Anytime I make this amazing pork carnitas—or classic American BBQ pulled pork, brisket, and similar roasts—there are usually leftovers. I don’t like wasting food, so I vacuum-seal and freeze the extras. Yet when it’s time to use them, good leftover carnitas recipes can be hard to find.
That ends here. This recipe shows how to turn flavorful leftover pork into crispy, satisfying taquitos. I used pork from my grilled carnitas post, but the method works just as well with slow-cooker carnitas, leftover BBQ pulled pork, or even sliced brisket.
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How Do You Reheat Pork Carnitas?
The best reheating method depends on how you plan to reuse the meat. For tacos or taquitos, reheating sous vide is ideal because it gently warms the pork without drying it out. If you don’t own a sous vide setup, you can warm a large bowl of water to about 170°F and submerge the sealed bag of pork for 10–15 minutes.
If neither of those options is available, use the stovetop method described below to rehydrate and warm the pork so it stays juicy in your finished dish.
How Do You Make Dry Pork Moist Again?
Dry, freezer-aged pork is a common problem, but it’s easy to fix. Heat a skillet over medium-high and add chicken stock—the amount should match the volume of pork you’re reheating. Heat the stock until warm, then turn off the heat and add the pork to the pan. Let it sit in the warm stock for about 90 seconds so the meat can reabsorb moisture. This quickly restores juiciness and works great when you’re preparing taquitos.
How To Keep Taquitos From Unrolling
Keeping taquitos tightly rolled is simple: warm tortillas, modest filling, and a little “kitchen glue.” The glue is just a flour-and-water slurry that helps seal the seam.
Warm tortillas are crucial—cold ones will crack when you roll them. I like narrow, tightly rolled taquitos so they fry thin and crispy rather than becoming oversized and chewy. While rolling, brush a small strip of the flour-and-water mix along the edge of the tortilla, finish rolling tightly, and set the taquito seam-side down. As they cool slightly, the paste sets and the rolls hold shape during frying.
The result should be thin, crunchy taquitos you can eat several of without getting stuffed.
Pork Taquito Ingredients
Pork: Leftover carnitas are ideal, whether from a slow cooker or the grilled carnitas recipe.
Cilantro: Finely chopped cilantro brightens the pork with fresh herb flavor.
Red onions: Finely minced red onion adds a mild sweetness and crunch that complements the pork.
How To Make Carnitas Taquitos
Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins
Ingredients
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups carnitas meat, warm
12 6″ corn tortillas
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp water
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, minced
Step 1: Warm the tortillas in the microwave on the reheat setting (about 70% power) for 1–2 minutes. A tortilla warmer works well, or you can wrap them loosely in a clean kitchen towel.
Step 2: While the tortillas warm, mix the flour and water into a smooth paste and set it near your assembly area.
Step 3: Work quickly while the tortillas are hot. Place a thin line of pork, cilantro, and red onion across each tortilla, roll tightly, and brush a 2-inch strip of the flour-and-water paste along the edge before finishing the roll. Set each taquito seam-side down so the paste can set.
Step 4: Pour the oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium until it reaches about 350°F (use a quick-read thermometer if available).
Step 5: Fry the taquitos in batches of 4–6, seam-side down first. After about a minute, rotate them so all sides brown evenly. They should be golden and crisp when done.
Step 6: Transfer the fried taquitos to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Serve hot.
Pork Carnitas Taquitos
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Vegetable oil
- 2 cups Carnitas meat warm
- 12 6″ Corn tortillas warm
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Water
- ¾ cup Cilantro chopped
- ½ cup Red onion minced
Instructions
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Heat tortillas in the microwave on reheat setting (70% power) for one to two minutes. If you don’t have a tortilla warmer, wrap them loosely in a clean kitchen towel.
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While tortillas warm, mix together the flour and water and set near the assembly area.
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Working quickly while the tortillas are warm, place equal portions of pork, cilantro and red onions in a thin line on each tortilla. Roll tightly, brush a two-inch strip of the flour-and-water mixture along the edge, finish rolling, and set aside seam-side down.
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Add the oil to a frying pan and heat over medium until it reaches about 350°F.
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Working in batches of 4–6, place the taquitos seam-side down in the hot oil. After one minute, roll them so all sides fry evenly.
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Remove the taquitos and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve hot.