Incredibly flavorful, juicy and fall-apart tender with crispy edges, these slow cooker pork carnitas are a classic Mexican cuisine favorite. By letting the crockpot do most of the work, this recipe is so easy to make, and great to use many different ways from tacos, salad bowls to nachos. A must-try!
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Why You'll love this recipe
- Pork carnitas cooked in the slow cooker are incredibly flavorful, juicy and fall-apart tender. Slow cooking pork results in an authentic, deep flavor as the meat is infuse with spices and orange juice.
- This recipe is so easy to make with the convenience of set it and forget it for hours. Let the crockpot do its magic!
- Great to prepare to feed a crowd for any dinner party. Carnitas are very versatile and be eaten in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, nachos, sliders, as is... And you'll be so excited to have leftovers.
Key Ingredients and variations
- Pork shoulder: or pork butt. It can be bone-in or boneless, if it has a bone consider it in the weight of the meat. I like to trim off the bit fat pieces before chopping and searing.
- Onion: Adding a diced yellow onion will add a lot of flavor to the carnitas.
- Orange juice: the citrus deepens the flavor of the meat. We add a little water too.
- Seasonings: we use cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano salt and pepper. Keeping it very simple but efficient.
How to make Slow Cooker pork carnitas
- Dice an onion and add it to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Trim the large pieces of fat for the pork.
- Cut the pork into 3 to 4 inches squares.
Add pieces of pork to a hot skillet, and sear each side for a couple minutes each, rotating them with tongs.
Once seared, add to crockpot on top of diced onion. Pour orange juice and water over pork, then sprinkle all seasoning spices. Add lid on and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or about 4 hours on high).
Once cooked, remove lid and transfer pieces onto a large cutting board. Reserve some juice.
Shred meat with two fork, transfer meat into a container, pour over about ½ cup of juice (more or less) and serve as desired. Enjoy!
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
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Tips
- The right cut of meat for carnitas is a pork shoulder or pork butt (also called Boston butt). Trim the large fatty pieces with a sharp knife. I don't recommend using other cuts like a pork loin as it's too lean and will turn out dry.
- Searing the meat first gives it extra flavor though it could be skipped in a pinch.
- Reserve some of the juices. You can save some to add to leftovers when reheating them too. Skim some of the fat with a spoon on the top of the liquid if needed.
- Don't skip the orange juice. The citrus tenderizes the pork and gives it a delicious flavor.
- Store the leftover carnitas in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
frequently asked questions
After shredding the meat you can crisp it up in a skillet on high heat, or make a layer of meat on a baking sheet and broil in your oven for a few minutes. Pour over some of the reserved juices afterwards to keep the meat juicy.
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 6-8 pounds pork shoulder bone in or not
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Dice an onion and add it to the bottom of the slow cooker.Trim the large pieces of fat for the pork (optional but recommended).Cut the pork into 3 to 4 inches squares.
- In a large skillet add a couple spray of oil. Once hot add the pieces of pork and sear each side on medium high heat for a couple minutes each, rotating them with tongs (this might need to be done in batches depending on the size of the skillet used).
- Once the pork is seared, add them to the crockpot on top of the diced onion. Pour the orange juice and water over the pork, then sprinkle all the seasoning spices. Add the lid on and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or about 4 hours on high).
- Once the meat is cooked, remove lid and transfer the pieces onto a large cutting board. Reserve some of the juice.
- Shred the meat inserting two forks into the meat, one on each side, then pull in opposite directions. Transfer the meat into a container, pour over about ½ cup of reserved juice (more or less) and serve as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make the carnitas edges crispy: after shredding the meat you can crisp it up in a skillet on high heat, or on a baking sheet and broil in your oven for a few minutes. Pour over some of the reserved juices afterwards to keep the meat juicy.
Nutrition
About Priscilla Lawrence
Hi there, I'm Priscilla Lawrence! Welcome to Sprinkled With Balance where I share elevated and approachable nutrient-rich recipes that aren't overly restrictive, complicated or boring! Based in California but born and raised in France, I'm a mom of two, former certified nutritionist, recipe developer, and food photographer.
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