Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
The easiest carnitas you will ever make in the crockpot. Cooked low and slow for the most amazing fall-apart tender goodness! Yes, please!
Featured Comment
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
This was delicious!
This is my go to recipe when I have a pork shoulder i need to use. The ingredients are usually always on hand and super easy to put together. Toss it in the slow cooker and it’s good to go! My absolute favorite part is the trick of putting it on a baking sheet to crisp properly. I’ve done this in a pan and it takes way too long to crisp what I need. The broiler is the perfect solution. Meat will crisp at the edges but remain juicy inside. Definitely a must try!!!
I’ve made this from a well known cookbook on the stove and I didn’t care for the way it turned out however I tried this one and I washed the orange’s and limes off and after squeezing them I put them in with the meat and cooked it for 8 hours , amazing flavor !!!!!!!!! Love it
Hi Chungah, I made this recipe with the suggestion to double up on the spices except for the cinnamon, but the cinnamon really ruined this recipe and it was too salty for my taste. I liked the other spices and will make again using water and absolutely no cinnamon.
There is no cinnamon in this recipe.
It’s C U M I N, not cinnamon. ♀️
Actually, if you Google carnitas then the recipe right below this has cinnamon in it. She probably clicked the wrong link to review it. I read the recipe right before I read this one. So maybe it was a M I S T A K E.
Have made this dozens of times, no better slow cooker carnitas recipe available. Delicious and a family favorite. Thanks!
This was delicious! Even my husband (who doesn’t like pork) loved it. I made chimichurri and pickled red onions to add to our taco toppings. Yum!!
The most flavorful carnitas I ever tasted. I combined all the onions, garlic, oranges and limes in a blender and liquefied it before cooking I’m going to try it this time and see how it is I’m sure it’ll be awesome!
If I’m not going to serve this for a few hours until after it’s done, should I put in the fridge and then broil right before serving or broil and then put in fridge? And heat up right before?
I recommend broiling right before serving. Hope that helps, Leah!
I broiled it and put it back in the slow cooker on Keep Warm for a party. Worked great!
Can this mexican pull pork be served on a bun?
Sure!
It’s *Mexican, not mexican. And the recipe is carnitas, not Mexicans pulled pork. That’s kind of super racist, fyi.
oh carl. ya gotta pick your battles man.
Because the M was not capitalized, it’s racist. ….? smh…let’s not sully this generous Lady’s recipe and blog with this irrelevant silliness by attacking a perfect stranger’s faultless question……lighten up, Carl.
This recipe is the best I have found, yet!
Can you freeze this recipe without cooking first? I want to have this meal later this fall, but I like to make my meals ahead of time. Thanks!
It could’ve been an honest mistake. No need to go SJW on them. Treating people like that is not kind.
“It’s *Mexican, not mexican. And the recipe is carnitas, not Mexicans pulled pork. That’s kind of super racist, fyi. “
Seriously ? You brought that nonsense in here ? Let me guess, your from California. Well “ FYI, you kind of a super idiot.”
Great flavor, but too salty. I think I would reduce the amount of salt by half next time. I also would double the Chile powder. I couldn’t taste any spice in the dish.
You definitely used tablespoon instead of a teaspoon
Awesome! Approved by a family with two 15 year old boys. I added one finely chopped jalapeno and added a bit of the juice from the slow cooker to the pan to the sheet pan before I put it the broiler. I will make this again!
I made these last week and they were killer!!! Sooo good. I still have leftovers in my freezer and I already want to make more! My question is, what would you change for 8 lbs? We buy bulk from costco and we have 4 2lbs roasts, and I’m making it all into carnitas. Should I double the whole recipe? Thanks in advance!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I’ve used this recipe multiple times, usually with pork loin. We cut the pork into 2-3″ chunks, but everything else is the same. It turns out AMAZING every tim! Thank you for posting!
These were damn delicious! I highly recommend this recipe for authentic tasting carnitas tacos!! Thanks for yet another stellar recipe!
Delicious!! Impressive meal with minimal effort. I used a large seeded and chopped jalapeño in place of chili powder but otherwise followed the recipe as written, even with a larger piece of meat. Had about 9lb bone in picnic roast that cooked in 8.5 hours on high in a 6qt crock. Used a skillet on the stovetop to caramelize the pork and some fat; reduced cooking liquid by half and added a good splash to the pan. Served with black beans, white rice and pico de gallo. Lots of meat leftover for pulled pork, etc.
So this tasted so good the day after making and a few days later. The day of it seemed like the flavors didn’t meld into the meat. What can I change so that those flavors I was tasting a few days later I get to taste the day of making? I did prep it all the night before thinking the flavors would soak in.
It’s hard to say, Briana. Some recipes simply taste better as a leftover, like lasagna! 🙂
This is absolutely my favorite recipe for pork carnitas – turns out great each and every time. Thank you so much for the great recipe!!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I have made it twice. The family loves it. I serve it on large buns with a slaw. It is a keeper! PattyG.
Great way to do it!
So where does all the juice come from when it is finished? since you dont add water or more juice.
It comes from the pork along with the orange and lime juices that are used in the recipe.
This is delicious! I made this recipe this past week and my entire family could not stop eating it! I doubled the recipe because of the size of size pork shoulder/Boston butt. Broiling it for just a few minutes took this recipe to the next level!
Here is what we did with this pork:
Carnitas for dinner 2 nights
Cuban sandwiches for dinner one night
Breakfast carnitas for breakfast one morning
My husband is already wondering when I will be making this again! It is a super easy recipe, delicious and a it uses the crock pot! It is a WINNER!
I was wondering if pork butt could be used instead because I have one one the freezer. Now I know, thank you!