Spice up taco night with these Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas. The flavors are rich and the perfect addition to your next meal. This shredded pork also works great in quesadillas, on salads or in rice bowls. 

EASY SLOW COOKER PORK CARNITAS

We love taco night in my house.

I try my hardest to switch up the type of meat we have with our tacos but sometimes I feel like I get stuck using the same ingredients.

Today I am teaming up with the Ohio Pork Council to share with you these Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas, which are a great way to spice up taco night or use in a quick weeknight rice bowl or salad.

Whenever I make these Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas my kids always tell me how juicy the meat is and we all go back for seconds.

As a busy mom of three young kids easy recipes are top of my list when it comes to meals during the week.

My slow cooker is one of my go-to kitchen helpers that gets used on a weekly basis. You can’t beat a meal that cooks while you go about your day, right?

If you look at the ingredients in these Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas you will notice a good amount of citrus from the oranges and limes.

The acid from the citrus is a great way to tenderize the pork while adding flavor.

It pairs really nicely with the Mexican spices, garlic and onion. I like to add freshly chopped cilantro to the meat once it is ready to be served.

This meat also freezes well in case you make more than your family can eat in a week.

Like I mentioned one of my favorite parts about this recipe is that it cooks in the crockpot.

That is great for a lot of reasons including the minimal clean up and the fact that it lets the pork cook low and slow to get that tender meat we all love.

When the meat is done cooking you will quickly fry it in vegetable oil to create a crispy edge.

You can skip this step if you want, but I highly suggest doing this step to get the best carnitas.

Another thing to note with this recipe is that it works best if you cook it low and slow.

The pork shoulder is a heavily worked muscle and cooking it low and slow is important in order to tenderize the meat and break it down.

The USDA‘s recommended minimum temperature for pork is 145°F  but the connective tissue needs to be heated to at least 160-170°F to dissolve properly, and most smoked pork shoulders are actually pulled in the temperature range of 195-205°F. 

If you cook your pork carnitas in the slow cooker for 8 hours you will reach the ideal temperature you need for that tenderized pork.

Next time you are planning a taco night you have to give these Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas a try adding a good dose of protein to you meal and a whole lot of flavor. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Continue to Content

The Best Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Yield: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes

Mix up taco night with these Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas. The flavors are rich and the perfect addition to your next meal. This shredded pork also works great in quesadillas, on salads or in rice bowls. 

Print

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 pounds boneless pork butt {or pork shoulder}
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne red pepper {optional for spice}
• 1 cup stock {vegetable, chicken or beef stock works}
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large oranges, juiced {cut in half and juice or use 1/4 cup orange juice}
• 2 limes, juiced {approximately 1/4 cup of lime juice}
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and ribs removed, chopped {optional for spice}
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped {optional for a little extra spice and smokey flavor}
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Garnish:

• Fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Trim the excess fat from the pork and discard. In a small bowl mix the salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper. Use your hands to rub the spice mixture on both sides of the  pork.
2. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the stock, onion, garlic, jalapeño and chipotle peppers. Squeeze the orange juice and lime juice over the pork.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours, or an internal temperature of at least 170 degrees F to make sure the meat is tender.
4. Once the meat is tender and done cooking, remove from the crockpot and let cool slightly so you can handle it. Use two forks to pull apart the meat and set aside in a large bowl.
5. In a large pan heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Using a wooden spoon or spatula press the carnitas into the vegetable oil and fry until crusty on one side. Serve warm on tortillas for tacos with freshly chopped cilantro and toppings of your choice.

Notes

The USDA‘s recommended minimum temperature for pork is 145°F  but the connective tissue needs to be heated to at least 160-170°F to dissolve properly.