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Apple Butter Dutch Oven Carnitas

Apple butter dutch oven carnitas are topped with apple cider, sautéed onions, and spiced butternut squash for a flavorful pork dish you’ll be craving!

Carnitas in tortillas on a plate with lime wedges on the side and a jar of apple butter in the background.

Dutch Oven Pork Carnitas with Fall Flavor You’ll Love

Carnitas are the Mexican version of pulled pork. The Spanish word carnitas means “little meats.”

An authentic carnitas recipe uses milk to tenderize the pork, but I wanted a “fall twist” for this recipe. It all came together when Musselman’s asked me to come up with a seasonal dish using their apple butter. 

In this dutch oven carnitas recipe, the apple cider tenderizes the meat and the apple butter makes a fantastic carnitas sauce.

What is apple butter? It’s a thick, spiced, apple spread. It’s just a few simple ingredients slow cooked down until thick and luxuriously creamy. Basically, it’s the best.

I have always loved apple butter, and while I usually just slather it on homemade biscuits, it’s pretty amazing in savory dishes too. 

What is the Best Cut of Meat for Pork Carnitas?

A carnitas dutch oven recipe is traditionally made with a bone-in pork shoulder. This cut has a higher fat content, which keeps the meat tender and juicy while cooking. It’s also perfect for shredding – the way carnitas are meant to be served.

The key to a perfect carnitas seasoning is to mix all the spices ahead of time in a bowl, then rub the mixture all over the pork shoulder. This will ensure the spices are evenly distributed for maximum flavor!

I use garlic, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, and smoked paprika to create the chipotle carnitas seasoning. With the chipotle heat and the sweet apple butter, these carnitas are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.

What Do You Serve with Pork Carnitas?

My favorite part of this dutch oven carnitas recipe is the extra toppings added for a touch of fall flavor! 

I sautéed onions in a mixture of olive oil and apple cider and they came out perfectly sweet and tender. Then I added in butternut squash, roasted with smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder. It brought another punch of flavor, and I love the soft potato-like texture the squash brings to the tacos.

To serve these little babies, fill corn tortillas with the pork carnitas, pile on the onions and squash, and finish with a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

And don’t forget the cold beer. Or cold hard cider. It’s hard to decide what would be better. Maybe try them both! 

Close up of carnitas in tortillas, topped with onions, butternut squash, spices, and cilantro.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For pork:

  • 1 (4 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 cups apple cider

For onions:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large sweet onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

For butternut squash:

  • 2 cups small diced butternut squash
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

For tacos:

  • Corn tortillas, toasted
  • Cilantro, diced
  • Lime wedges

How to Make Pork Carnitas in a Dutch Oven

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a small bowl whisk together apple butter, garlic, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano.

Add pork shoulder to a large dutch oven and rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork. Pour apple cider into the dutch oven and cover tightly.

Cook for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

While the pork is cooking, set a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the onions, apple cider, kosher salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft, then set aside. 

When the pork is fork-tender, remove the dutch oven lid and turn the heat up to 450 degrees F. Cook for about 20 minutes more until the top of the pork is crispy.

Remove from the oven and shred with 2 forks, removing any bones and fat. Cover to keep hot while you prepare the squash.

In a large bowl mix together squash, olive oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and chipotle chile powder. Roast for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until soft.

Now it’s time to put the tacos together! Lay out toasted corn tortillas and fill with pork. Top with onions, squash, and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with a lime wedge.

Interested in more apple butter recipes? 

chipotle apple butter carnitas on a plate topped with toppings

Apple Butter Dutch Oven Carnitas

Author: Brandy O’Neill – Nutmeg Nanny
Apple butter dutch oven carnitas are topped with apple cider sautéed onions and spiced butternut squash for a flavorful pork dish you’ll be craving!
4.50 from 2 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

For pork:

  • 1 4 pound bone-in pork shoulder
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 cups apple cider

For onions:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large sweet onions sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For butternut squash:

For tacos:

  • Corn tortillas toasted
  • Cilantro diced
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

For pork:

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl whisk together apple butter, garlic, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano.
  • Add pork shoulder to a large Dutch oven and rub mixture over the top of the pork.
  • Pour apple cider into the Dutch oven and cover tightly.
  • Cook for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours until fork-tender.
  • Remove the lid, turn the heat up to 450 degrees F and cook for about 20 minutes until the top of the pork is crispy.
  • Remove from the oven, shred with 2 forks (removing any bones and fat) and cover to keep hot while you prepare tacos.

For onions:

  • Set a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.
  • Once the oil is hot add in onions, apple cider, kosher salt, and pepper.
  • Cook until the onions are soft.
  • If the mixture gets too dry add in a bit more apple cider.

For butternut squash:

  • In a large bowl mix together squash, olive oil, smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and chipotle chile powder.
  • Roast for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until soft.

For tacos:

  • Layout toasted corn tortillas and fill with pork.
  • Top with onions, squash, and a sprinkling of cilantro.
  • Serve with a lime wedge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 544mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 26g
Course Main Course
Keyword apple butter pork recipes, apple butter recipes, butternut squash recipes, carnita recipe, chipotle pork recipes, chipotle recipes, dinner recipes, dutch oven recipes, fall recipes, pork recipes, pork shoulder recipes, pulled pork recipes, savory apple butter recipes, winter recipes
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment and 5 star review!
Plate of apple butter carnitas with lime wedges on the side.
Brandy

About Brandy!

I am a food lover and recipe developer bringing you delicious recipes that taste great and are easy to make! My food is inspired by travels around the world and my love of flavorful food. A list of things that make me happy: cats, Coke Zero, houseplants, and travel. Read more...

Recipe Rating




Jocelyn @BruCrew Life

Monday 27th of October 2014

Good gravy those do sound amazing! What an awesome way to use apple butter!!!

Melissa from HungryFoodLove.com

Monday 27th of October 2014

This is seriously a BRILLIANT idea! Kudos!

Joanne Bruno

Sunday 26th of October 2014

Double fisting tacos and hard cider is how I roll! How did you know? These sound like fall taco perfection. Every aspect is SPOT.ON.

Angela {Mind Over Batter}

Sunday 26th of October 2014

Yeah... I pretty much need to make these apple butter carnitas because it's all I think about now. It's all I've thought about all weekend. I love the way your mind works, lady.

christine

Saturday 25th of October 2014

I never would have thought to use apple butter in a recipe like this but now that you've gone and done it, it totally makes sense!

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