Everything You Love About Carnitas…In 30 Minutes Or Less!
I’ve been on a serious Mexican food kick lately. Whether we’re ordering tacos from our favorite neighborhood spot or DIY-ing it at home, carnitas is always a go-to.
It’s hard to beat the rich, succulent flavor of pork carnitas, cooked low and slow. But, let’s be real–when those carnitas cravings hit unexpectedly, it can turn dinnertime into a bit of a scramble. That’s where this Chicken Carnitas recipe comes in.
I’m honestly a little giddy about this recipe because it’s so good. While traditional carnitas refers to the Mexican pulled pork we all know and love, this recipe nails all the rich flavors and tender texture with chicken and cooks in just a fraction of the time!
Chicken thighs soak up a fresh and zippy citrus marinade, then bake on a sheet pan for the perfect fuss-free dinner. Plus, it’s super versatile. You can turn it into chicken carnitas tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, taco salads, nachos…basically anything your carnitas-loving heart desires. I can’t wait for you to try these easy sheet pan carnitas!
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
3 foolproof secrets to low-fuss, flavor-packed dinners, learned from years working in restaurants.
Easy Carnitas Start With A Quick and Zippy Citrus Marinade
This easy chicken dinner starts with a quick carnitas marinade. It’s a zippy, citrusy marinade made with just a handful of simple ingredients. It’s so easy to throw together, but it adds so much bright flavor to the chicken.
You will need….
- Chicken – You can use either chicken thighs or chicken breasts for these chicken carnitas. Since they’re baked and broiled for a crispy finish, I prefer using thighs since they’re a little more forgiving and don’t dry out easily. If you choose to use breasts, either pound them out flat or butterfly them by slicing them in half lengthwise. This helps to ensure they cook evenly and quickly, creating juicier chicken carnitas.
- Citrus – True to pork carnitas, the base of this chicken carnitas marinade is a combination of fresh orange and fresh lime. Use both the zest and juice for maximum flavor.
- Aromatics – Namely garlic, jalapeno, ground cumin, and dried oregano. Pretty simple!
- Olive oil – Just the littlest bit brings it all together.
Suggested marinating time ⇢ Due to the amount of citrus in the carnitas marinade, you won’t want to let the chicken marinate for too, too long. Aim for at least 20 minutes and no more than 8 hours.
Meal Prep Tip!
I suggest prepping the marinade ahead of time to make your chicken carnitas dinner even more effortless. Mix up the marinade and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The day you plan to make chicken carnitas, simply give it a shake, pour it over the chicken and let it sit until dinnertime. Seriously easy!
How To Make Sheet Pan Chicken Carnitas
The beautiful thing about this chicken carnitas recipe? It’s some straight-up sheet pan magic. Once the chicken has marinated, a sheet pan does the rest of the work!
Serving Suggestions
Aside from its ease and flavor, the one thing you’ll love most about this chicken carnitas recipe is its versatility. You can build any of your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes around them – chicken carnitas tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, taco salads, nachos, tostadas…you name it!
Whatever you do, don’t forget the toppings! A few of our favorite toppings include:
- Winter Citrus Pico de Gallo (above) or salsa
- Queso fresco or shredded pepper jack cheese
- Sour cream or cashew crema
- Fresh veggies, sliced avocado or a big ol’ dollop of guacamole
- And loads of fresh lime juice and finely chopped cilantro!
Take It Over The Top With Winter Citrus Pico de Gallo
While developing these chicken carnitas, I played around with the idea of swapping fresh tomatoes with beautiful winter citrus in a quick and fresh pico and it was too good not to share!
Winter Citrus Pico de Gallo ⇢ Peel, segment, and roughly chop 2 Cara Cara oranges and 1 grapefruit. Finely dice 1/2 red onion and 1 medium jalapeño. Add everything to a small bowl with a handful of roughly chopped cilantro. Stir and season with freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Prep it while the chicken is in the oven and serve with your chicken carnitas – easy!
I can’t wait for you to try this easy Chicken Carnitas recipe. We’re seriously obsessed, and I know you will be too.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking! ♡
Print Chicken Carnitas (Quick and Easy Sheet Pan Recipe)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Tacos, Burritos & Enchiladas Recipes, Main Dishes
- Method: Sheet Pan, Baked
- Cuisine: Mexican & Tex-Mex
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Looking for a weeknight dinner win? These Sheet Pan Chicken Carnitas are your new go-to! Tender chicken thighs marinate in a zesty, citrus-infused carnitas sauce, then bake up perfectly juicy and crispy in under 30 minutes. Serve them as chicken carnitas tacos, or pile them onto a rice bowl with all your favorite toppings—either way, you’ll love how quick, flavorful, and versatile this recipe is!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large, juicy oranges, zested and juiced
- 2 large, juicy limes, zested and juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 medium jalapeno, deseeded as desired and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- for serving, as desired: charred white corn tortillas, cilantro lime rice, black beans, sour cream or cashew crema, pickled red onions, freshly chopped cilantro, queso fresco or cheese of choice, salsa of choice, winter citrus pico de gallo (see blog post above), lime wedges, etc.
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Add the orange zest and juice, lime zest and juice, garlic, jalapeno, olive oil, cumin, oregano and kosher salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add in the chicken thighs and yellow onion. Toss to combine. Set aside to marinate for at least 20 minutes or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, arranging the oven racks such that one is in the center of the oven and one is 4-6 inches under the broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up, as desired, and set aside.
- Bake the chicken: Transfer the marinated chicken and onions to the prepared baking sheet, draining and discarding any excess marinade. Bake on the center rack for 15-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs. The chicken should be nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven to shred, and meanwhile preheat the broiler.
- Shred the chicken carnitas: Carefully shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces – you can do so using 2 forks, or my favorite trick: pop the chicken thighs directly into in a stand mixer and let the paddle attachment do the work for you (I swear this works!). Transfer the shredded chicken back onto the baking sheet.
- Broil for crispy chicken carnitas: Place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil 4-5 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the chicken carnitas are browned and slightly crisp.
- Serve: Place the crispy chicken carnitas in tortillas for tacos or a bowl with rice and beans for burrito bowls, finishing with your favorite taco night toppings of choice: sour cream/Mexican crema, pickled red onions, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead? Yes. I prefer thighs since they’re flavorful and stay really nice and juicy through roasting + broiling, but you can swap them out with breasts if you prefer. Either pound the breasts out flat or cut them in half lengthwise (butterflied) to ensure they roast up evenly. Skip broiling (Step 5), as the breast meat will dry out.
- Storage and freezing: Leftover chicken carnitas will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. It’s also a wonderful freezer staple since you can easily thaw it out and use it on tacos, nachos, taco salads, burrito bowls, etc. for an easy dinner down the road. To freeze, transfer cooled chicken carnitas to a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost by placing in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, or by submerging the freezer bag/container in room temp water for 20-25 minutes.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this sheet pan chicken comes from prepping the marinade. Whisk it up in advance to get a head start on your chicken carnitas – it’ll take 10 minutes, tops:
- Thinly slice ½ yellow onion, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep the marinade according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The day you’d like to make carnitas, all you have to do is toss the chicken into the marinade – so easy! Marinate for at least 20 minutes or marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 8 hours.
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you are my kind of chef. loved this so much that I will be following more of your recipes
Welcome to the PWWB community, Aly!
My husband does not like oranges or lemons. Could I substitute anything else? Thanks.
Hi Vicky, for the carnitas themselves, we don’t recommend leaving the oranges out, since they add so much essential flavor! But you can definitely swap out the citrus pico de gallo for a more traditional tomato pico if you prefer!
Simple and tasty!
The best kind of recipe! Thanks for the review, Sabine!
This recipe is so good. I made guacamole and served queso fresco and your pickled onion. Next time I plan to make burrito bowls with the chicken.
Hi Cathy! We are SO glad you enjoyed the chicken carnitas & love how you served them – burrito bowls would be fabulous too. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
This is excellent! So flavorful. Will be in our regular rotation!
Oh, and 5 star!
We so appreciate it, thank you!
Hi Jennifer!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review – we’re so glad it can become a weeknight staple. 🙂
These look amazing! Adding these to menu planning for the week.
Thank you, Angela! We LOVE them – can’t wait to hear what you think!!
Made this for my family last night and it was a big hit! Soo delicious! And your trick to shred the chicken with the paddle attachment was awesome – worked so well!
Served it with your pickled red onions and cashew crema – both amazing and will be staples for all future taco nights in our house!
Thank you for the great recipes!!
Hi Camille! Soo glad you loved it & that the stand mixer trick was helpful (it’s such a game changer!!). If you loved this one, check out the Chicken al Pastor next!
These are fantastic! Just made for the first time tonight and they were everything I hoped they’d be. I have one kid who’s picky about dark meat and she loved! We made delicious make-your-own burrito bowls with the chicken. Will absolutely be adding this to the rotation. Thank you!
So glad you this can be a new go-to! The chicken thighs definitely add even more flavor – thank you so much for sharing!
So easy and super flavorful! Will definitely make again!
Hi Mary! Thank you so much for sharing, it’s the perfect weeknight recipe!
An instant favorite for burrito bowls or an alternate taco filling in this house! I love a meal that takes very few dishes and I can throw in the oven while I’m wrangling the toddler and still has SO much flavor!
So delicious & so easy!!! Can’t wait to add this to our dinner rotation!
Sooooo glad you enjoyed, Vanessa, & couldn’t agree more. It’s as easy as it gets. Thank you for the comment! xx
Both my husband and I loved this recipe! Will definitely be a new staple in our house!
Hey Lisa! So so glad to hear that you & your husband enjoyed! These carnitas are definitely a favorite for the PWWB team too!
I love all Jess’s recipes. They are always delicious, and my 3 hungry sons who are big eaters loved this recipe. We had ours with black beans, cilantro rice and I made her citrus Pico de Gallo which was perfect with the citrus marinated chicken. Yum 😋
Thank you Theresa! Black beans, cilantro rice & the homemade pico sound like the perfect combo – we are thrilled to hear that your whole family enjoyed!!
This recipe was so easy to make and tasted amazing! Whole family lives it!!
Hi Tricia! Thank you so much for sharing – we are thrilled to hear that you & the whole family loved these carnitas! 🙂
We eat tons of chicken in our house so, always hunting for a new fun way to make it! This recipe… drool! Honestly, we made them extra crispy and added some extra red onion and it was a hit! And you can do so much with the left overs… we made nachos and empanadas! So good. So easy. And so versatile.
Made this last night and it was delicious!! Served over cauliflower rice with pickled red onions, black olives, guac, shredded cheddar, Greek yogurt and hot sauce. Definitely a keeper!
Made these last night and it was incredible. The citrus pico was great. For sure will make on repeat!!!
Stop it right now. These were so so good! We turned these into bowls with cilantro lime rice, guac, the winter pico and pickled onions. So much flavor, color and filled with good for you foods. Going in the rotation for sure!
This chicken is DIVINE and a huge family favorite now. The marinade was so easy to come together and the citrus flavors shine. I loved the hack of shredding the chicken with a stand mixer and with Aldi being a one stop shop for this meal, this is the PERFECT week day dinner. Ok, or perfect any time dinner. Love, love, love.
We couldn’t agree more, Kristina! Thank you so much for sharing! Isn’t ALDI the best?! 🙂
This was super easy, fresh, and flavorful! The winter citrus salsa was a delicious topping, you must make it to go with this dish! My husband said it was one of the best meals I’ve made in a long time!
Hey Lorna! We are thrilled to hear that you & your husband both enjoyed this recipe & couldn’t agree more – the winter citrus salsa is a must! Thank you for sharing!!
These carnitas are delicious! My grocery store was out of jalapeños (not really sure how that happens?) so I subbed a serrano. I marinated the chicken for 4-5 hours and it was so tasty. Will definitely be making this again!
This was so good and will be added to the taco Tuesday rotation. It was such a wonderfully flavorful switch from the standard ground beef taco night. Super easy and fast to prep. I reserved some of the cooking juices to wake the leftovers back up for lunch tomorrow, can’t wait!
Hey Catherine! Thank you so much for sharing, we’re so glad to hear that you enjoyed your carnitas & had enough for leftovers! YUM!!
This sounds like a great recipe. Simple but delicious!
It truly is! Hope you try it & let us know how it goes!