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+ servings
Shredded pork tacos on a plate with cilantro and white onion sprinkled on top.
Servings: 10 Servings

Crock Pot Carnitas

5 from 1 vote
This easy recipe for slow cooker carnitas requires just a handful of basic ingredients and little effort! The hard work is done in the slow cooker, resulting in tender, juicy meat.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 to 5-pound) boneless pork roast pork butt or pork shoulder roast
  • 1 Tbsp sea salt*
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup lime juice

Instructions

  • Remove the pork roast from its packaging. Remove and discard the netting around the roast (if applicable). Use paper towels to pat the whole roast dry to remove any excess liquid.
  • Chop the roast into large chunks using a sharp knife on a cutting board.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the sea salt, paprika, dried oregano and ground cumin. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over both sides of the pork chunks. Use your hands to gently pat the seasonings into the meat. Allow the pork to sit in the seasonings for a few minutes while you sauté the onion.
  • Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add in the fresh minced garlic and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
  • Transfer the sauteed onion and garlic to the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Place the skillet back on the stove top over medium-high to high heat. If needed, add another tablespoon or two of avocado oil.
  • Once the skillet is sizzling hot, carefully place the chunks of pork roast onto the hot surface in a single layer. You will likely need to perform this step in two batches unless your skillet is large enough.
  • Sear the pork for 2-3 minutes per side, until each side has a nice golden brown crust. There is no need to cook the pork through at this point. We are simply browning the meat.
  • Transfer the seared pork to the crock pot with the rest of the ingredients. Secure the lid on the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or until fork tender. You can cook the meat on high heat for 5 to 6 hours, although I strongly recommend going with the low heat option for the best results if you're going for tender pork. The longer and lower temperature the meat cooks at, the more fall-apart tender and flavorful it turns out.
  • Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the slow cooked pork roast pieces to a large cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat to your desired consistency. Transfer the shredded pork back into the crock pot with the juices until you’re ready to serve.
  • You can serve the carnitas at this point, or you can take one final step to make the pork meat extra crispy.

How to Make Crispy Carnitas:

  • Turn your oven on the high broil setting. Use tongs to transfer the carnitas to a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, allowing as much of the liquid to drip off as possible before placing the pork on the sheet. Place the baking sheet on the rack that’s second to the top and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the shredded pork reaches your desired level of crisp.

Make Carnitas Tacos:

  • Load up warm tortillas with your desired amount of shredded pork. Top tacos with chopped white onion, cilantro, and/or any other toppings you enjoy. This recipe makes about 20 tacos.

Notes

Nutrition Facts are for shredded pork only, not including tortillas or toppings.
*Sea salt is not to be confused with iodized salt or regular table salt. Be sure to use sea salt or kosher salt. If you only have table salt, season the roast by hand to your personal taste - you will need less than a tablespoon of regular salt.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 10), Calories: 445kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 56g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 161mg, Sodium: 1420mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carnitas, carnitas tacos, crock pot carnitas, crock pot recipes, pork carnitas, slow cooker carnitas, slow cooker recipes
Author: Julia Mueller