Quick and Easy Chicken Carnitas
Flavorful Chicken Carnitas are made with marinated chicken thighs that are cooked until tender and juicy. Then, they're shredded and can be served in a variety of ways, from tacos to bowls or nachos. The best family dinner that tastes better than what you would get at a restaurant!
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large sweet onion thinly sliced
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 organic oranges zest and juice of
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Optional to serve:
- shredded lettuce, cooked rice, halved cherry tomatoes or pico de gallo, jalapeño, avocado, Mexican cheese, etc
Instructions
- Place the thighs and sliced onion in a deep dish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- In a jug, whisk the orange juice, zest, oil, garlic, pepper flakes, paprika and oregano. Pour this mixture over the chicken and move around to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).
- Once you're ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Remove the chicken from the marinade and transfer to a sheet pan. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until almost cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and carefully shred it using 2 forks. Spread the shredded chicken around your sheet pan and broil for 4-6 minutes, stirring each 2 minutes, or until it start to get golden and slightly crisp.
- Serve the chicken carnitas in bowls or tacos.
Notes
Storing recommendations:
- In the refrigerator: Transfer the shredded chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- In the freezer: Store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or over the stove on medium heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 563mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 691IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg