Description
A quick and easy weeknight dinner featuring tender, shreddable pork shoulder with crispy edges, cooked in an air fryer for maximum flavor with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 pounds pork shoulder or Boston butt, cut into 3–4 inch chunks
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 12–16 small corn tortillas
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges for serving
- Salsa verde or pico de gallo for serving
Instructions
- Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and cut into uniform 3-4 inch chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine minced garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, orange juice, and lime juice to create a marinade.
- Toss the pork chunks in the marinade until evenly coated and let sit while preheating the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (190°C).
- Arrange pork chunks in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching or stacked. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through (around 10-12 minutes), until edges are browned and charred.
- Check for doneness; internal temperature should reach 160-170°F (71-77°C) for maximum tenderness.
- Remove pork and let rest for 5 minutes, then shred using two forks.
- For extra crispiness, toss shredded meat back into the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 3-5 minutes.
- Warm tortillas and assemble tacos with pork, diced onion, cilantro, and lime. Serve with salsa.
Notes
Do not use pork loin as it will dry out; pork shoulder is essential for shreddable texture. Ensure pork is cut into uniform chunks for even cooking. Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket, as this causes steaming instead of crisping. The ‘double-crisp’ method (shredding and crisping again) is recommended for best texture. Save the juices from shredding to mix back into the meat for moisture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup of shredded po
- Calories: 280
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 2
- Protein: 25
Keywords: air fryer carnitas, pork shoulder recipe, easy weeknight dinner, crispy pork, Mexican pulled pork, gluten-free dinner, air fryer pork