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Feed a crowd with this easy recipe for Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas! You’ll love the layers of citrus and spice in this moist, crispy Mexican pulled pork.
Jump To
- Crispy Mexican Pork Carnitas in the Crockpot!
- What Is the Difference Between Pulled Pork and Carnitas?
- The Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make It
- My Top Tips for Crockpot Carnitas
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Freezing Pork Carnitas
- Crispy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe
- More Savory Slow Cooker Recipes
Crispy Mexican Pork Carnitas in the Crockpot!
If you enjoy barbecue pulled pork, you’ve got to try this recipe for carnitas. Packed with orange juice, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and more, it’s an ultra-flavorful feast that works perfectly in tacos, burritos, nachos… you name it! And, when you make carnitas in the slow cooker, it truly couldn’t be simpler.
This is a great recipe to start in the morning, so that dinner is done by the time evening rolls around. From there, all you have to do is throw the meat under your oven’s broiler for a minute to get it crispy, and then stuff it into a taco shell (or a quesadilla, or whatever you like). Everyone can add the toppings they love, and dinner is done! Perfect, right?
What Is the Difference Between Pulled Pork and Carnitas?
The main difference between pulled pork and carnitas is in the flavor profile and the texture. Pulled pork is usually flavored with barbecue ingredients like tomato paste, honey, and mustard. Carnitas, on the other hand, are made with an almost taco-like seasoning blend, plus some punchy citrus juice.
To create the signature carnitas crispy edges and ends, this recipe calls for crisping the shredded, slow-cooked pork under a broiler for a few minutes. Don’t skip this step – it makes all the difference, and it’s quick and easy.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
So just what goes into this easy at-home recipe for the restaurant favorite? I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how little you need to make a great main course that is perfect for meal prep or freezer cooking. Here’s the list:
- Orange and Lime Juice: I like to juice my citrus fresh, but you can also use bottled or refrigerated juice.
- Spices: You’ll need chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. Oh, and don’t forget the salt!
- Brown Sugar: Just a little bit of brown sugar rounds out the seasoning mixture.
- Pork: Cut your boneless pork butt into large, 4 to 5 inch chunks.
- Onion: Chop up one white onion. If you would rather use a sweet onion, yellow onion, or red onion, that’s fine, too.
- Chopped Cilantro: For garnish, optional. You can leave it out, or substitute parsley if you don’t care for cilantro.
What Cut of Pork Is Used for Carnitas?
The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder, also sold as pork butt. You may also find “country-style ribs” for sale, and those work just as well – they’re cut from the shoulder, too. The reason for using this particular cut is that it braises really well, and stays super juicy and tender. Avoid leaner cuts like pork loin and especially pork tenderloin – these will majorly dry out during a long cook time.
How to Make It
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that there’s no need to pre-sear the meat! While searing before you slow cook can add a lot of flavor to some recipes, in this case, it’s unnecessary. That means you can just throw everything in your slow cooker and forget about it!
- Make the Seasoning MIxture. Whisk together the orange and lime juices, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and paprika. You can do this in a separate bowl, or right in the insert of the slow cooker.
- Coat the Pork in the Seasoning. Place the pork pieces into your slow cooker, along with the onion and the seasoning mixture. Toss well to coat the pork in the seasoning.
- Slow Cook. Set your crockpot to cook for 7 to 8 hours on LOW or 4 to 6 hours on HIGH.
- Broil. To finish the dish, preheat your broiler to HIGH. Use a slotted spoon to take the pork out of the slow cooker. Don’t discard the cooking liquid! Place the pork on a baking sheet, and shred it with forks. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the edges and tops start to turn brown and crispy.
- Enjoy! Take the browned pork out of the oven, and drizzle it with ½ cup or so of the reserved cooking liquid. Garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Can You Overcook Carnitas in a Slow Cooker?
Yes, it is technically possible to overcook your pork in the slow cooker, so make sure to check in on it halfway through the cooking time, and again at the end of the cooking time. If you substitute a more tender, lean cut of meat like pork loin, it can overcook very easily!
My Top Tips for Crockpot Carnitas
This recipe is practically error-proof, so don’t worry about getting it “just right.” Even if you play with the seasonings or the cooking time, it will almost always turn out tasty! Pork shoulder is very forgiving, as long as you cook it until it’s tender. While you’re getting ready to cook, make sure to check out these easy tips:
- Add Coke: If you want an extra shot of sweet, bold flavor, you can try adding a can or bottle of Coca Cola to the slow cooker. Mexican Coca Cola is the most authentic.
- Skillet Crisp: Crisping under the broiler is easy, but if you would rather crisp the carnitas on the stovetop, just throw them into a hot skillet with a litte oil! Don’t stir too often – let the meat caramelize a bit. You’ll need to do this in batches. Add a ladle or so of the cooking liquid to each batch, letting the juices simmer and mostly evaporate.
- Make in Advance: As good as carnitas are the first day, they’re arguably even better after they’ve had time to hang out in the braising liquid. So feel free to make this a day or two ahead, stash it in the fridge, and then crisp it up just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve carnitas any way you like – they go with corn tortillas, flour tortillas, rice, beans, and just about any Mexican or Tex-Mex sides you can imagine! Here are a few easy ways to serve carnitas:
- Tacos: Carnitas are awesome in soft or crunchy taco shells, with shredded lettuce, and cheese. Top with sour cream and serve with a side of Instant Pot Mexican Rice.
- Quesadillas: Replace the chicken with carnitas in this easy recipe for Chicken Quesadillas. Your family will love the satisfying, cheesy flavor of a carnitas quesadilla!
- Main Course: Carnitas are also perfect as-is. Just throw together a couple of quick sides, like Cowboy Caviar, beans and rice, or Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potatoes.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
- To reheat, spread the carnitas in a thin layer on a baking sheet, and broil on HIGH for 5 minutes, or until crispy.
Freezing Pork Carnitas
- To freeze carnitas, place the meat into a large freezer bag, and add some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist. Press out as much air as possible before sealing, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Crispy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange juice, about 2 medium oranges
- ¼ cup lime juice, about 2 medium limes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 5 – 6 pounds pork butt, cut into 4 to 5 inch chunks.
- 1 white onion, chopped
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Whisk together the orange and lime juices, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and paprika.
- Place the pork butt pieces into your slow cooker, and top with onion and spice/citrus mixture. Stir to combine, and cook for 7 to 8 hours on LOW, or 4 to 6 hours on HIGH.
- Preheat your broiler to HIGH. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, reserving the liquid. Place the pork on a baking sheet, and shred it with forks.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven with the rack in the middle position, and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the top begins to turn a crispy golden brown.
- Remove the pork from the oven, drizzle with ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid, and garnish with chopped cilantro.
- Serve.
Equipment
Notes
- This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.
- To reheat, spread the carnitas in a thin layer on a baking sheet, and broil on HIGH for 5 minutes, or until crispy.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
So perfect for taco night! Love all these flavors.
Thank YOU! Please enjoy! 🙂
Bet this will be a bomb in our house! Can’t wait!
That’s great! I hope everyone enjoys it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Looks so flavorful and irresistibly delicious! Need to try this soon!
Thank you so much, Erin! I hope you’ll enjoy it! 🙂
I love making dinne in my slow cooker! Sounds easy and always delicious!
I hope you’ll love it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This is undeniably good!!