Loaded Carnitas Fries
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on Feb 20, 2025, Updated Feb 27, 2025
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Give your favorite fast food snack a Muy Bueno upgrade with my crave-worthy Carnitas Fries recipe! These loaded pulled pork fries feature homemade crispy potatoes, tender shredded pork, creamy guacamole, melty cheese, fresh salsa, and a drizzle of tangy crema—perfect for tackling game day hunger.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love pork carnitas, nachos, and crispy oven fries, you’re going to love this masterful mash-up—it’s the best of all snacking worlds!
This recipe for Mexican pulled pork fries is mostly hands off, making it ideal for hosting. Simply braise the carnitas in a dutch oven on the stovetop while your fries bake, then let everyone load up their plate as they like!
As with all loaded fry and nacho recipes, these carnitas fries are totally customizable. Have fun mixing and matching your toppings to suit your cravings!
Ingredients & Substitutions
The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Carnitas – Mexican pulled pork is at the center of this yummy pile of goodness, but there’s more than one way to shred a pig. Feel free to make these braised Dutch oven carnitas, carnitas with coca cola, or condensed milk carnitas!
- Russet Potatoes, Oil, & Salt – You only need 3 basic ingredients to make delightfully crisp-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside french fries in the oven. Feel free to bake frozen fries for ease or swap in another potato variety like Idaho.
- Nacho Toppings – I used shredded Oaxaca cheese, guacamole mexicano, homemade pico de gallo, and crema mexicana, but you’re welcome to swap in or add any toppings you prefer.
Optional Variations
Store-Bought Shortcuts – Feel free to swap in frozen french fries, sweet potato fries, or tater tots instead of making homemade oven fries.
Swap Meats – Not a fan of carnitas? Try my pork green chile fries or carne asada fries instead!
How to Make Loaded Carnitas Fries
Crispy oven-baked fries topped with Mexican pulled pork, coming right up! Here’s how to make them at home:
Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Wash the potatoes and peel (or leave the skin on if preferred). Cut them into your desired fry size.
Step 2: Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat them very dry to remove excess moisture.
Step 3: Toss the potatoes with oil and season with salt.
Step 4: Bake. Spread the fries in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.
Step 5: Melt Cheese. Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle evenly with cheese and warm shredded carnitas. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 or so minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
Step 6: Top with desired nacho toppings and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Serving & Topping Suggestions
With the Super Bowl right around the corner, I’m gearing up for a game-watching gathering with all my favorite game day snacks and drinks. Set up a nacho fry bar for guests to serve themselves so you can actually enjoy your guests (and the game!)!
A slow cooker (or two!) filled with meat will start the line, followed by bowls of salsas of varying heat and plenty of dips like spicy hatch chile guacamole and Tex-Mex chile con queso, shredded cheeses, Mexican crema or sour cream, and veggies like sliced radishes, pickled jalapeños, green onions, and fresh cilantro.
If you have vegetarians in the partying mix, make sure to offer some meat alternatives—my Instant Pot black beans or frijoles de la olla are excellent spooned on top of these nacho fries.
Carnitas Fries Expert Tips & Tricks
- Soak & Dry – Soak cut potatoes in cool water to remove excess starch, then pat them completely dry. Moisture = soggy fries!
- Layer Up – Bake fries in a single layer so they crisp up instead of steaming. When assembling, layer meat and cheese between fries for the best flavor in every bite.
- Foil > Parchment – Foil conducts heat better than parchment, giving you crispier, golden fries. Easy cleanup, better crunch!
Storage & Heating Instructions
- Best Fresh! Anything crispy, like nachos or loaded fries, is best enjoyed straight from the oven before the toppings start softening the crunch. But if you have leftovers, here’s how to save them:
- Refrigerate – Let leftovers cool completely, then store in an airtight container. If possible, keep extra toppings (like guac or sour cream) separate for easier reheating. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Reheat – Spread fries on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet (or use a cast iron skillet) and bake at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes until hot and slightly crisp again. Add toppings and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
They don’t have to be—you’re welcome to just drain and shred the meat. However, frying crispy carnitas is absolutely delicious if you have the extra time!
The idea between the two types of loaded fries is quite similar—use french fries instead of tortilla chips to make a plate of “nachos.” The big difference between the two is the type of meat used—carnitas is a classic Mexican pulled pork dish, whereas carne asada is another authentic Mexican dish made from sliced or chopped grilled steak.
Generally speaking, carnitas is made from pork shoulder, also known as Boston butt, pork butt, or picnic roast.
You want to give them between about 30-60 minutes for the best results, then drain and pat them very dry before proceeding.
More Game Day Nachos & Fries
If you tried this Loaded Carnitas Fries or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Loaded Carnitas Fries
Ingredients
Carnitas
- 2 tablespoons lard, or solid vegetable shortening
- 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks (do not remove fat)
- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups cups water
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
Crispy Oven Fries
- 5 medium russet potatoes
- 2-3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
Loaded Carnitas Fries
Instructions
Carnitas
- In a large, deep frying pan or a stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the lard. While the lard is heating, season the pork on all sides with 1 teaspoon salt. When the lard is hot, working in batches to avoid crowding, add the pork and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, 3–4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all the pork is browned.
- While the pork is browning, make the braising liquid. In a blender, combine the water, orange juice, onion, garlic, chiles, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper and blend until smooth.
- When all the pork is browned, return it to the pan and pour in the braising liquid. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the meat and set the thyme sprigs and bay leaves on top. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour.
- If you like carnitas tender, shred the pork or chop it into bite-size pieces and keep warm.
Crispy Pork Carnitas
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the shredded or chopped pork in an even layer. Broil on high for about 4-6 minutes, watching closely until the pork becomes crispy and caramelized to your liking. Or heat a large cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the exterior is crispy and caramelized. The timing will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off and how crackly you want the outside.
Crispy Oven Fries
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Wash the potatoes and peel (or leave the skin on if preferred). Cut them into your desired fry size.
- Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat them very dry to remove excess moisture.
- Toss the potatoes with oil and season with salt.
- Spread the fries in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.
Loaded Carnitas Fries
- Remove the tray from the oven and sprinkle evenly with cheese and warm shredded carnitas. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 or so minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
- Top with desired nacho toppings and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Soak & Dry – The key to crispy french fries is first soaking the cut potatoes in cool water to remove extra starch on the surface, which can cause the exterior to be a bit gummy. Second, make sure to pat them very dry using a clean kitchen towel to finish removing the starch and also remove excess moisture—the enemy of crispness!
- Foil vs. Parchment Paper – While either will work to make clean-up a snap, consider lining your pan with foil instead of parchment paper. Why? Foil is a better conductor of heat, leading to better browning, which in turn leads to better crisping.
- Layer Up – If you’re serving these carnitas nacho fries to a large group, make sure you first bake your french fries in a single layer, leaving plenty of room for them to breathe. This is the only way to achieve crispy oven fries! If you crowd the pan, they’ll end up steaming instead. Then, when it’s time to make your nacho fries, make sure to coat one layer in meat and cheese before adding another layer of fries—you want to get all the goodness in every bite!
- Best Fresh – For anything crisp that is piled high with wetter toppings (i.e. nacho chips or loaded fries), your best bet is to eat them straight from the oven. The longer they sit, the more the crispiness will deteriorate. That said, you can save leftover carnitas fries if needed.
- Refrigerate – Allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. If possible, keep any additional toppings beyond the meat and cheese separate for easier reheating and better results. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Reheat – Place refrigerated leftovers on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet or in an oven-safe cast iron skillet and bake at 400ºF for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and slightly re-crisped. Top with any additional toppings and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These loaded carnitas fries are so good! They have been our Sunday night dinner for a few weeks.