You are going to want to bookmark or pin this Carnitas Enchiladas recipe for dinner later. It all starts with preparing your carnitas (pulled pork), then assembling with tortillas, cheese, and a smoky, semi-homemade enchilada sauce.
This Carnitas Enchiladas recipe is one of those super flexible recipes where the key to success relies more on the ratio of ingredients and how they go together than the ingredients themselves. What I mean by this is that you can make some pretty bold substitutions here and wind up with some killer enchiladas - as long as you stick to the ingredient preparation directions.
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How to Make Carnitas Enchiladas - Ingredients
For this recipe for Carnitas Enchiladas you will need the following ingredients:
- Carnitas - Carnitas consists of pulled pork that has a lovely crispness around the edges thanks to cooking in lard (lard is used in traditional preparations, but I often just fry pulled pork in bacon grease to achieve a similar result). I used this Crispy Slow Cooked Dr. Pepper Carnitas (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot) recipe, but you can use whatever carnitas recipe you would like. Or really whatever pulled pork recipe you fancy - these enchiladas are fantastic with leftover pulled pork. What's key here is crisping the pulled pork before adding to the enchiladas - it adds an awesome texture to every bite.
- Enchilada Sauce - Feel free to use the canned stuff or make it from scratch. I took a semi-homemade approach to make this Restaurant Style Enchilada Sauce from a Can. It's bold and smoky and super easy to make!
- Tortillas - I am team corn tortillas all the way here! I love flour tortillas but find they tend to just disintegrate in baked enchilada dishes. Corn tortillas hold up better - just make sure to heat them first.
- Shredded Cheese - Use any good melting cheese you prefer. Cheddar and pepper jack are go-to's for me.
Since this recipe is easy to make, it's also easy to customize and/or garnish. I sprinkled on some parsley for the photo op, but my favorite way to garnish is with some sliced black olives and shredded Iceberg lettuce.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Additions
This is a basic recipe specifically so you can take creative liberties with the add-ins. I highly recommend trying these Carnitas Enchiladas with:
- Spicy peppers - Jalapenos, poblanos, Thai chiles, whatever spicy pepper you wish, just saute them before adding to your carnitas filling. Or garnish with sliced black olives - a personal favorite of mine.
- Pulled Pork - Try this recipe with shredded beef or chicken - you can get that carnitas-crisp on either protein.
Restaurant Style Enchilada Sauce From a Can Ingredients
Carnitas go super well with this smoky, semi-homemade enchilada sauce: Restaurant Style Enchilada Sauce from a Can.
- unsalted butter or bacon grease
- all-purpose flour
- canned red enchilada sauce
- chicken or beef stock
- salt
- chili powder or chipotle chili powder*
Makes approximately 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce. Get the full recipe.
How to Make Carnitas Enchiladas - Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of bacon grease or oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once heated, arrange shredded pork in an even layer in the pan and cook, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Using tongs, flip the pork. It should appear golden brown and crispy. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
Step 3: Click here for instructions on how to make semi-homemade enchilada sauce (makes 1 ½ cups, which is what you’ll need).
Step 4: Heat your tortillas in a pan before dipping them into the enchilada sauce. Heat tortillas over medium-high heat, for 5-7 seconds per side each. You want them to be completely pliable.
Step 5: Coat the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish with the enchilada sauce, using around ½ cup or so of the sauce. Dip a warmed tortilla into the enchilada sauce, coating one side completely.
Step 6: Lay down on a cutting board, dipped tortilla side up. Divide carnitas evenly between 7-8 tortillas; add 1 ½ tablespoons pepper jack cheese to each tortilla.
Step 7: Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in a 11x7 baking dish. Continue to do this until your pan is full.
Step 8: Pour all of the remaining enchilada sauce over your rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining pepper jack cheese.
Step 9: Cover the pan with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 20 minutes, until heated through.
Step 10a: Remove the cover and broil for as long as it takes until the cheese starts to get toasty and bubbly looking. Previously I had recommended broiling for 6-7 minutes - but that may be too long on your oven. Broiling functions may vary, so when broiling keep a close eye on the enchiladas! I apologize for those enchiladas that may have been overcooked as a result of recommending too long of a broil time.
Step 10b: Alternatively, you can skip the broil step. I often do that myself, but sometimes I like to put in the effort for toasty cheese.
Let sit for a couple of minutes to cool slightly and then dig in!
Top Tips
- Use the prescribed corn tortillas, they stand up better to enchiladas the best.
- If you're broiling the top at the end, watch it closely! It takes me 6-7 (using an older oven) minutes of broiling for the perfect toast, but newer appliances may take as little as a minute or two.
- Experiment with additions to the carnitas, like spicy sauteed peppers and onions.
Recipe FAQs
In a pinch, go for it and swap in flour tortillas in this Carnitas Enchilada recipe. However, I think this recipe is better with corn tortillas because of their taste and their durability. Flour tortillas just kind of... melt in enchilada dishes whereas corn tortillas maintain more integrity, add a subtle corn flavor, and provide a fun texture.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, Carnitas Enchiladas are good for up to 3-4 days.
Related Recipes
If you love enchiladas, you have to try these Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas; they are rich and creamy and cozy.
Looking for more recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Carnitas Enchiladas (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Carnitas Enchiladas
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound pulled pork shredded
- 7-8 corn tortillas (5 ¾ in diameter)
- 1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack, divided (reserve ½ cup for topping)
- 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of bacon grease or oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once heated, arrange shredded pork in an even layer in the pan and cook, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, flip the pork. It should appear golden brown and crispy. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.½ pound pulled pork
- Click here for instructions on how to make semi-homemade enchilada sauce (makes 1 ½ cups, which is what you’ll need).1 ½ cups enchilada sauce
- Heat your tortillas in a pan before dipping them into the enchilada sauce. Heat tortillas over medium-high heat, for 5-7 seconds per side each. You want them to be completely pliable.7-8 corn tortillas
- Coat the bottom of an 11x7 baking dish with the enchilada sauce, around ½ cup or so of the sauce.
- Dip a warmed tortilla into the enchilada sauce, coating one side completely. Lay down on a cutting board, dipped tortilla side up. I keep the dry side on the exterior since it will get coated later on.
- Divide carnitas evenly between 7-8 tortillas; add 1 ½ tablespoons pepper jack cheese to each tortilla.1 ½ cups shredded pepper jack, divided
- Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in an 11x7 baking dish. Continue to do this until your pan is full.
- Pour all of the remaining enchilada sauce over your rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining pepper jack cheese.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil or a lid and bake for 20 minutes, until heated through.
- Remove the cover and broil for 6-7 minutes, until the cheese starts to get toasty and bubbly looking.
- Let sit for a couple of minutes to cool slightly and then dig in!
Nutrition
Dan
Broiling ruined the 2 hours I spent to prepare and cook this dish. I should have know better, looked very good when I pulled the tinfoil off and I should have left as is. Broiling this dish for 6 minutes destroyed it.
Christina Koncker
I am so sorry to hear that the recommended broil time was too long! I have adjusted the recipe to reflect that broil functions vary across appliances. I recently purchased a new oven and re-made this recipe again, and it takes less time to broil than it did in my old oven. I do hope you'll try this recipe again with a lessen broil time - 1-2 minutes may be plenty! Or as you suggested you can skip the broil step. I often do this myself.