What to Serve with Carnitas
Deciding what to serve with carnitas will be easy with this list of ideas I put together for you!
Carnitas are a common dish in Mexican cuisine and means “little meats” in Spanish. It’s usually made of pork butt or pork shoulder and it’s traditionally prepared by braising or simmering the pork in oil or lard until it is tender and has a delicious flavor, then shredding it into small pieces.
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You can make carnitas easier to prepare with out slow cooker carnitas or Instant Pot carnitas recipe. You can also make carnitas-style chicken as well.
Your favorite pork carnitas recipe can be served in tacos, burritos, or in other dishes. It is also popularly served as a topping for nachos and other Mexican dishes. When it comes to the best side dishes for this meal, let’s look at some other Spanish food and Mexican-inspired foods to complete a delicious meal.
1. Slow Cooker Rice
Rice is always the perfect side dish for a Mexican meal if you’re looking for a simple but tasty side.
2. Easy Grilled Peppers
Grilled peppers are a great addition to a traditional Mexican dish like tender pork carnitas. You can eat these as a side or add them on top of your carnitas dish.
3. Easy Oven Roasted Bell Peppers
Bell peppers can be used with slow-cooked pork carnitas in a variety of ways. You can add them to carnitas tacos, nachos, burritos, and more!
4. Easy Cowboy Caviar
This cowboy caviar is a black bean and corn salad that would be perfectly paired with pulled pork carnitas. Use it as a topping for your dish or serve it as a side with tortilla chips.
5. Tostones: Fried Plantains
Tostones are popular throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, especially in Puerto Rico. These will make a great side for anything from pork carnitas tacos to slow cooker pork carnitas with rice and beans.
6. Corn Avocado Salsa
This corn and avocado salsa makes a great topping for slow-cooked pork carnitas. Try this over the main dish like nachos or add it as an appetizer or side dish with chips.
7. Simple Butter Cilantro Rice
Butter cilantro rice paired with juicy pork tenderloin carnitas is mouth-watering just thinking about it. Fresh cilantro is a very popular ingredient in Mexican food. This is a really easy side to bring your carnitas to the next level.
8. Mexican Cornbread
This easy Mexican cornbread is made with Jiffy mix, spicy green chilis, and delicious cheese. You’ll never settle for regular cornbread again!
9. Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Slow cooker refried beans are great for topping carnitas tacos, nachos, and more. You can even melt a little cotija cheese on top after cooking and you’ll have a delicious dish that tastes amazing with carnitas meat.
10. Spanish Rice with Black Beans
Spanish rice with black beans and corn would be fantastic topped with pork carnitas! Make it like a burrito bowl by adding pico de Gallo, sour cream, red onion, romaine lettuce, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
11. Chips and Homemade Salsa
Homemade salsa and chips is a no-brainer as a side for carnitas. Salsa and chips make tasty sides for anything from a normal dinner or a Cinco de mayo celebration.
12. Mexican Street Corn Casserole
Serve this Mexican street corn casserole as your only side dish for this meal. It would make a great complimentary burst of flavor to pork carnitas.
13. Mexican Salad
Mexican salad is made with layers of lettuce, ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, black beans, and more. This would be a great light side for your pork carnitas.
14. Mexican Rice
Serve this Mexican rice with the refried beans recipe above and your pork carnitas and you have yourself a full Mexican meal!
15. Homemade Corn Tortillas
Homemade corn tortillas are perfect for making homemade pork carnitas street tacos!
16. Pico de Gallo
Like homemade salsa, pico de gallo is easy to make at home and the perfect topping for your carnitas, whether you are serving them on tacos, quesadillas, or on their own.
17. Elotes
Mexican street corn made with mayonnaise, cotija cheese, cilantro, crema, lime and tajin chili seasoning is a tasty addition served with carnitas.
