Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Incredibly flavorful, juicy and fall-apart tender with crispy edges, these slow cooker pork carnitas are a classic Mexican cuisine favorite. By letting the crockpot do most of the work, this recipe is so easy to make, and great to use many different ways from tacos to nachos. A must-try!

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Why You Should Make This Recipe

• Pork carnitas cooked in the slow cooker are incredibly flavorful, juicy and fall-apart tender. Slow cooking pork results in an authentic, deep flavor as the meat is infuse with spices and orange juice.
• This recipe is so easy to make with the convenience of set it and forget it for hours. Let the crockpot do its magic!
• Great to prepare to feed a crowd for any dinner party. Carnitas are very versatile and be eaten in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowls, nachos, sliders, as is... And you'll be so excited to have leftovers.

Key Ingredients and Variations

• Pork shoulder: or pork butt. It can be bone-in or boneless, if it has a bone consider it in the weight of the meat. I like to trim off the bit fat pieces before chopping and searing.
• Onion: Adding a diced yellow onion will add a lot of flavor to the carnitas.
• Orange juice: the citrus deepens the flavor of the meat. We add a little water too.
• Seasonings: we use cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano salt and pepper. Keeping it very simple but efficient.

How to make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

• Dice an onion and add it to the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Trim the large pieces of fat for the pork.
• Cut the pork into 3 to 4 inches squares.

Top Tips

• The right cut of meat for carnitas is a pork shoulder or pork butt (also called Boston butt). Trim the large fatty pieces with a sharp knife. I don't recommend using other cuts like a pork loin as it's too lean and will turn out dry.
• Searing the meat first gives it extra flavor though it could be skipped in a pinch.
• Reserve some of the juices. You can save some to add to leftovers when reheating them too. Skim some of the fat with a spoon on the top of the liquid if needed.
• Don't skip the orange juice. The citrus tenderizes the pork and gives it a delicious flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions