What to Eat with Carnitas – Tortillas, Salsas and Sides

How it works

What to eat with carnitas? The pork is rich, soft and crisp at the edges, so it wants a tortilla, something sharp and something fresh. These 36 ideas add beans, rice, uses for leftovers, sweets and drinks.

Read the full guide

How carnitas is served

Carnitas, a name that means little meats, is typically served with chopped cilantro, diced onion, salsa, guacamole, tortillas and refried beans. Once it is pulled apart, the pork is also a filling for tacos, tamales, tortas and burritos.

Build the plate

Crisp the pork in a hot pan just before it goes to the table, leftovers too. Give each taco one sharp thing, a salsa, lime or a pickle. Beans or rice turn a few tacos into dinner.

Serve the pork in a warm dish with a little of its fat spooned over, so it stays juicy on the table.
Keep the habanero salsa apart in its own small bowl with a spoon, so nobody takes it by mistake.

Questions and answers

What sides go with carnitas?

Refried beans and Mexican red rice fill the plate. Street corn on the cob, cabbage and lime slaw or squash with corn and tomato add a vegetable, and tortilla soup makes a first course.

What salsa goes with carnitas?

Salsa verde for a tart, mild one, salsa macha for dried chiles in oil, and habanero salsa for real heat. Pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños and carrots add the same sharpness without a spoon.

What to eat carnitas with besides tortillas?

Sopes, gorditas and tamales are other corn bases, and crusty rolls make tortas. With no bread at all, build a rice bowl or stuff poblano peppers.

What to make with leftover carnitas?

Chilaquiles for breakfast, enchiladas with green sauce, crisp rolled tacos or bean and cheese toasts. Hominy and chile soup takes the last shreds.

What do you drink with carnitas?

Without alcohol: cantaloupe water or strawberry water over ice, or a cold apple soda.

All 36 ideas

Tortillas, rolls and other ways to wrap it 6

Crusty rolls for tortas Split and toast them, then fill with pork, avocado and pickled jalapeños.
Gorditas Fat corn cakes. Split one like a pocket and stuff it.
Large flour tortillas Roll the pork up with rice and beans for a burrito.
Sopes Thick corn cakes with a pinched rim. Spread beans on first, then pork and salsa.
Tamales Serve plain corn tamales beside the pork, or use the pork as the filling.
Warm corn tortillas Stack two small ones for each taco so the juicy pork does not tear through.

Toppings and salsas 9

Chopped onion and cilantro Mix them in one bowl and scatter a pinch over every taco.
Crisp pork rinds Crumble them over a taco for crunch, or dip them in the guacamole.
Guacamole A spoonful on the taco, or a bowl in the middle of the table.
Habanero salsa Very hot and fruity. A few drops are enough.
Lime wedges Squeeze one over the pork just before the first bite.
Pickled jalapeños and carrots Set the bowl out with a fork, for nibbling between tacos.
Pickled red onions Sharp and pink. A few strands wake up a rich taco.
Salsa macha A dark oil of dried chiles and garlic. Stir it, then drizzle a little.
Salsa verde Tart tomatillo salsa cuts through the rich pork.

Beans, rice and vegetables 8

Cabbage and lime slaw Dress it sharp, with no mayonnaise, and pile it on the tacos.
Green rice Rice cooked with blended herbs and green chiles, mild and bright.
Mexican red rice Fluffy tomato rice to fill out the plate or the burrito.
Refried beans A warm scoop on the plate, with a little crumbled cheese on top.
Squash with corn and tomato Soft summer squash cooked down with corn. Serve it warm with a spoon.
Street corn on the cob Spread it with mayonnaise, roll it in cheese and dust it with chili.
Sweet corn tamales Soft and a little sweet, with cream spooned over.
Tortilla soup A small bowl first, with crisp tortilla strips on top.

With leftover carnitas 7

Bean and cheese toasts Split rolls spread with beans, topped with cheese and pork, then grilled.
Chilaquiles Simmer tortilla chips in salsa until they soften, then top with pork and an egg.
Crisp rolled tacos Roll the pork tight in corn tortillas and fry until they crackle.
Enchiladas with green sauce Roll the pork in tortillas, cover with sauce and cheese and bake.
Hominy and chile soup Stir the pork in near the end so it stays in shreds.
Rice bowl Rice, beans, pork and every topping in one bowl, with no tortilla.
Stuffed poblano peppers Fill roasted peppers with pork and cheese and bake until the cheese melts.

Something sweet after 3

Churros Hot from the oil and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Flan Cold caramel custard, cut in small wedges.
Tres leches cake A cold square of sponge soaked in milk.

Drinks 3

Apple soda Cold and fizzy, in a tall glass with ice.
Cantaloupe water Blended melon, water and a little sugar, poured over ice.
Strawberry water Crushed berries, water and lime, served cold.