Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Slow cooker carnitas take advantage of that low and slow cooking time to deliver big flavor and the most tender pork! With bright citrus, bold spices, and those perfect crispy edges, you’ll never want to make carnitas any other way.
How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 4 hours (High) or 8 hours (Low)
Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker, sheet pan or skillet
Servings: 8
My Favorite Hands-Off Dinner
Five minutes of prep in the morning, everything goes into the slow cooker, and then you just… walk away. No checking, no stirring, no babysitting. By dinnertime, your house smells amazing and dinner is basically done.
That alone would be enough, but this one also makes a big batch. So it’s not just dinner tonight, it’s tacos, bowls, nachos, and leftovers.
And yes, you can crisp it up at the end if you want (I usually do, it gives it so much extra flavor), but even without that, this is one of those recipes that just makes life easier.
- Simple ingredients: Fresh orange and lime juice, a handful of pantry herbs and spices, along with fresh garlic, build authentic flavor in these slow cooker carnitas.
- Fall-apart tender pork: Slow cooking breaks down tough cuts of meat like pork shoulder until it yields incredibly juicy, tender meat that shreds easily with a fork. (My slow cooker pulled pork and Cuban pork can attest to this!)
- Crispy edges: Traditionally, pork carnitas are fried in lard to create irresistible caramelized crispy bits. The moisture in a crockpot means no crispy edges but have no fear! You’ll broil the pork or finish the carnitas in a skillet to achieve those crispy bits.
- Tried-and-true recipe: These slow cooker carnitas were adapted from my easy Instant Pot carnitas recipe, so you KNOW it’s going to be delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- Pork shoulder or pork butt: The fat and connective tissue in these cuts melt with low and slow cooking to yield tender flavorful carnitas. Boneless country-style ribs are another option. (I use pork shoulder for my slow cooker pork tacos, too!)
- Orange and lime juice: Use freshly squeezed juice, which hasn’t had the chance to oxidize; oxidation dulls the flavor of citrus juices.
- Seasonings: Garlic, salt, cumin, dried oregano, paprika, black pepper, and bay leaves infuse the pork with flavor as it cooks.
- For serving: If you’re making tacos, you’ll need tortillas and all your favorite toppings like pico de gallo, lime wedges, cilantro, shredded cabbage, guacamole, pickled red onions, sour cream or crema, and so on.
How to Make Slow Cooker Carnitas
Make the marinade. Whisk the juices with the seasonings. I like to use a liquid measuring cup for whisking everything together because it makes pouring easier.
Assemble. Place the pork in your slow cooker and pour the marinade on top. Stir to coat, then add the bay leaves.
Cook. Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. You’ll know the pork is done when it’s easy to shred with a fork.
Make it crispy. Shred the pork with two forks. My favorite way to make carnitas crispy is to broil the meat on a foil-lined baking sheet but you can also use a hot cast iron skillet drizzled with oil. That method works best for smaller portions.
Serve. Add your slow cooker carnitas to warm tortillas, and serve with your favorite toppings.
How to Serve Pork Carnitas
- Tacos: I like to serve pork carnitas wrapped in charred corn tortillas. If you prefer crispy taco shells or flour tortillas, that’s fine, too.
- Burrito bowl: Make your own burrito bowl with carnitas, rice, beans, and salsa.
- Nachos: Pork carnitas are an amazing topping for nachos (refer to my recipe for beef nachos for how-tos).
- Quesadillas: Sandwich a few spoonfuls of carnitas, along with plenty of shredded cheese to make outstanding quesadillas. For a crowd, try sheet pan quesadillas.
- Carnitas taco salad: Serve the pork on romaine lettuce with crumbled cotija, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, and crispy tortilla strips. Dress the salad with creamy avocado dressing, jalapeño ranch dressing, or Catalina dressing.
- Baked potatoes: Make baked potatoes a meal by spooning carnitas over oven baked potatoes, Instant Pot baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes. Top with melted Monterey Jack cheese.
Refrigerator: Store leftover slow cooker carnitas in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I like to store it with some of the cooking liquid to keep it moist.
Freezer: Freeze shredded pork with a bit of cooking liquid in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Reheat in a skillet or under the broiler to restore the crispy edges. The microwave also works, but the carnitas won’t re-crisp.
More Pork Recipes
Slow Cooker Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 medium oranges)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 dried bay leaves
For Serving
- charred corn tortillas (see note)
- pico de gallo, lime wedges, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cabbage, guacamole, pickled red onions, sour cream or crema
Instructions
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, paprika, and black pepper to make marinade.½ cup fresh orange juice, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Trim excess fat from the pork and cut it into 2-inch chunks.4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
- Place the pork chunks in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the marinade over the pork and stir to coat evenly. Nestle in the bay leaves.2 dried bay leaves
- Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours, or High for 4 hours, until the pork is fork-tender and easy to shred.
- When you’re almost ready to serve, preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Transfer the pork to the sheet pan with a slotted spoon. Shred with two forks and spread into an even layer. Drizzle with a small amount of the cooking liquid (½ to 1 cup).
- Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, watching closely, until the edges are browned and crisped to your liking. (Skillet option: Crisp shredded pork in a hot cast iron skillet with a drizzle of oil over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice for crispy edges.)
- Serve carnitas hot in warm corn tortillas with your favorite toppings, or use in burritos, bowls, salads, nachos, or quesadillas.
Notes
- Pork: Boneless country-style ribs, cut into 2 inch chunks, can be substituted for a boneless pork shoulder. If you can’t find boneless pork, bone-in pork shoulder is fine, too. Cut around the bone and discard it. Avoid using a boneless pork loin roast because they are too lean and tend to be more tough and dry.
- To char corn tortillas: Put a small corn tortilla directly on a gas burner over medium low heat. When lightly charred (about 2 minutes), use tongs to flip the tortilla over and char the other side (about 1 minute). Repeat for each tortilla.
- Make ahead: Slow cook the pork in advance. Shred and refrigerate it in some of the cooking liquid so it stays moist. It will keep for up to 4 days. You can also freeze carnitas for up to 3 months (thaw before broiling). When you’re ready to serve the carnitas, broil as instructed above (Steps 5-7).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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