Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
by Chungah
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The easiest carnitas you will ever make right in the crockpot, cooked low and slow for the most amazing fall-apart tender pork goodness!
Have you joined The Walking Dead fan club yet? The season premier is on Sunday night and they’ve been playing every single episode from start to finish on AMC for this premier. And even though I’ve already watched all the episodes, I’m still hooked.
There’s just something about creepy zombies that leaves you in front of the tv. That and Norman Reedus, his poncho, and his bow and arrow. But I digress. Zombies or not, it’s officially fall and the slow cooker is being put to very good use in these epic carnitas. After all, you can’t go wrong when you let this baby cook in all its glory for 8 hours.
You can even prep everything the night before and put it in the slow cooker right before leaving for work. And when you get home, you’ll have the most tender, most juicy pulled pork ever. Although I highly recommend finishing this under the broiler, letting these babies get nicely caramelized.
I should also mention that this recipe creates enough to feed an army so be prepared to have tacos, quesadillas and burritos all week long!
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 and broil until crisp and crusted, about 3-4 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
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Hi Chungah! Thank you for the recipe! I can’t wait to taste it when I get home. But I made a BIG boo-boo. I accidently left the pot on “high” realizing this after I already left the house. Would it be okay to cook on high for 8-9 hours? Considering: I actually left the layer of skin/fat on the pork roast (side up). Should I rush home to turn it on to low or will the juice/fat from the pork be okay to stay cooking on high for 8 hours?
The pork may be a bit overcooked if left on high for that long – I would recommend reducing the heat to low.
Would it be ok to put all ingredients in the crock pot and refrigerate over night before heating the next day? I leave pretty early in the morning and trying to cut back on the steps in the morning.
Yes, absolutely.
The only pork shoulder my grocery store had was cut into “ribs.” While they are still boneless, would you recommend keeping the same cook time?
Yes, cooking time should remain about the same, but as always, please use your best judgment.
Made it this past weekend and it was amazing! The recipe is perfect as is, and no more liquid is required. I did end up broiling the meat longer, but that could have just been my oven. I am planning to make it again for company this weekend. We used small diced mango, red onion, pineapple, sour cream, cilantro and a squeeze of lime for tacos. A new fave in our house.
Hey this looks great. For a make ahead meal would you suggest leaving the meat and sauce separate then when its time to eat, heating them up together then broiling? or would you suggest mixing the meat and sauce immediately then reheating in the oven?
You can really go with either option – it’s up to you!
I’ve made this five or six times in the last few months – it’s fantastic. I don’t even get food truck tacos any more because these come out just as good if not better! 🙂 I usually use a splash of orange juice instead of an actual orange & it works fine. I serve them up with sliced avocado & cilantro and a lime wedge on a warm, soft corn tortilla. And y’all don’t be afraid to broil the meat on high, the crispy stuff is the best part & it doesn’t dry out the meat. Loooove this recipe.
This is one of my favorite crock pot recipes! The kids and my husband love it too! So yummy! Making it again tomorrow.
I’m making this as I type. I used a 3 1/2 pound boneless pork butt. I cooked on high because I got a late start today. After 4 hours it still was not tender enough to fall apart easily, it was kind of tough. So I left it for another 2 hours and now it is perfect!!! I skimmed out some of the big chunks of fat, but still left some. Some fat is good. I added some extra oregano, Goya adobo with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and a couple of bay leaves. I also added a good amount of my homemade vegetable bouillon, which I add to literally everything I cook, including the sauteed spinach we will be having as a side. I always like to eat something green with my dinner.
I already know this is going to be delicious. My next step is to broil it. Going to top with cilantro, onion, and avocado, and maybe some salsa if I feel the need, all wrapped in a toasted corn tortilla. Mmmmmmm, can’t wait to tantalize my taste buds. I’m sure my husband will be pleased as well.
Thank you for the recipe.
Yuuuummmmm!!!!!!! My husband and 6 month old loved it! Instead of salsa I just did chopped tomato, onion, avocado, cilantro, and a good squeeze of lime. I can’t stop eating them. I can’t decide if I want to freeze some or just eat it for the next few days. I ran out of toppings and am now just eating the meat on a tortilla with some lime. Yummmerzzzzz!!!
Very helpful comments! I will try your suggestions! Linda
This looks mouth wateringly good, I’m going to try this recipe out on my wife tonite… fingers crossed, wish me luck 🙂
Can I add chopped canned jalapeños to this while its cooking?
Yes, absolutely. That sounds amazing!
I never leave comments, but this recipe is the BEST. Thank you!!
I made this tonight and it turned out amazingly juicy and seasoned perfectly! Served with avocado, sour cream, and pico de galo on warmed flour tortillas. Left overs for 2 people will last awhile!
Hi! I have a boneless pork loin roast to use instead. About 2.5lbs, I cut the spices in half and did a little more than half the amount of fruit juices. Think it’ll be ok?
Yes, absolutely.
Just had these tonight and they were AMAZING! We did ours with a Pork Loin and it was still plenty juicy and very flavorful. That last 30 minutes with the meat back in the broth makes a BIG difference for the flavor! Thank you so much for sharing.
Everything looks so good!!!! Will try …
Hi! I know that this would no longer be “carnitas” but I have many beef roasts in the freezer, could this recipe be used with beef instead? Or do you have a link to a different version that links to beef?
Yes, chuck roast would be a great substitute!
This was so damndelicious!!! The final step of broiling is really a must for me. It takes the meat up a notch to a true carnita texture and flavor. I served this
I grew up in the Midwest, so I am very wary of slow cooker meals… (I still have nightmares of pork roast and soggy carrots). I made this recipe last night for an early Christmas celebration and holy crap. So. Good. This is definitely going on my list of “impressive meals to make for guests when I have no time at all”. Thank you!!
P.S. I used a porkloin because I had it in my freezer… It worked perfectly!
These are delish! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
So glad I found this recipe!! These carnitas look absolutely divine. I love slow cooking the meat then finishing them under the grill getting that charred bits. Thanks for sharing!