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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I’m looking to make this for my husband’s 40th birthday party. How many people will this recipe feed? We’ll have about 30 guests, but I’m making pulled chicken as well. Thanks!
Allison, this recipe yields about 8-10 servings.
Do you think it would be okay to use pork loin? This looks so yummy, and I have a loin purchased already, but don’t want to ruin the outcome with the wrong cut of meat.
Connie, it would be best to use pork shoulder to obtain the best results possible.
I use porkloin all the time and it is delicious!!
Pork loin is so lean I would be afraid it would become very dry. I just got a 6 lbs Butt on sale for .99 a lbs and we will have it for a crowd to watch football this weekend. Great recipe.
Hi! I am going to make these carnitas-my first time. They look yummy. What do you serve them with? I was thinking some tortillas and refried beans maybe? Not sure…
That sounds perfect!
When we make carnitas at my house the toppings include: cilantro, [picca de gaillo/chopped tomato/salsa/whichever we have] sliced avocados, fresh squeezed lime juice and
Homemade pickled red onion
1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced
On fresh tortillas this is the best!
That sounds AMAZING!
Hm. Mine turned out very tough. Like i cant even pull it apart with all my might. What did I do wrong?
I’m not entirely sure what you did wrong as I was not in the kitchen with you. Many factors could be at play here – ex. using the wrong cut of meat, not enough cooking time, etc.
It may be that you tried to shred the meat AFTER it has cooled. Next time shred the meat while it is as hot as you can stand it. Try using “Bear Paws” shredding tool. I find that using forks just do do it.
I make making these today 🙂 so excited to see the result,
Trying it this week. Just checking….we’re talking regular or dried oregano, not ground oregano, correct? Thanks! Looking forward to making my own carnitas!
Yes, that’s correct. You will need dried oregano, not ground.
Thanks!
This was exceptionally good! The seasoning was really flavorful. After broiling, the meat wasn’t as warm as I thought it would be. After popping into the microwave for a minute, it was fine. We had this with lime nacho chips and cheese. Tomorrow I will add bbq sauce for sandwiches. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!!
Tried it, Loved it!!! So tasty and the broil at the end is perfect. A little fresh slaw on a tortilla with this delicious slow cooked goodness is amazing. Thanks!
I made this today. No oranges, so I used orange juice. Split the time, 2 hrs on high, then 4 hrs on low for a 2 1/2 lb pork roast. Really so yum. Broiled to get the final caramel crisp too. Then put into Quesadillas. Thanks for a wonderful dinner. Merry Christmas. ♥
This is an awesome recipe! Very delicious. Definitely what we call a keeper in my home. Thank you!
Just curious, you use a bone- in pork shoulder, right?
I actually used boneless pork shoulder.
Is cooking in slo cooker on high for 5 hrs instead of low for 8 hrs ok? Pork carnitas.
Yum
Yes, that should be fine.
Made this two nights ago, we all loved it!!! my husband is already asking for it again. Serve with fresh tortillas, cilantro, guacamole and Spanish rice
Hi 🙂 love your recipes
in Italy we do not have the Slow Cooker … how can I make this delicious recipe without a slow cooker ? Thanks so much <3
Please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a slow cooker recipe to the stovetop method without further recipe testing. Please use your best judgment to convert this recipe to be made on the stovetop/oven.
Thank you i will try 🙂
Can you not use a current convertor or do you just not have access to Crockpots in your stores?
I can send you a Crock.
if you need a slow cooker i’ll mail you one to Italy
I just made these. OMG! They are just like the ones from the Mexican restaurant up the street.OK maybe even better. I love love love this. Even my teen-aged daughter loved them. Can’t wait to try more.
What else did you add to the tacos? Like, some sort of slaw? Guacamole, salsa, cheese…???
Made this tonight. TY! YUMMY!
Two quick questions!
1. Is the pork shoulder frozen or refrigerated?
2. Is it fine if it is a “smoked pork shoulder?” The store I went to didn’t have anything else.
Thanks!
The pork should should be thawed. As for the “smoked pork shoulder”, I cannot answer with certainty as I have never tried that myself!
Since the pork shoulder is already smoked there is no need to cook it any more. Just heat and serve.
Looks good! This is going to be my first time making carnitas so I just have a quick question. The juices from oranges and limes….do I put that into the crock pot to cook the pork also?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
Made this tonight and it is sooo good! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
During my my childhood days, my mother used to cook us tacos made with carnitas filling. My favorite snack of all time. Now, I have my own family and I have that responsibility now. And this helps a lot, it’s a new taste for my family. I love using a slow cooker, since it is much easier and healthier. It is perfect while watching The Walking Dead. haha. Anyway, I’ll give you the quick steps on how to prepare Tacos with carnitas fillings:
1.In a large bowl, stir together ground pasilla pepper, coriander, garlic, oregano, orange peel, black pepper, and salt. Add pork to bowl; toss to coat with spices.
2. In a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, place pork mixture; top with onion wedges. In a medium bowl, whisk together broth, orange juice, and honey until honey dissolves. Pour liquid over all.
3.Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
4.Use a slotted spoon to remove meat from slow cooker. Using two forks, coarsely shred meat; discard any fat. Drizzle meat with some of the cooking liquid.
5. Wrap tortillas in foil. Heat in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes or until warm. To serve, top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the meat, cilantro, and finely chopped green onions. Serve with salsa and, if desired, lime wedges.
im one of those people who have to have measurements for their recipes! Do you have that?
WHY did you just submit your own recipe on another person’s recipe post? That was inappropriate. Comments are for asking questions about the recipe and/or “reviewing” the recipe IF you made it.
Couldn’t agree more
I made the original posting recipe, instinctively added coriander powder, and while good, I felt it lacked the citrus and sweet. Voila, your recipe addresses that! I’ll try your version next time.