Carnitas Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa is a classic Mexican dish featuring tender, slow-cooked pork (carnitas) that’s crispy outside and juicy inside, tucked into warm corn tortillas.
They are topped with vibrant, tangy tomatillo salsa from roasted tomatillos, chilies, garlic, and cilantro. The rich, savory pork pairs perfectly with the bright, slightly tart salsa, creating a bold and satisfying bite every time.

Having some boneless pork shoulder in the freezer, all cut up in 2-inch cubes was the only way to make carnitas with them.
Subscribe to Giangi's Kitchen!
Get my FREE email series: 5 Days of Easy Elevated Recipes plus a weekly newsletter!
What we love most about this recipe is that you can boil the pork the day before for the carnitas tacos.
Please return it to room temperature before proceeding with the final cooking step.
The combination of grapefruit, I have a tree in my backyard that gives out the sweetest juice, and milk leaves the meat savory.
Once all cooked off, the meat will sear to perfection because of the sweetness left on it by both milk and grapefruit.
At this point, you can prepare any sauce you wish.
We do enjoy Smoked Salsa with it quite often. The flavors are just incredible together.
In this Article
- What are carnitas made of?
- How do you eat Carnitas?
- Ingredients needed to make this carnitas tacos with tomatillo sauce
- Equipment Needed
- A two-part recipe
- If you are like me, there are a few things that you can omit or substitute
- See my other recipes if you enjoy those delicious carnitas tacos with tomatillo salsa.
- Carnitas Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce and Avocado
What are carnitas made of?
Carnitas, which means little meat in Spanish, is a Mexican pork dish. It consists of a cost-effective, nicely marbled cut of pork, such as pork shoulder or picnic ham, braised or simmered for several hours with seasoning and fat until it is tender enough to shred.

Below is an adaptation from one of my favorite Mexican cookbooks, “Mexico The Beautiful Cookbook,” which is no longer on prints
Here is where it gets exciting and a bit challenging for me. I do not embrace spicy hot food, thus making it a bit difficult for the sauce to go alongside.
However, I did make it a bit more tolerable for my palate.
I am giving you the recipe for Carnitas tacos with tomatillo sauce and avocado with the whole spicy hot sauce.
How do you eat Carnitas?
It can be a dish all in itself. Depending on where you eat them, they can be served with chopped cilantro, diced onions, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, refried beans, lime, and or radishes, as I have it here.

Ingredients needed to make this carnitas tacos with tomatillo sauce
This is a short introduction. The ingredient list is also brief. It includes essential items that you may already have in your pantry. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.
Boneless pork shoulder – trimmed of any extra fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
Garlic cloves – must have to give it that fantastic flavor
Onion – peeled and left intact will provide all it got to your carnitas
Lard – Fat that melts and renders a great flavor to your meat
Grapefruit juice – cooking your pork shoulder with the grapefruit will give it that amazing flavor that is so wanted and needed with this recipe.
Whole milk – the original tenderizer. Your meat will soften while cooking with the milk and also get its caramelization.
Poblanos peppers, Tomatillos – used to prepare your tomatillo sauce. It needs blanching and then adding the vinegar and cilantro to create this fantastic bright green sauce.
White wine vinegar – bring a touch of acidity to your dish
Cilantro – it would not be Mexican food if you did not have cilantro
Avocado – used as decoration and added flavor to your tomatillo sauce.
Sea salt – seasoning
Equipment Needed
Please follow the link to access the product of your preference. I only suggest products that I use and love. Check out Giangi’s Favorite Kitchen Essentials, gadgets and cookware!
Large pot or Dutch oven
A two-part recipe
This recipe of carnitas is a combination of two recipes coming together beautifully.
The carnitas tacos require a long preparation, and the tomatillo sauce can be prepared the day you want to enjoy it.
However, I recommend that you prepare them both the day before. The longer the flavors stay together, the more savory this dish will become.

If you are like me, there are a few things that you can omit or substitute
- First of all, I decided to go with Poblanos peppers instead of Serrano peppers. The poblanos are milder in flavor than the serranos counterparts.
- Replace the poblanos with the serrano if you like hot in the recipe.
- Another of my little changes was taking off the seeds of the poblano before blending them into a puree.
The seeds pack the heat. Keep the seeds if you like the heat.

I did not make enough, as it was gone at the speed of light.
Flour and corn taco-size tortillas are warmed before serving. We also had some extra lime to squeeze over it all.
We will add radishes and queso fresco to it as per our preference.
See my other recipes if you enjoy those delicious carnitas tacos with tomatillo salsa.
Chiles Rellenos – A Southwest Favorite
Carnitas Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce and Avocado

Ingredients
CARNITAS
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ onion, outer skin removed and left intact
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons lard
- ½ cup grapefruit juice
- ½ cup whole milk
TOMATILLO SAUCE WITH AVOCADO
- 3 poblanos peppers
- 14 ounces tomatillos, husk removed
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cilantro, freshly chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
- ⅓ cup onion, finely chopped
Instructions
CARNITAS
- Place the pork, water, onion, garlic, and salt in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook covered over medium heat for 1 to 1 ½ hour or until the pork is tender. Transfer the meat to a colander and drain.
- Melt the lard in a saucepan. As soon as it bubbles add the grapefruit juice and milk and then the pork. Cook uncovered, over medium heat until the meat is browned, about 20 minutes. The juice and milk will cook off leaving the pork to brown.
TOMATILLO SAUCE WITH AVOCADO
- Place the fresh poblano peppers in a large saucepan of boiling water. After 5 minutes add the tomatillos. After 3 minutes. Remove the peppers and tomatillos and drain.
- Puree the poblanos, tomatillos, garlic, vinegar in a blender. Add the salt and cilantro and blend. For 2 short cycles.
- In a bowl combine the puree, avocado and onion. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Pork, Dinners, Sunday Night Dinner
- Cuisine: International
Did you make this?
Leave a comment below and tag @giangiskitchen on Instagram
Maria
That’s a really new way of cooking meat for me. I’m intrigued and want to try it with beef. The sauce sounds very delicious! I’ll make the full hot version. 😁
Giangi Townsend
Thank you Maria and please let me know how you and your family like the hot version. ❤️
xoxo
Giangi
Mayuri Patel
I’d love to try the tomatillo sauce with avocado as an alternate to the usual salsa and guacamole that I prepare whenever I make a veggie version of tacos or burrito.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, Mayuri for stopping by Giangi’s Kitchen.
You will love the tomatillo sauce. We also have been enjoying it with cheese quesadillas. Mild with a light hint of heat.