Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are fall-apart tender and easy enough for a weeknight dinner. This recipe makes enough to have leftovers and you’ll love the serving options for this flavorful meat.
If you know anything about me and A Reinvented Mom you know we love good Mexican food. And anytime we can squeeze in tacos, we do! Technically these aren’t tacos, but they are in the same family, so it works for us.
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Speaking of tacos, these are some of my favorites you may want to try:
- Crockpot Taco Meat Recipe
- The BEST Taco Salad
- How To Host a Taco Bar
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken Bowl
What Are Pork Carnitas?
Carnitas are the Mexican version of pulled pork. Typically you use the pork shoulder cut. You can also use the pork butt, it’s a little fattier than the shoulder cut.
Why We Love Carnitas
- First, the flavors remind us of tacos (shocking, right?!).
- Pork shoulder is a budget-friendly cut of meat and can go a long way for larger families and crowds.
- They make great leftovers.
- There are so many ways to eat them.
- Carnitas are freezer friendly too.
What You Need to Make Carnitas in the Crockpot
Ingredients
Pork shoulder – you may need to trim off excess fat or cut into pieces so it will fit in your slow cooker.
Spices: dried oregano, ground cumin, salt, black pepper, minced garlic
Onion – yellow or white
Orange juice – you can use store-bought or squeeze your own for a fresher flavor
Orange zest
Lime juice – store-bought or fresh squeezed will work
Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
Oil – vegetable or canola
For Serving:
Buns
Tortillas
Lettuce Wraps
Kitchen Gadgets Needed:
Small mixing bowl
How To Make Pork Carnitas in the Slow Cooker
Combine your spices in a small bowl and mix. Rub the spices into the pork shoulder until it’s evenly covered. Note: if you rinsed your pork first, be sure to pat it dry with paper towels before seasoning.
Add the diced onion, minced garlic, orange juice and peel, lime juice, and chipotle pepper to the slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder on top.
Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Shred the pork shoulder on a cutting board with meat claws or use two forks. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the pork. Pour in some of the juice from the slow cooker. Cook until brown and crispy.
Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to brown the pork in batches.
If you don’t want to use a skillet you can place the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes.
Serve and Enjoy!
How To Serve Leftover Pork Carnitas
We never let carnitas go to waste! These are some of our favorite ways to use the leftovers:
- Topping for nachos
- Over a salad
- With veggies in a stir fry
- In tortillas
- Quesadillas
- As a wrap
- On a bun
- Filling for egg rolls
- Over rice (or cauliflower rice for a lighter option)
Storing Leftovers
You can store cooked carnitas in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Pork shoulder freezes well – simply let it cool and store in portions to make thawing and reheating easy.
More Crockpot Recipes Your Family Will Love:
- Crockpot Apple Dump Cake
- Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast (My Way)
- Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes {Stove Top & Crock Pot}
- Slow Cooker Kalua Pig
*****Pin the Recipe for Later*****
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound pork shoulder, trimmed slightly
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons oil – vegetable or canola
Optional for Serving
- Tortillas and toppings
- Buns
- Lettuce wraps
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Rub seasoning mixture onto all sides of the pork shoulder.
- Add onion, garlic, orange juice and zest, lime juice and chipotle pepper to slow cooker. Place pork on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours, until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Move pork from slow cooker to a cutting board, allowing to cool slightly. Shred pork with meat claws or two forks.
- Heat oil in skillet on stove top. Add pork and some of the juice from the slow cooker.
- Turn meat often to brown the pork. Heat until juices have evaporated and the pork is nicely browned and crispy.
- Serve immediately with preferred serving options.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
- Meat can be crisped in the oven. Place shredded pork on a baking sheet. Cook under the broiler until crispy (about 5 minutes).
- Serving options: tacos, nachos, quesadillas, on a salad, with lettuce wraps, over cooked rice or cauliflower rice.
- Cooked meat can be frozen up to 3 months.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
