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READY IN 4+ hrs

Ronaldo's Beef Carnitas

Read Reviews (305)

"I use this recipe all the time. It is the best! The meat just falls apart, and it's delicious served in flour tortillas with guacamole and salsa. This also freezes well." — MISS ANNIE

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Original recipe makes 12 servings Change Servings

4 pounds chuck roast
1 (4 ounce) can green chile peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

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Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
Place roast on heavy foil large enough to enclose the meat. In a small bowl, combine the green chile peppers, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic and salt to taste. Mix well and rub over the meat.
Totally wrap the meat in the foil and place in a roasting pan.
Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the roast just falls apart with a fork. Remove from oven and shred using two forks.

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 4 hrs
READY IN 4 hrs 10 mins

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I made this in the crockpot and it turned out fabulous! I doubled the chile peppers and seasonings, wrapped the whole works in foil and cooked it in the crockpot for 8 hours on low. After the 8 hours was up I removed the foil package, dumped all the liquid into a bowl and skimmed the fat off the top and then shredded the meat and put it back into the crockpot with a small amount of the defatted liquid and cooked it for an additional 30 minutes or so. I served the shredded meat on warm flour tortillas with shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese, sour cream and salsa. I made some Zatarain's Spanish Rice to serve on the side - it goes really good with this, especially if you add a can of diced tomatoes w/ peppers to the rice while it is cooking - and you could also put a little bit of the rice in the tortilla along with the meat if you wanted to - that's how my hubbie ate his! This was REALLY GOOD and I'll definitely be making it again!

—Chef Eeyore

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jul 24, 2003

It was to bland, so I added (2) cans green chili's (1)tbls. oregano, (1) tbls. cumin, Pepper to taste, chopped up 4-5 jalapeno's and added a little of the juice from the jar. It was real good. Also had some left over roast and made burrito's the next night.

—CORRINE BRIDGES

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375 Ratings

Mar 13, 2008

Very Good. I made this in the Crock-pot, twice. The first time I just added 1/2 cup of water and doubled the spices. It was good. The second time, I added a can of beef broth, tripled the spices and added 3 chopped jalapenos. It was great. Served it with fresh tortillas with all the fixings, cheese, guacamole, onions, cilantro and beans. With my Oval crock-pot I turned the meat several times. I used frozen roast so the last couple of hours I turned it on high. Thanks for the great recipe. I will be using it many times!(Crock pot time approx 10 hours with frozen roast.)

—LoveMexiFood

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Nov 22, 2006

Best mexican meat recipe I have tried - and we love Mex food!!! I've tried it a few ways, my favorite is to rub it down and throw it in the crock pot before I go to bed. (no foil, no added liquid necessary) I cook it on low 15 -20 hours. Stick a big fork in there and stir it all around, it falls to pieces. Then let it simmer in its own juices for a bit and - wahlah, dinner is served. THANK YOU for this staple to our dinner rotation!!!

—Creative Cooking Impaired

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May 03, 2003

I tried these in a slow-cooker instead of the oven and they were FABULOUS!!! My husband always orders carnitas at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and he said that these blow everything else he's had out of the water! THANKS, Miss Annie!

—JAMIESGIRL

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Sep 17, 2005

Fantastic, versatile recipe. I use this as a filling for enchiladas and burritos. I also make this recipe using chicken in place of the beef when I make pollo fundido. Pork also works equally well.

—SCYankee

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May 05, 2005

I have modified this to my own liking after several tries in the oven. I found this is best cooked in the crock pot. I double the recipe and prepare it the same way, but put it in the crock pot with some water (to keep it from drying out). Also, I have found that a tri-tip roast turns out the best. Leftovers are great the next morning with scrambled eggs, salsa and flour tortillas (that is if you have any leftovers)!!!

—AZHOTTIE

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Dec 07, 2005

This turned out great. Although I used chopped jalapenos, as a substitute for the green chilis, becasue I had none at the moment. I added a few more shakes of all the spices, and probably cooked it about 30 - 45 minutes longer. After the initial cooking was complete, I shredded the meat effortlessly, removed the foil, put the meat into the juices, and cooked it for about 45 more minutes in the oven, occasionally stirring the meat around so it would all get 'juiced'. After that, I ate them on some homeade, fresh flour tortillas. It needed nothing extra. The flavor was wondeful. Since my wife is not a big fan of beef, I had about a weeks worth of leftovers, and they tasted better the older they were. Thanks Ronaldo! Great stuff! You should post more recipes. I'd try them.

—DOGMARATT

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Nutrition

Calories
218 kcal
11%

Carbohydrates
1.4 g
< 1%

Cholesterol
70 mg
23%

Fat
13.8 g
21%

Fiber
0.6 g
2%

Protein
20.8 g
42%

Sodium
170 mg
7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Ronaldo's Beef Carnitas

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 218
Calories from Fat: 124

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13.8g 21 %
Saturated Fat 5.6g 28 %
Cholesterol 70mg 23 %
Sodium 170mg 7 %
Potassium 221mg 6 %
Total Carbohydrates 1.4g < 1 %
Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2 %
Protein 20.8g 42 %
Sugars 0.4g
Vitamin A 9 %
Vitamin C 12 %
Calcium 2 %
Iron 28 %
Thiamin 6 %
Niacin 45 %
Vitamin B6 16 %
Magnesium 7 %
Folate 4 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.