This delicious Mexican-inspired pork carnitas recipe is made extra easy when made in the slow cooker! Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are crispy, juicy, full of great flavor, and irresistibly delicious. Use the pork in tacos or any favorite Mexican dishes.
While I love pork carnitas I don’t want to be watching over the pork while it cooks on the stove top. Using the slow cooker frees up so much time. I get that same stove cooked flavor by spending a few minutes cooking the finished pork in a skillet before using in my recipes.
What is Carnitas?
Carnitas is a dish made by roasting or simmering a cut of seasoned pork in oil until it is soft and tender. After cooking, the meat is shredded and used as a filling in tacos, burritos and other dishes.
In many parts of Mexico, carnitas are served in corn tortillas and are topped with chopped onions, salsa, fresh cilantro with a squeeze of lime.
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe
By cooking it in a skillet or under the broiler for a few minutes makes the pork shreds a bit crispy at the edges. It’s a great method and doesn’t take much time. Plus, it also means that I can make my pork a day or two ahead or get that same crispy texture if I use pork that has been stored in the freezer.
Your family will never know that you didn’t spend all that time slow cooking it on the stove top.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Chicken Broth – use your favorite broth for this recipe. Adding broth keeps the pork moist while it is cooking
- Orange juice – use ready made orange juice or freshly squeezed juice from approximately 2 large oranges.
- Lime Juice – While this recipe only calls for a small amount of lime juice you won’t want to leave it out as the acidity helps to make the pork tender and it brightens the flavor of the broth.
- Pork shoulder roast – Trim any excess fat from your pork roast and cut it into 6-8 chunks.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use olive oil or another light or neutral flavored oil
- Red onion – use one large red onion.
- Jalapeno – adding diced jalapeno adds a bit of heat to this dish.
- Garlic cloves – use fresh cloves or already minced jarred garlic.
- Herbs and Spices – these include chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
How to make slow cooker pork carnitas:
The instructions for this recipe include an optional steps that can be omitted to save time. The aromatic blend of onion, jalapeno, and garlic does not need to be sautéed before cooking the pork, but doing so deepens and releases more flavor. You can do this if you have time or just toss it all into the slow cooker.
Optional: If you plan on sauteing the onions and garlic first start by placing 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add in the red onion, jalapeno and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, and lime juice with the chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and ground cumin. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside.
Step 2: Place the pork pieces in the slow cooker and pour the chicken broth/orange juice mixture over the top. Cover the slow cooked and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for at least 8 hours until the meat is tender and you are able to shred the meat with a fork.
Depending upon your crockpot and the size of your pork roast you may have to cook your roast for longer.
To broil the finished pork:
Step 3: Once cooked shred the meat using two forks. Remove the shredded pork, draining off any juice, and place on a baking sheet.
Step 4: Place pork under broiler for 4-5 minutes, then remove from oven and add a little more juice before turning the meat to brown the other side. Place back under broiler for another 4-5 minutes or until the pork is nice and crispy on the edges.
When finished broiling, remove baking sheet from oven and serve immediately with the reduced cooking liquid, fresh lime wedges, and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
To cook pork in a skillet:
Heat a large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Place some of the drained shredded pork in the pan and sauté until the ends are crispy. Repeat with the remaining shredded pork.
Remove the pork from the skillet, top with a bit of the reserved juice and serve.
What make with pork carnitas:
This slow cooker pork is so versatile and can be used in lots of different recipes. Some of the recipes we use it in includes tacos, burritos, quesadillas, huevos rancheros, bowls (taco/burrito bowls with rice) and I even use it to make soup! It will add delicious flavor and taste to whatever you use it in.
You can use it to make your own Chipotle style salad bowls. Just use your favorite salad greens and toppings.
Mix it into pasta. Add shredded pork carnitas to pasta and top with your favorite Alfredo sauce, white sauce or cheese sauce. Or add into your favorite Mac and Cheese recipe. It’s so good!
What to put on top of pork carnitas:
What you top your pork carnitas with will all depend upon how you use the meat. If you use it for tacos, burritos, bowls or salads here are some of our favorite toppings:
Cotija – is known as “Mexican Parmesan”. It’s soft, it has a mild flavor, it’s a bit salty and the flavor mixes well with the other flavors in the dish.
Avocados – add slices or chopped pieces. The creamy texture and mild flavor of avocados goes well with this dish.
Guacamole – if you enjoy avocados with this dish then you might like this more flavorful version of avocados.
Sour Cream – a bit of sour cream goes well with the heat in the chili powder or any salsa you might use.
Cilantro – I LOVE adding cilantro to just about every Mexican styled dish I make. The bright flavor is amazing with any dish containing chili powder, cumin or salsa.
Pickled Onions – the tangy taste of pickled onions is an unexpected flavor that works with this dish.
Corn – try some plain sweet corn or try some pan charred corn with this dish. Even better serve some Mexican Corn as a side to this dish.
Vegetables – try some sauteed bell peppers and onions to this dish.
Jalapenos – if you love heat try adding a couple of slices of jalapenos to your carnitas.
Salsa – top your pork carnitas with a spoonful of your favorite salsa. Try making your own easy salsa or go with fresh Pico de Gallo to top your carnitas.
Hot Sauce – for those lovers of heat add a splash of hot sauce
Serve up your carnitas with some easy restaurant styled refried beans on the side.
How to store pork carnitas:
Place any leftover pork carnitas into an air tight container or food storage bag and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
Can you freeze pork carnitas?
Yes this is a great freezer recipes!
Place leftover or divide up your pork carnitas into freezer containers or freezer storage bags, remove excess air and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Don’t forget to add in a bit of the leftover juice to the meat before you freeze it. Label your bag or container with the date as well as the name of the recipe.
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large Red Onion diced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 2-3 cloves Garlic minced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 1/2 – 4 pounds Pork Shoulder Roast
- 3/4 cup Orange Juice
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Oregano
- 2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you plan on sauteing the onions and garlic first start by placing 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add in the red onion, jalapeno and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, and lime juice with the chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and ground cumin. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside.
- Place the pork pieces in the slow cooker and pour the chicken broth/orange juice mixture over the top. Cover the slow cooked and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for at least 8 hours until the meat is tender and you are able to shred the meat with a fork. Depending upon your slow cooker and the size of your pork roast you may have to cook your roast for longer.
To broil the finished pork:
- Once cooked shred the meat using two forks. Remove the shredded pork, draining off any juice, and place on a baking sheet. Place pork under broiler for 4-5 minutes, then remove from oven and add a little more juice before turning the meat to brown the other side. Place back under broiler for another 4-5 minutes or until the pork is nice and crispy on the edges.
To cook pork in a skillet
- Heat a large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Place some of the drained shredded pork in the pan and sauté until the ends are crispy. Repeat with the remaining shredded pork.
- Once the pork is crispy on the edges, drizzle with a bit of the juice from the slow cooker and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out these other delicious recipes:
Street Tacos – swap out the carne asada meat for pork carnitas and make delicious street tacos
Cauliflower Rice – make a big batch of cauliflower rice and make pork carnitas bowls
Easy Refried Beans – make a batch to serve with your pork carnitas
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