Pork Carnitas Enchiladas are a hearty, flavor-packed meal made with tender slow cooker pork, tortillas, melted cheese and spicy enchilada sauce. This crowd-friendly recipe makes 20 enchiladas, making it ideal for family dinners, parties, Cinco de Mayo celebrations or meal prep.
Love Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes? You might also enjoy Ground Beef Tacos and How to Make a Margarita!
If you are looking for a satisfying Mexican-inspired dinner that can feed a crowd, these Pork Carnitas Enchiladas are a wonderful choice. They are rich, savory, cheesy and just spicy enough, with slow cooked pork tucked inside tortillas and baked beneath a generous layer of enchilada sauce.
Carnitas translates from Spanish as “little meats.” The dish comes from the Mexican state of Michoacán and is traditionally prepared by slowly cooking pork until it becomes incredibly tender. This version uses a slow cooker instead of simmering the pork in oil or lard, allowing the meat to cook gently in its own juices and fat until it is easy to shred.
Why I love this recipe:
These homemade pork enchiladas begin with a simple carnitas-style pork roast. The meat is seasoned, cooked low and slow, shredded, then combined with onion, green bell pepper and green chiles for a filling that is deeply savory and full of texture.
Enchiladas take a little more time than tacos, but the results are worth it. The best part is that this recipe can be prepared in stages. You can cook the pork ahead of time, make or buy the enchilada sauce in advance, prepare the filling when convenient and assemble the enchiladas before baking. That makes this dish easier to manage for a weeknight dinner, a make-ahead meal or a party menu.
Other recipes that pair well with these enchiladas: Tomato Rice | Black Bean Dip | Homemade Loaded Queso | Spicy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Looking for more Mexican-inspired dishes? Visit the Cinco de Mayo recipe index for more ideas.
What you need to make Pork Carnitas Enchiladas
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- Slow cooker
- Tongs
- 9″x13″ casserole dish
Let’s talk ingredients!
Along with the tools listed above, you will need a handful of simple ingredients for these slow cooker pork carnitas enchiladas. Some may already be in your pantry or refrigerator. Scroll to the recipe card for exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.
Here is what you need to make this flavorful enchilada recipe:
- Pork roast — use a bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt roast
- Taco seasoning — homemade or your favorite store-bought blend
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion
- Green bell pepper
- Diced green chiles
- Tortillas — corn or flour tortillas both work
- Pepperjack cheese — use Monterey Jack for a milder option
- Spicy Enchilada Sauce
Quick tips and tricks for the best Pork Carnitas Enchiladas
Enchiladas are not the fastest dinner, but they are one of those dishes that always feels special. The combination of tender pork, warm tortillas, melty cheese and spicy sauce makes every bite comforting and bold.
To make this recipe easier, break the work into stages. This is especially helpful if you are cooking for a gathering or want to prepare dinner ahead of time.
- Slow cooker carnitas: Cook the pork, shred it and refrigerate it until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas. Cooled filling is often easier to work with than hot filling.
- Enchilada sauce: Homemade spicy enchilada sauce is delicious, but a store-bought sauce can be used as a shortcut. Homemade sauce may be refrigerated or frozen until needed.
- Pork filling: The filling can be cooked ahead, and the enchiladas can even be rolled a day or two before baking. Cover the dish and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Freezer option: Assemble the enchiladas in a foil tray or freezer-safe baking dish. Seal well and freeze for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Freeze leftovers or a full pan of enchiladas in an aluminum or ceramic baking dish, with the sauce frozen separately if possible. Seal the dish with plastic wrap and foil. The enchiladas can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Remove the plastic wrap, keep the foil on and place the frozen enchiladas directly in a 350°F oven. Bake covered for 40 minutes. While they bake, defrost the sauce. After 40 minutes, add the sauce, increase the oven temperature to 375°F and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Cover the baking dish and refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days. If only a few enchiladas remain, transfer them to a smaller airtight food storage container before refrigerating.
Place the enchiladas on a microwave-safe plate and heat in 30-second increments until warmed to your preferred temperature.
You can, but changing the protein will change the recipe because the slow cooked pork is what makes these carnitas-style enchiladas.
Here are more recipes with enchilada flavors that you’ll love:
- Enchilada Meatballs
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Bruschetta
- Chicken and Zucchini Enchiladas
Ready to make these Pork Carnitas Enchiladas? Follow the recipe below.
Pork Carnitas Enchiladas
Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Large skillet
- 9″x13″ baking dish
- Tongs or forks for shredding pork
Ingredients
Pork
- 4 ¼ lb. pork shoulder butt roast bone-in
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning homemade or store-bought
Enchiladas
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 4 oz. diced green chiles drained
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 3 cups pulled pork
- 20 tortillas corn or flour
- 8 oz. pepperjack cheese shredded
- Spicy Enchilada Sauce
Instructions
Make the pork
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Place the bone-in pork shoulder butt roast in the slow cooker. Season generously with taco seasoning.
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Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the pork is tender and beginning to fall apart.
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Remove the pork from the slow cooker. Discard any large pieces of fat, then shred the meat with two forks. Set aside.
Make the enchilada filling
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add the onion, green bell pepper and diced green chiles. Season with taco seasoning and sauté until softened.
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Add the shredded pork to the skillet and stir it into the vegetables.
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Cook until the pork begins to crisp slightly, then remove the skillet from the heat.
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Let the filling cool slightly before rolling the enchiladas.
Make and bake the enchiladas
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
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Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling into each tortilla. Roll carefully and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
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Pour the Spicy Enchilada Sauce over the enchiladas. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
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When the enchiladas are hot, slightly crisp around the edges and baked through, serve immediately.
Notes
If your pork shoulder does not have much extra fat to discard, you may have 2-3 cups of pork left after making the enchiladas. A smaller pork shoulder may work, but it is not guaranteed to produce enough pulled pork for the full recipe.
This recipe is freezer friendly. Freeze leftover enchiladas, or a full pan, in an aluminum or ceramic baking dish. For best results, freeze the sauce separately. Wrap the dish with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.