crockpot carnitas

These are the easiest crockpot carnitas and simple enough for anyone to make! Juicy, flavorful, and perfectly browned with a crispy crust.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas

pork shoulder

garlic

salt

cumin

chili powder

black pepper

oregano

cinnamon

cayenne pepper

chipotle hot sauce (optional)

limes

orange juice

beer (a standard lager works great

salsa (I like to use a less chunky one)

Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Roughly chop the garlic and place in the slow cooker (I actually kind of rubbed it onto the meat to get as much garlic flavor as possible, but you could just toss it in, too).

Easy Crockpot Carnitas Step 1

Sprinkle the meat with salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne. Rub seasonings onto the pork.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas Step 2

Add lime juice, orange juice, beer, and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas Step 3

Shred meat with two forks directly in the slow cooker (or take out, shred, and replace in sauce). It should fall apart easily.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas Step 4

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas Step 5

Serve on tortillas with fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime juice.

Easy Crockpot Carnitas Step 6

Holey moley this was insanely easy and soooooo good. I got the best compliment of my life from my hubby after making this, and I cook all the time. Broiling after it made it magic. Seriously. Thank you.

I'm sure it would,  but if you are in doubt just use a N/A beer (they make a lot of different flavors now- everything from a light IPA to a dark stout)

We had this tonight! Yum! The meat was a bit salty for us (and I'm down with salt!) but otherwise delish. Can't wait to try it again, maybe with 2 tsp. of salt this time. I did substitute chicken broth for the beer....which probably explains the saltiness;-)

These turned out AWESOME! And I thought I couldn't cook! ;) Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Just came across it and your blog through Pinterest the other day. Can't wait to try out more of your recipes! And if we have enough leftovers (I only made a 3 lb batch), I'll definitely try out the Tamale Pie!

Put this bad boy together this afternoon. I was kind of on a time crunch so I put in on high for 6 hours. It came out perfect. Thanks for this awesome recipe. Best tacos I've ever made.

lovely!  hmmm did you use your rice cooker for this?

OMG!  Salivating looking at that recipe and it's still kind of morning here.  Am at home from work with a sick child otherwise would be off to the market to buy me some pork!  Oh and I love pork belly too so yes please share a recipe!  love the crunchy skin and then the under-layers that just melt in your mouth!  Living in Italy, we can't ever find this here so I always indulge when I go back home to Australia!

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/HTsAZBvw.mp4

Juicy, lightly crispy pulled pork slow cooked in spices and citrus juices, slow cooker carnitas are perfect for tacos, burritos, and more!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

boneless pork butt ((Boston butt, or pork shoulder))

orange juice from about 1 large orange

lime juice

garlic (minced, about 1 tablespoon)

chipotle chile powder

onion

Flour or corn tortillas (or cooked brown rice)

Toppings of choice: chopped fresh cilantro (and feta

Trim

Trim the pork of excess fat and cut into 3 to 4-inch cubes. Season the meat on all sides with salt.

Stir

In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and black pepper.

Scatter

Scatter the onion in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.

Coat

Add the pork on top of the onion, then pour in the orange juice mixture. With a large spoon, turn the pork pieces to combine the ingredients and coat the pork with the juices on all sides.

Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Line

Place a rack in the upper third (but not topmost) rack of the oven and preheat the oven&#39;s broiler to high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Shred

With two forks, shred the pork directly in the slow cooker, discarding any large bits of remaining fat. Stir the pork in the sauce to coat it evenly, then use a slotted spoon to scoop the pork onto the prepared baking sheet (it&#39;s OK for some of the juices to come with it). Spread the pork into an even layer.

Warm

To warm the tortillas, wrap them in foil and pop them into the oven’s center rack while the pork broils. Or, you can heat the tortillas in a dry skillet on the stove.

Broil

Broil the pork for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up (don&#39;t walk away! It can quickly start to burn).

Sauce

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Spoon a little sauce over the top, lightly toss and stir the pork to expose unbroiled sides. Return the pan to the oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes more (the meat should become nice and crispy at its edges). Repeat once more if you&#39;d like your pork a bit more crisp. Enjoy hot, piled into warm tortillas or over rice with toppings of choice.

Crispy, shredded slow cooker carnitas (pulled pork) are a Mexican favorite that you can make at home. Packed with flavor, easy to make, and minimal dishes. 

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pulled Pork)

lb. boneless pork shoulder

tablespoon vegetable oil

teaspoons salt

teaspoon ground black pepper

teaspoons dried oregano

teaspoon paprika

teaspoon garlic powder

medium onion, coarsely chopped

cup water

scallions, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Pat dry pork shoulder or ribs with paper towel completely and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir well to combine oil with all the dry rub ingredients until smooth (salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder). Rub and spread onto pork until evenly coated.

Spread chopped onions evenly inside a 6-quart slow cooker (or crockpot) and add water. Place pork on top of onions. If using ribs, you can stack them on top of each other. 

Cover and cook on 8-10 hours on the LOW setting or 4-6 hours on the HIGH setting until fork tender.

Shred the pork by using two forks to pull the meat apart into small bite size and discard the bones (if using ribs).

To crisp the shredded pork (optional), add shredded pork along with some drippings from the slow cooker into a large frying pan. Spread evenly. Heat over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until the juices evaporate and pork turns nicely brown and crispy.

Garnish with scallions and serve with Cilantro Lime Rice or Pulled Pork Tacos. 

Learn how to make delicious Carnitas at home with this easy recipe. Tender, flavorful pork cooked in spices and citrus - perfect for tacos and more!

Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Tbsp cooking oil

pork butt,

1.5 Tbsp dried oregano, divided

onion,

oranges

lime

½ Tbsp dried thyme

garlic, sliced

bay leaves

Coca-Cola

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch...

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Mix 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, ½ Tbsp oregano and ½ Tbsp cumin, then rub all over pork chunks. Add pork to the heated pot, working in batches if necessary, and sear on all sides.

Juice lime and oranges into a bowl, reserving...

Juice lime and oranges into a bowl, reserving the juiced citrus pieces. Mix thyme and remaining salt, pepper, oregano and cumin into the juice.

Place sliced onion in a slow cooker, then...

Place sliced onion in a slow cooker, then top with pork chunks. Add on top reserved citrus pieces, along with garlic and bay leaves. Pour Coca-Cola all over the pork, followed by the juice mixture. (Do not pour the Coke after the juices, as it will rinse the seasonings off of the pork)

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours,...

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours, until pork is easily shreddable with a fork.

Remove pork chunks to a oiled baking sheet....

Remove pork chunks to a oiled baking sheet. Broil on high for about 5 minutes, until it is browned and crisp.

Using two forks, shred the pork.

Serve in tacos or burritos, with rice and...

Serve in tacos or burritos, with rice and beans, or on nachos.

My slow cooker carnitas recipe is simmered for 10 hours, and the meat comes out bursting with flavor — my special pork rub guarantees it!

Classic Carnitas Recipe (Slow Cooker)

pork shoulder (pork butt)

carrots

chicken stock

tsp kosher salt

brown sugar

oregano Mexican

tsp cumin

flour tortillas

refried beans

onions

cilantro

limes sliced

pico de gallo

salsa verde

roasted tomato salsa

guacamole

Combine the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Use your hands to apply the rub over the entire surface of the pork.

Place the pork butt in the slow cooker, fat side up. Add the oranges, carrots, onion and bay leaves and pour the chicken stock (or orange juice) over and cover.

Slow cook on low heat for 10 hours, or high heat for 6 hours.

Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the pork carnitas to a serving platter. Allow the meat to cool slightly, then shred by hand or by using two forks. Eat as is, but BEST if crispy.

Remove and discard cooked orange and vegetables from cooking liquid. Set aside.

In a large skillet over high heat add a tablespoon of oil and fry shredded carnitas meat in batches, pouring 1/4 cup of cooking liquid in and simmer until juices have evaporated and meat is crispy and caramelized.

Serve with hot tortillas, refried beans, sliced onions, tomato slices, cilantro, limes and salsas of choice.

Crispy

One of our family favourites, the flavours are so delicious. We enjoy so many of Kevin’s recipes, and sharing with our Australian’s friends &amp; family.

Thank you! Wonderful recipes!! God bless you!!

Add a spicy salsa verde or salsa rojo to the carnitas recipe !

Wow, got this in the crockpot this morning and the whole house smells wonderful. I can't wait to serve this for dinner. Your recipes are wonderful. I bet your whole family loves everything you cook. Thank you very much.

I've made this recipe about 5 times now. Its delicious. I've tried pressure cooking as well as higher heat to cook it faster but low-and-slow in the crockpot for 10 hrs tastes significantly better than the shortcuts. I made this again yesterday but cooked at high heat for the first hour and a half to get it up to temp faster. After 10hrs total the meat literally fell apart. I also think its important to get everything packed in tight in the crockpot so that the rendered fat and added liquids can cover almost everything. I cut the shoulder into large chunks so that I can pack it tighter and ensure that the entire fat cap is on top. While it cooks it looks like you are making boiled shoe leather but half of that liquid is actually fat. I think this approximates cooking in a vat of lard and helps to keep the meat extra juicy.

I bought a 6 lb bone in shoulder picnic cut at a local market ,it was under 8.00.I removed the bone and skin flap, My Wife thought I was wasting My time with this cheap cut. I followed Your instructions and cooked it in orange juice .I plugged it in before I went to bed and the aroma woke Us up during the night. It was amazing, My Wife cracked some eggs and made Her version of machaca. We had some great tacos And I took some and added a little sugar free barbeque sauce and had a Lovely pulled pork sandwich. This can go in many directions and make much more top quality meat then You would think. We put half in the freezer for later. Thanks so much for the recipe.

So easy and wonderfully tender. I love carnitas with fresh cooked tortilla.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/iYY5X4eL.mp4

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Easy Crockpot Carnitas

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Easy Crockpot Carnitas

Easy Crockpot Carnitas

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pulled Pork)

Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Classic Carnitas Recipe (Slow Cooke...

Top 7 crockpot carnitas recipes from across the web

The most viewed crockpot carnitas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Easy Crockpot Carnitas

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Easy Crockpot Carnitas

Easy Crockpot Carnitas

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pulled Pork)

Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Classic Carnitas Recipe (Slow Cooke...

The most viewed crockpot carnitas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine