carnitas

plural noun

car·​ni·​tas kär-ˈnē-təz 

-ˈnē-täs

: small chunks or strips of meat and especially pork that are fried or roasted until crisp and are sometimes served in a burrito or taco

John picked up two six-packs of Michelob and cooked carnitas on his back porch.

—Dagoberto Gilb

… I had made carnitas—that irresistible Mexican pork shoulder braised for hours with spices, then fried in its own fat until crisp …

—Mark Bittman

Examples of carnitas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Having frequented this spot for well over a decade, my current obsession is its carnitas burrito for $14. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Oct. 2025

And at Novecientos Grados, a carnitas plate that includes rice, beans and tortillas, will cost $32. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Mexican Spanish, plural of carnita, diminutive of Spanish carne "meat," going back to Latin carn, carō "flesh, meat" — more at carnal

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carnitas

• caritas
• civitas
• cellulitis
• margaritas
• tonsillitis
• fetus
• foetus
• meatus
• thetis
• treatise