Slow Cooker Carnitas
featured in 25 Amazing Dinners From Tasty
Have you ever gone out for Mexican food, eaten carnitas, and thought “gosh, I wish I could make this myself”? Well, you can with the help of your slow cooker. Just add pork butt or shoulder to a slow cooker with citrus juice, garlic, onion, and some spices, then let it cook for about eight hours until it's tender and easy to shred with a fork. Then, you can enjoy your home-cooked carnitas in tacos, burritos, or on top of your favourite grains.
Tasty Team
98% would make again
Total Time
10 hr 15 min
10 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 minutes
15 min
Cook Time
10 hr
10 hr
Inspired by cookscountry.com
Total Time
10 hr 15 min
10 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 minutes
15 min
Cook Time
10 hr
10 hr
Ingredients
for 6 servings
- 4 lb boneless pork butt (1.8 kg), or shoulder, cut into six equal pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 leaves bay leaf
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 large orange, juiced, save the spent halves
Optional Toppings
- tortilla, taco shell
- rice
- 1 can black beans
- salsa
- guacamole
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- 1 cup cheese (100 g)
Nutrition Info
- Calories 1024
- Fat 71g
- Carbs 9g
- Fiber 2g
- Sugar 4g
- Protein 77g
Estimated values based on one serving size.
Preparation
- Cut pork into 6 equal pieces. Add it to the slow cooker.
- Add salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion, bay leaves, lime juice and juice the orange. Add orange to the cooker as well. Mix together until the meat is well-coated.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily.
- Remove the pork and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Shred the pork and spread across the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Pour about 1 cup (235 ml) of the liquid remaining in the slow cooker over the shredded pork. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the meat browns and crisps along the edges.
- Serve immediately. Great as a filling in tacos, burritos, salads, or nachos!
- Enjoy!
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Inspired by cookscountry.com