Loaded Carnitas Fries
Oven-baked french fries are topped with juicy, tender pork carnitas, melty cheese, spicy guacamole, and rich sour cream for a game day meal like no other!
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
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
Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 652mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg