Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
by Chungah
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The easiest carnitas you will ever make in the crockpot. Cooked low and slow for the most amazing fall-apart tender goodness! Yes, please!
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Why you’ll love slow cooker pork carnitas
- Feeds a crowd. This recipe feeds a big crowd, great for entertaining, weekend company or gifting to new parents or a loved one recovering from surgery.
- Great summertime recipe (as well as the rest of the year). Keep your kitchen cool during the hot summer months! The slow cooker allows for no fuss, hands-free cooking without warming up the kitchen.
- Versatile recipe. Pork carnitas can be served as tacos, burritos, salads, grain bowls, nachos and so much more. The sky is the limit here.
- Make-ahead convenience. This is one of those great slow cooker recipes where you can prep everything the night before and throw it right in the crockpot just before leaving for work. And when you get home, you’ll have the most tender, juicy pulled pork. So effortless, so good.
- Freezer-friendly. Pork carnitas can keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, perfect for meal prep for those busy weeknights, thawing overnight and reheating in a pan for a quick and easy dinner.
What is carnitas? What is the best cut of meat for carnitas?
Pork carnitas
Carnitas is a Mexican pork dish from Michoacán, and translates to “little meats” in Spanish and often times described as Mexican pulled pork. Carnitas is traditionally slow cooked until incredibly tender and falling apart, using heavily marbled (inexpensive) pork butt or pork shoulder, then shredded and roasted until the edges are caramelized and crispy.
Best cut of meat
Pork shoulder is typically best for carnitas due to its high fat content, containing enough fat to stay moist during long cooking times, yielding tender, juicy meat when cooked low and slow (especially in the slow cooker).
How to make slow cooker pork carnitas
- Season the pork shoulder. Combine all the dry spices together first, then rub the mixture all around the pork.
- Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Add everything to the slow cooker – garlic, onions, orange and lime juices along with the well seasoned pork.
- Cook on low heat. Cover and cook for 8 hours, or until the pork is extremely tender and easily shreds with a fork (there should be no resistance when shredding). If the pork is not shredding easily, it will need more time to cook. Freeze or store as needed here, crisping up just before serving.
- Make it crispy. Heat the broiler to high heat, placing a rack 6 inches from the broiler. Broil the shredded pork on a sheet pan in a single layer with some of the leftover cooking juices until crispy and caramelized.
- Serve. Serve carnitas as tacos, burritos, bowls, quesadillas, enchiladas or nachos.
storage and freezing pork carnitas
Storage
Leftover carnitas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing
Portion the meat into plastic freezer bags in individual servings with some of the leftover cooking fat and liquid (to prevent it from drying out), squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months.
Reheating
Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating in the oven at 350°F or in a skillet (adding a splash of broth or water if the meat looks dry) until warmed through and crispy.
What to serve with slow cooker pork carnitas
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas: Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe works very well with pork shoulder or pork butt due to its fat marbling (the high fat content helps keep the meat moist and flavorful) as well as its easy shredding capabilities.
Yes! If you do not have a broiler or want to crisp up just a small batch of carnitas, cook the shredded pork in a hot cast iron skillet over medium high heat until crispy.
Absolutely! Cook and shred the pork ahead of time, storing as needed (fridge or freezer) and broil just before serving for crispy, tender goodness.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! We have a recipe for that here.
We have an easy 30 minute stovetop recipe here!
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt, or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 pound pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 onions, quartered
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Season pork shoulder with spice mixture, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides.
- Place garlic, onions, orange juice, lime juice and seasoned pork shoulder into a 6-qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Remove pork shoulder from the slow cooker and shred the meat before returning to the pot with the juices; season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to broil. Place carnitas onto a baking sheet with some of the cooking fat and liquid, and broil until crisp and crusted, about 3-4 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Use the right size crockpot. A 6-qt slow cooker is ideal for this recipe. If the slow cooker is too small, the pork may not cook evenly. If the slow cooker is too large, the liquid may cook down too quickly, causing the pork to burn.
- Avoid lean meats. Opt for pork shoulder or pork butt, avoiding lean meats such as pork tenderloin or pork chops (lean cuts tend to dry out).
- Make it crispy. Broiling is essential for perfectly browned, crispy edges. Broil the shredded pork, about 6 inches from the broiler, in a single layer on a sheet pan with some of the leftover cooking juices until crispy and caramelized. Watch carefully as the pork can quickly burn under the broiler!
- Make ahead of time, but skip the broil. When making ahead of time, shred the meat and store as needed, broiling just before serving.
- Meal prep for the week. This recipe is ideal for big batch cooking! Repurpose the leftover pork throughout the busy weeknights for tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls and salads.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. Let the carnitas cool completely. Portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings with some of the leftover cooking fat and liquid to prevent the meat from drying out. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating in the oven or stovetop until crispy.
Did you make this recipe?
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Has anyone prepared this in advance and re-heated the following day? How does it re-heat?
I make it ahead and freeze half and it’s perfect!
Great recipe! I have made it before but am now trying to make it for a party that will go on for hours. After broiling, do you suggest returning to the slow cooker without the liquid? Or will this dry out the meat?
This has become a staple in our house. It’s SO DELICIOUS! Broiling the meat gives it that “extra”. And then we find they are best doused in lime juice, sour cream, tiny slices of red onion, and cilantro.
So good. The only change I made was used a small pork loin and cut everything in half.
The recipe directions call for onion, but it’s not listed in the ingredients. I’ve just been quartering a red onion, but wondered what you do. We love this recipe and many others on your site.
Thanks, Vicki! The onion is listed in the ingredients between the garlic and orange juice. White or yellow onion are both great options.
The best carnitas recipe! I have been coming back to this one time and time again. Never lets me down and I get so many compliments on it. My only adjustment is that I end up adding salt to the meat after shredding it. Otherwise…perfection.
So, I’m using a roast that is almost twice the size recommended in the recipe. Should I add more time to my crock pot? Thank you so much!! M.
Made this today! I put the spice rub on my pork shoulder last night and then placed in crockpot this morning. Added the garlic, onion and juices around the meat. I added about 1/2 cup of line juice instead of the 1/4 cup n the recipe. My family went crazy for this dish!! Definitely a do again!!
Do you use bone in or boneless pork shoulder?
We love these! It’s a monthly staple & what I give to families who need a meal for a meal train or in hard times. To serve along with it; I cut up a bowl of very thinly sliced red onions, chopped cilantro, and lots of cut up limes. The more lime juice on top the better.
I like to make this into tacos the first night and then using leftovers the second night to make Ciabatta roll sandwiches using this meat. Warm the rolls and then layer two slices of Monterrey Jack cheese over the warm meat and it’s a delicious sandwich all of my kids love and ask for!
definitely trying this tonight. thanks for the recipe..
Can you use a pork lion instead of a pork shoulder?
I make this all the time and it’s delicious!
We make this all the time. It is a family favorite and will feed a crowd. It is not spicy. We serve it as tacos.
Hi! Question… is this spicy? If so… is it very spicy or mild? How would I be able to make it less or non-spicy?
this dish is always a hit in my house, thank you for another amazing recipe!
This is delicious topped with chopped cilantro, slivers of red onion, sour cream, and lots of squeezed lime juice on top. This has become my families go to recipe a few times a month.
nice…don’t worry about too much you can freeze most of what you make…this studd unfreezes well and you pan fry it..yum yum
I have been making this recipe for years now! It’s an absolute favorite!