15 Leftover Carnitas Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How many carnitas do I need for 30 people? ›

Making a big batch of carnitas is a great way to feed a crowd. Boneless pork butt loses about half of its weight during the cooking process. For a party, you want to plan for about ⅓-1/2 pound of pulled pork per person.

You can plan on 3-4 servings per pound. So, a 5 pound roast will yield approximately 2 1/2 pounds of cooked pork and therefore 8-10 servings.

For more versatility in the second (or third or fourth) act, cook the pork and set some aside before you add barbecue or other sauce. Shredded pork makes a fabulous addition to omelets, salads, and burritos. Add some saucy pulled pork to a grilled cheese sandwich, use it to fill tacos, or stir it into baked beans.

FREEZING: You can also freeze carnitas meat right after you pulled it. Portion meat into freezer bags, let all air out and seal. Label, date, and freeze them.

About four pounds is enough to serve eight to 12 people once the meat is cooked. You can easily make a half batch, but carnitas freeze extremely well, so think about making the full order!

So to determine the exact amount needed, use this simple equation: Number of guests x 0.33 (minimum) - 0.75 (maximum) pounds of pulled pork per person = weight of pulled pork required. Based on these calculations, preparing 7 to 15 pounds of pulled pork should be enough pork.

I like to put ~6 oz on a sandwich, so a 10 lb bone in should give me ~20 sandwiches, boneless about 25. Yield and cost will determine which you decide to use. If you can get boneless at a cost that makes up for the less yield, that's likely the way to go....

Since a pork shoulder typically weighs 6–10 lbs, one good-sized one should be enough for 10 people. As another poster commented, the sides matter too. If you have generous amounts of sides like cornbread, mac & cheese, and pit beans, your guests will eat less meat.

Add a stick of butter to the top of the meat. Note: I was short on butter while taking these pictures so I had to use a half stick on each pan to make it work. That was enough but in my opinion, a whole stick is best. During the reheating process, the butter will melt and juice up the meat.

How do you keep pulled pork moist when reheating? ›

A lot of what makes something have a “dry” mouth feel when you eat is a lack of fat and moisture. To combat this, you could reheat your pulled pork and add a little bit of water and butter or olive oil. The amount would depend on how much you are reheating.

To reheat pulled pork in the oven, preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread your leftover pork into the bottom of a glass or ceramic baking dish, add a splash of leftover barbecue sauce, broth, apple juice, or other flavorful liquid, then cover the pan tightly with a layer of tinfoil.

Plus, as with many braised meats, this pork is possibly even better the next day. Reheat it on the stove, adding a little more chicken stock to moisten things up as needed.

It's also important to note that pulled pork or carnitas may look, smell, and taste just fine if left out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. But per the USDA, pathogenic bacteria, which grow in the danger zone and cause food-related infections, don't affect the aesthetics of the food in question.

easy calculation formula for pulled pork: 10 oz. pre-cooked weight per person X number of people, divided by 16 to get pounds of pre-cooked weight. For 30 people - 10 X 30 = 300 / 16 = 18.75 lbs.

A question we often get is “How much meat do I need?” The starting rule of thumb is: Boneless Meat: 1/2 lb. per person for adults and 1/4 lb. per person for children.

Carnitas 1 lb Cooked(6-8 servings)

As a general rule, you should plan for about 1/4 to 1/2 pound of meat per person when making tacos. So for a family of four, you'll need around 1 to 2 pounds of ground beef. Of course, this can vary depending on your personal preferences and appetite, so adjust accordingly.