The Spanish word, “Carnitas” means “little meats.” Many variations exist, and it seems, whether authentic or not, many dishes that aren’t even close to the original authentic dish are everywhere. Authentic carnitas are composed of a tough and highly marbled cut of meat, such as a pork butt, that has been slowly cooked for hours in spices until very tender. Traditional carnitas take hours to make. Recently, I tried a frozen dinner labeled Sweet Adobo Pork Carnitas, and it was paired with red and green peppers and onions. Although that convenience dish was horrendous – the carnitas part was very mysterious and didn’t really resemble meat. However, the Sweet Adobo sauce was delicious. So, I worked hard to duplicate the sauce, and came up with the following Sweet Adobo Pork Carnitas Sheet Pan Dinner.

Of course, this meal doesn’t use a slow cooked pork butt; rather high-quality pork chops that have been sliced thinly so that they will be tender even though cooked quickly in the oven. Use this mixture to fill warm or flour tortillas, top tostadas, or as a filling for taco salad. It is also a great topping for nachos with a sprinkling of cheese.

6 Servings

1 cup salsa, mild or medium
1 cup brown sugar
2 Chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce (more or less depending on your taste)

1 pound pork loin chops, trimmed and sliced as thin as possible

1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into strips

Corn or flour tortillas, warmed for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Line a sheet pan with Silpat® or spray well with non-stick spray.
3. Measure the salsa, brown sugar, and peppers in a blender; blend until smooth.
4. Mix the pork loin slices with half of the salsa mixture; let sit while slicing the onion and red and green bell pepper.
5. Mix the onions and peppers with the remaining salsa mixture; spread in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake 10 minutes; add the pork and stir.
7. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the pork is cooked through and slightly crisp, stirring once. Serve on tortillas.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 265 Calories from Fat 47
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 18% Protein 29% Carb. 53%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 52 mg
Sodium 507 mg
Total Carbohydrate 35 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 19 g

Vitamin A 20% Vitamin C 72% Calcium 0% Iron 11%