Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Are you looking for juicy, crispy, and tender meat for dinner? This easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas is loaded with authentic flavor. It’s juicy and fork-tender and finished off in a broiler to create crispy golden bits.

Carnitas are a variant of pulled pork that is popular in Mexican cuisine. This cooking style delivers wonderfully rich and soft pork, with tons of crispy golden bits, because it is slow-cooked until fork-tender.

I’ve simplified my carnitas recipe to the basics: A nice chunk of pork shoulder that has been cooked slowly until it is so soft that it is falling apart and has crispy, golden edges that are hard to resist. 

What You’ll Like Slow-Cooked Carnitas

You’ll love this recipe because it is:

• Easy to Make: The slow cooker does most of the work while you relax.
• Simple Ingredients: Made using natural, readily available ingredients.
• Foolproof Recipe: After seasoning the pork and adding a few aromatics, the slow cooker will do its magic. You’ll have a tasty, delicate dinner ready to eat by dinnertime.
• Full of Flavor: The pork is infused with a robust blend of spices that give it a deep, delicious flavor.
• Versatile: Excellent for salads, nachos, tacos, burritos, and even breakfast dishes.
• Freezer-Friendly: It’s great for meal preparation because it reheats well.
• Perfect for Gatherings: This large-batch recipe maintains its flavor and freshness for hours after cooking.
• Budget-Friendly: Pork shoulder is an affordable cut that delivers amazing taste.
• Make-Ahead: Perfect for cooking ahead of time; serve it out to a large gathering or portion it out to freeze it for convenient meals later.

Ingredients for Pork Carnitas

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Boneless pork shoulder (excess fat trimmed off): Boneless or bone-in pork shoulder works. Boneless is easier to work with, but bone-in can add extra flavor and tender meat.
• Spices: I used smoked paprika, cumin powder, garlic powder, crushed coriander seeds, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Garlic cloves: Inserting garlic cloves into the meat gives it a deeper flavor.
• Onion: It enhances the overall taste.
• Orange, juiced: Orange juice’s acidity enhances the cooking liquid’s flavor while also helping tenderize the meat to make it incredibly soft and shreddable. 
• Limes, juiced: Adds a fresh, tangy flavor.

How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Follow these easy steps to make your own irresistible carnitas:

1. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, salt, and pepper.
2. Evenly and thoroughly rub the spice mixture over all sides of the pork.
3. Place the onions and orange juice in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top it with the seasoned boneless pork shoulder. Cut a small slit into various spots of the pork and insert the garlic cloves.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
5. Remove the pork carnitas and shred the meat.
6. Return the shredded carnitas meat to the slow cooker. Stir together with the onion, leftover juices in the pot, and fresh lime juice.
7. Preheat the oven to a high broil. Place the carnitas in an even layer on a baking sheet using a slotted spoon. Broil for 3-4 minutes, watching carefully, or until the edges are crisp and browned.
8. Serve immediately as desired. See serving suggestions in the post content above the recipe.

How to Make Carnitas Crispy

Is crisping the carnitas necessary? No, it’s completely optional, and you can eat it right out of the slow cooker immediately. But here are two ways if you like crispy golden edges, like me:  

• In the oven: As shared above in the recipe instructions.
• On the stove: Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a tbsp or two of oil. Add the shredded pork (you might have to work in batches) and cook until the bottom is browned, about 5 minutes. Keep on tossing for another 5–7 minutes, or until you see crispy edges. 

Tips to Make Ahead

First, prepare and shred the carnitas. Let them cool before storing them in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reserve the liquid in a separate container. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the liquid until it’s pourable again, then cover the carnitas with approximately a cup of it and crisp them under the broiler as directed above. 

Alternatively, (even better), prepare everything the night before and throw it in a slow cooker just before you head out to work. You’ll have the juiciest, most tender pulled pork ever when you come home.

Storage Suggestions

Slow-cooker pork carnitas make excellent leftovers and store nicely.

• Refrigerate: Keep any leftover carnitas for up to four days in an airtight container.
• Freeze: Carnitas can also be frozen! Let the carnitas cool, store them in freezer-safe bags or containers, and freeze them for up to a month. Before reheating, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. 

Expert Tips 

• It can be a bit challenging to remove the cooked pork shoulder from the slow cooker because it is quite tender and will probably fall apart. When removing it, I suggest supporting it with a spatula underneath.
• You can add different seasonings such as chili powder and oregano.
• Roasting is optional but adds a nicer flavor and texture.
• Garlic cloves are inserted into the meat to infuse flavors better.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas FAQ’s

How to Test if Pork is Done? 

It should be tender and easy to shred with a fork. If it’s not, cook for 30 more minutes and check again.

How to Shred the Meat?

Use two forks to pull the meat apart into small pieces. You can also use a meat shredder to shred pork.

What Type if Pork to Use for Carnitas?

Pork shoulder is the perfect cut of pork to use for carnitas because it is fatty and well-marbled, and it cooks slowly for a long time, which melts the fat and produces the tender, juicy shredded meat that is the main feature of carnitas. There are various names for pork shoulder, such as pork shoulder roast, blade roast, Boston butt, picnic roast, and pork shoulder butt. 

What’s the Difference Between Pulled Pork and Pork Carnitas?

Typically, pork shoulder is used to make pulled pork, which is then slow-cooked until it is soft and shredded. On the contrary, carnitas is a Mexican dish that is prepared by braising or simmering pork shoulder or butt until it is tender, and then it is shredded or minced.

What to Serve Pork Carnitas With?

If you want to have a gathered-around-the-table-sharing-food experience, I recommend tacos or tortilla wraps with avocado, lime, yogurt or sour cream, and cheese. However, you might prepare it American-style and serve it on top of potato wedges with some coleslaw.

You could also spoon the mixture into bread rolls to make pulled pork sandwiches or use it as a pasta basis. For loaded nachos, stack them onto tortilla chips if you want to maintain the Mexican flair.

So take out your big crock pot and try it. I’m sure you will like this slow cooker carnitas recipe just as much as I do! 

Serving and Pairing Suggestions 

You can serve your carnitas any way you like! You can pair it with various recipes and the usual tacos, burritos, salad, nachos, wraps, breakfast recipes, etc. Here are some ideas for getting started:

• Slow Cooked Carnitas Loaded Potato Skins
• 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas Enchiladas
• Slow Cooker Carnitas Breakfast Tacos
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Carnitas Bowls
• Carnitas Nachos
• Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls

More Slow Cooker Recipes You Might Like

• Carolina Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
• Slow Cooker Chorizo Queso Dip
• Slow Cooker Chicken Pho Soup Recipe
• Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo
• Slow Cooker Short Ribs
• Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Or browse all of my slow cooker recipes.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Written by Matt | Plating Pixels

This easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe is loaded with authentic flavor.It's juicy and fork-tender, and finished of in a broiler to created crispy golden bits.

5 from 12 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Entree, Slow Cooker

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 10

Calories 247 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder excess fat trimmed off
• 4 cloves garlic halved
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 large orange juiced
• 3 limes juiced

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, coriander, salt, and pepper.
• Evenly and thoroughly rub the spice mixture over all sides of the pork.
• Place the onions and orange juice in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top it with the seasoned boneless pork shoulder. Cut a small slit into various spots of the pork and insert the garlic cloves.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
• Remove the pork carnitas and shred the meat.
• Return the shredded carnitas meat to the slow cooker. Stir together with the onion, leftover juices in the pot, and fresh lime juice.
• Preheat the oven to a high broil. Place the carnitas in an even layer on a baking sheet using a slotted spoon. Broil 3-4 minutes, watching carefully, or until the edges are crisp and browned.
• Serve immediately as desired. See serving suggestions in the post content above the recipe.

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Serving Size

 

6 ounces

Amount per Serving

Calories

247

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

6

g

9

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Trans Fat

 

0.03

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Cholesterol

 

109

mg

36

%

Sodium

 

333

mg

14

%

Potassium

 

755

mg

22

%

Carbohydrates

 

4

g

1

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

1

g

1

%

Protein

 

41

g

82

%

Vitamin A

 

361

IU

7

%

Vitamin C

 

7

mg

8

%

Calcium

 

30

mg

3

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Carnitas in slow cooker, Carnitas slow cooker, Slow Cooked Carnitas, Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas, Slow cooker carnitas recipe

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