Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are made with flavorful, juicy pork that cooks all day in your crockpot before crisping in the oven. Serve it as tacos with all of your favorite toppings for a delicious, easy dinner.
For more easy Slow Cooker Recipes, be sure to check out my Crockpot Ham and Beans, Slow Cooker Beef Ragu, and Swedish Meatballs Recipe.
Crispy carnitas are something I crave, so after playing around with this recipe and getting it the way I like, I’m glad I can make these at home instead of always relying on my favorite Mexican restaurant.
The beauty of this recipe comes from cooking the pork low and slow in your crock pot as it absorbs all of the flavor from the seasonings and citrus juices.
Then you finish off your slow cooker pork carnitas by broiling the meat in the oven until it’s nice and crispy, which is my favorite part! That little extra step is totally worth the effort!
Serve your carnitas wrapped up in a warm tortilla with whatever toppings you’d like. A little white or red onion, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, salsa, etc. are all so good!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Boneless pork butt or pork shoulder – I usually have more luck finding a boneless pork butt, so that is what I use most often. You can trim some of the fat off before cooking if you wish, but I usually leave the fat on and just remove it when shredding the cooked meat.
- Spices: You will use a combination of cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Use Mexican oregano if you can find it; it has a much bolder flavor than regular oregano.
- Garlic – freshly minced. Don’t use garlic powder.
- Chicken broth – you only need a small amount to add some liquid to the slow cooker. I use low sodium chicken broth.
- Fresh lime juice – I use two limes which yields about 1/4 cup juice.
- Orange juice – you can use a fresh orange and squeeze the juice yourself, or bottled orange juice works fine, too.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Slow Cooker Carnitas – Step by Step
- Combine the cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over all sides of the pork and rub it in.
- Add the pork pieces to the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth, lime juice, orange juice, and minced garlic over the pork. (*Note: you will have less liquid in your slow cooker than the picture above shows. In this photo I used a bit more chicken broth, but I prefer to make it with much less now and that is reflected in the recipe.) Place the lid on top and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, until pork is tender.
- Remove the meat from the crockpot and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the pork, removing and discarding any fat. Transfer the meat to a sheet pan and drizzle about 1/2 cup of juices from the crockpot over the shredded meat. Place the sheet pan under your oven’s broiler for 4-6 minutes until the meat starts to get crispy.
- Serve with tortillas and any of your favorite toppings.
Tips and Notes
- The correct cut of meat: Choose either a boneless pork butt or pork shoulder for your carnitas. These cuts have a higher fat content which creates tender and juicy meat as it cooks in the crock pot.
- To add even more flavor, you can brown your seasoned pork pieces in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven before adding to the crockpot. This is a totally optional step, though.
- Crisping your pork: I recommend crisping your shredded pork using your oven’s broiler for a true carnitas experience. However, it also tastes delicious when the meat is nice and juicy, so don’t feel like you have to crisp the meat if you don’t want to. It’s delicious straight from the slow cooker, too!
- Store any leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To make carnitas in the Instant Pot, check out my instructions below!
Serving Suggestions
Carnitas taste great tucked into corn or flour tortillas for tacos, and finished off with your favorite toppings like a dollop of sour cream, some salsa verde, etc. My favorite way to top them is with chopped white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Yum!
For an easy side dish option, try pairing your carnitas with some Mexican Black Beans or Instant Pot Mexican Rice on the side. And a Mangonada is the perfect drink to cap off your meal!
If you have leftover meat, here are a few ideas to put them to good use:
- Homemade nachos: spread your prepared pork carnitas over tortilla chips for homemade nachos.
- Lettuce wraps: for a lighter meal option, stuff large lettuce leaves with your carnitas and toppings.
- Burrito Bowls: serve over rice along with your favorite toppings like Pico de Gallo, Copycat Chipotle Guacamole, and more.
- Enchiladas: stuff into tortillas, roll up, and top with green salsa and cheese to make enchiladas.
FAQs
Both carnitas and pulled pork undergo a slow cooking process that spans several hours, and are perfect for preparing in either a slow cooker or an instant pot. Making carnitas, however, includes an extra step of roasting (or broiling) the shredded meat until it’s golden brown and crispy.
Browning your pork before cooking in the slow cooker can help add flavor to the meat. It’s an optional step, though, and I not required.
You can easily adapt this recipe to be made in the Instant Pot instead of the crockpot. Add all of the ingredients to your Instant Pot, increasing the chicken broth from the recipe up to 1 cup. Cook over manual pressure for one hour then allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure. Shred your meat and finish by broiling it in the oven as the recipe directs.
More Delicious Pork Recipes You Should Try!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, cut into 3-4 large pieces
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 Tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
- 3/4 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Combine the cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over all sides of the pork pieces.
- Add the pork pieces to the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth, lime juice, orange juice, and minced garlic over the pork. Place the lid on top and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, until pork is tender.
- Remove the meat from the crockpot and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the pork, removing and discarding any fat. Transfer the meat to a sheet pan and drizzle about 1/2 cup of juices from the crockpot over the shredded meat. Place the sheet pan under your oven's broiler for 4-6 minutes until the meat starts to get crispy.
- Serve with tortillas and any of your favorite toppings.
Notes
- The correct cut of meat: Choose either a boneless pork butt or pork shoulder for your carnitas. These cuts have a higher fat content which creates tender and juicy meat as it cooks in the crock pot.
- To add even more flavor, you can brown your seasoned pork pieces in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven before adding to the crockpot. This is a totally optional step, though.
- Crisping your pork: I recommend crisping your shredded pork using your oven’s broiler for a true carnitas experience. However, it also tastes delicious when the meat is nice and juicy, so don’t feel like you have to crisp the meat if you don’t want to. It’s delicious straight from the slow cooker, too!
- Store any leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Use this meat to make Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls.
I love pork carnitas, and have always made them in the oven- this sounds like a great alternative! And I love the suggestion of adding slaw on top. Delicious!
I love pork carnitas! I have to make this recipe for dinner ASAP!
I love carnitas and we do ours in the oven but I would love to do mine in the crock pot to keep the temp in my house down over the summer!
I’m loving the flavor profile and ease of this slow cooker rendition of one of our family’s favorites! Thanks so much for sharing this with us; our kids are going to love it!!!
Pork carnitas in a slow cooker? Love this and how perfect for guests or any busy night. We’ll eat this for days 🙂
How fun! I love it when family is in town (or on the Island!) enjoy!! This pork looks fantastic, all I need right now is a tortilla to wrap it all up!
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas is totally my kind of meal! I love a good slow cooker dish that’s flavor-loaded! YUM!
Ive never tried carnitas in the slow cooker! What a great idea!
Printing this recipe now!! I can’t wait to make this next week! Such great flavors in the seasoning and definitely so many great meals to make from it. Love this!
Can I brown the pork the night before and put back in the fridge over night? Morning are always hectic….
Hi Sara! I haven’t ever done it the night before, but I don’t see how that would be a problem. Let me know if you give it a try!
Such a perfect recipe for summer or any time of year! It would be awesome for a party, too!
Nothing better than slow cooked pork! Sounds so delicious!
Yum! Never actually made carnitas, but I love tacos of all kinds so I’m pretty sure I need to try these soon!
We all need blogging breaks and the summe ris the perfect time to do it! Enjoy your family! I can’t wait to try this slow cooker recipe for my family.
Love this meal, and the fact that it’s made in the crock pot is even better!
Enjoy your summer vacay!!
I could eat pork carnitas each and every day! And in the slow cooker? Music to my ears!