opposite side until it’s lightly charred. Repeat until all tortillas are charred.
12. 12--- TACO ASSEMBLY: ---
13. 13To assemble tacos, add a few spoonfuls of shredded carnitas atop a charred tortilla followed by: your choice of toppings like cilantro lime rice, guacamole, queso fresco, fresh pineapple salsa, chopped cilantro or parsely, etc. Repeat until desired amount of tacos are made.
14. 14Bon Appetit!