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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
It was a hit!
Could it be made with a pork lion?
I’m so glad! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I think I may have left a comment quite a while back, but can’t be positive. I have made this recipe a few times, and have to say it IS damn delicious! I have just placed all ingredients in the crock pot to cook overnight. I have a pot luck tomorrow and I’m taking the carnitas with small truck taco size corn tortillas, diced onion and grated cheese. This recipe is perfect as is and also easy to add more or less of spice ingredients to your liking. Thank you, Chungah, for sharing this and so many other recipes that have become my and my family’s favorites.
Love this recipe! Make it all the time! Do you think I could use the same recipe with flank steak? Thank you and happy holidays!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I have made these carnitas for my Hispanic inlaws three times now and each time I get the highest compliments! I am excited to make them again this weekend for my mother in laws birthday. Best recipe ever!! I stick the the exact instructions and have been perfect every time.
Oh wow! I could eat all of that! (:
As usual, this looks amazing and I am sure it taste that way to. Will be making this to on taco night next Tuesday or Thursday. Thanks for sharing this dish
The combination of ingredients used in this recipe makes it sound amazing!! Will definitely try this!
Theresa
I suggest that you include the size of your slow cooker with every slow cooker recipe.
It’s so funny, my husband and I have a pork shoulder in the freezer and were talking about what to make with it this weekend. He suggested carnitas! This morning I wake up to this recipe in my email, it’s like you knew 🙂 Can’t wait to make them, they look amazing! All your recipes we have made have been amazing! Made the sausage and pepper foil packets last night, can’t wait for the leftovers for lunch today! Thank you for all your awesome recipes!
I noticed you didn’t need to sear the meat but other meats like pot roast it is suggested. Have you ever tried that with this recipe by chance? Looks delicious as always!
I actually haven’t – sorry!
Every dish I’ve made of yours has been INCREDIBLE. I am not much of a cook, but your recipes inspire me to do it. This was somebody of the best pork I’ve ever had. Will absolutely share this with friends. Love it.
I can’t wait to try your carnita recipe!
What type of onion would you suggest for this recipe? Thanks in advance!
Yellow or white would be great!
Thank you so much! I made this last night and we will be enjoying leftovers for a few days !!
Would I be able to use orange juice instead of two oranges, and if so, how much orange juice is equivalent? (I have every ingredient on hand except for oranges!)
Yes, of course! On average, one medium orange contains 2 ounces (or 4 tablespoons) of orange juice.
Freaking awesome recipe! I used a pressure cooker instead of a slow cooker, as I am not good with time management. Lol. Orange/lime juice provided a very subtle, welcome flavor. I did use sason goya in the dry rub, but then great cooks tweak every recipe. Yes, I went there – I’m a great cook. Well most of the time. This recipe was a no brainer. Thanks for sharing. Down side, now that I’ve tasted it, it may not make it under the broiler. Serving it over yellow riced cauliflower. YUM!!
Hello, I’m wondering what’s the best way to serve the pork? On its own? As a taco…or? Thanks!
Tacos would be great!
Oh my! I needed to make dinner for a young family with a newborn. I used a few shortcuts: seasoned pork shoulder chunks with Goya brand adobo seasoning plus 3 packets of Sazon seasoning from the Mexican section of the grocery store and refrigerated overnight. In the morning, I poured Tropicana OJ and lime juice on top as directed and cooked on low x 8 hours. Let it cool then shredded and placed it on a large foil pan with all the fixings for nachos. So easy. This is a new favorite!!
I have made this twice now using pork loin rather than shoulder. Turned out delicious both times. I do add a little bit of water or chicken broth – about 1 cup. Broiling at the end gives it that perfect texture. Served with pico, avocado chunks and lime wedges. Thanks for another easy and delicious recipe!
Is this recipe spicy? I’m planning to feed this to my kiddos and they don’t like hot spicy foods.
It shouldn’t be spicy at all but you can always decrease the amount of chili powder, to taste.
I’ve always been told that browing the meat before cooking it enhances he flavor. Do you think that would make a difference for this recipe?
Yes, you can absolutely sear the pork first if you’d like! 🙂