Two weeks ago, I shared the best, most crispy and amazing Homemade Carnitas Recipe along with Carnitas Tacos, made three different ways. And I hope you’re not all carnitas’d out because I have one more carnitas recipe for you today: Carnitas Enchiladas. During my carnitas recipe testing extravaganza, because of the truly astounding amount of carnitas I had around the house for a solid two months, I made these enchiladas SO often, and never ever got tired of them.
Carnitas are a fabulous filling for enchiladas because they are super rich and flavorful all on their own so they don’t get overwhelmed by the other ingredients. Add all the cheese and sauce you want, and you’re still going to get plenty of that great carnitas flavor when you bite into these enchiladas. And the sauce, I LOVE this sauce. It’s smooth, a little tangy, and not too bitter. It’s perfect over meat and tortillas, but I always kind of want to eat it with a spoon too. It’s that good. That being said, it’s definitely not authentic enchilada sauce, so if you have a favorite sauce of your own, feel free to use that instead. I always make these enchiladas with my homemade carnitas recipe as a way to use up leftovers, but if you don’t have carnitas made already, I’ve embedded my carnitas recipe below the enchilada recipe. You can also click through to that post to see more step by step carnitas instructions. OR, if you have regular pulled pork on hand, you can use that. Pulled pork and carnitas are made from the same cut of meat, and there’s enough seasoning in the sauce that it doesn’t matter too much how the pork was originally seasoned.
How to Make Carnitas Enchiladas (Pulled Pork Enchiladas)
These are some of the easiest enchiladas to whip up. The sauce is made from pantry staples that simply get whisked together on the stove and simmered until thickened. And then you’re ready to assemble your enchiladas. The carnitas are mixed with a bit of sauce, wrapped in tortillas, and lined up in a casserole dish. Then you pour on the sauce, add cheese, and bake. Thirty minutes later, you end up with enchiladas that are cheesy, rich, and perfect for piling high with sour cream and pico de gallo and serving to friends and family.
Freezing Carnitas Enchiladas
The recipe I’m sharing today makes a full-size casserole dish and will serve five people two enchiladas each. I’m sharing a full-size version for two reasons: 1, I really like to make this for other people. It’s a real crowd pleaser and a low-stress dinner to make for guests. 2, it freezes very well, so if you’re a small household, freeze this (unbaked) in batches and you can get two or three meals out of it. I’ve included detailed freezing and reheating instructions in the recipe card, but this will make two 8×8 pans of five enchiladas or three 5×7 pans of three or four.
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Carnitas Enchilada Recipe Notes
If you have a favorite enchilada sauce of your own, use 3 cups of your favorite sauce. If you like really saucy, wet enchiladas, 1 1/2 this sauce recipe. Feel free to add more cheese, corn, black beans, etc., to the carnitas filling. Make the carnitas enchiladas of your heart. Serve alongside quick and simple sides like Cilantro Lime Rice, Green Beans, or Steamed Broccoli.
Sauce Adapted From Cookie and Kate
