Carnitas tapatio is the Jalisco-style slow-cooked pork, shoulder cuts confit in lard with orange peel, milk and herbs until tender, then crisped and served with tortillas, salsa verde and onion.
Carnitas is a colonial Mexican dish with origins in Michoacan, where pork was confit in lard in massive copper cazos. The Jalisco-style carnitas tapatio adds milk and orange peel to the cooking liquid, softening the pork and adding a slightly sweet caramelised note. The technique is widely practiced across Guadalajara fondas; El Carnal in Tlaquepaque, Casa Fuerte and Los Famosos Equipales serve canonical Tapatio versions. The Sunday-lunch tradition is buying carnitas by the kilo from a local fonda and bringing home tortillas, salsa verde and chopped onion.
3 editor picks for Carnitas tapatio in Guadalajara, ranked by editorial score. All Guadalajara signature dishes · Carnitas tapatio across every city.
Casa Fuerte ★ 4.2
tlaquepaque · Calle Independencia 224, Centro, 45500 San Pedro Tlaquepaque, Jalisco
Casa Fuerte on Calle Independencia in Tlaquepaque is the courtyard room in a 19th-century mansion, a Guadalajara metro classic for traditional plates.
Los Famosos Equipales ★ 4.0
lafayette · Avenida La Paz 1873, Americana, 44160 Guadalajara, Jalisco
Los Famosos Equipales in Guadalajara is the Avenida La Paz courtyard fonda serving carnitas, chiles rellenos and pozole on Tapatio equipal-chair tables.
El Carnal ★ 3.9
tlaquepaque · Calle Independencia 85, Centro, 45500 San Pedro Tlaquepaque, Jalisco
El Carnal in Tlaquepaque is the Calle Independencia carnitas-and-tacos counter, a low-cost San Pedro favourite for carnitas, tacos dorados and quesadillas.