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Crockpot Pork Carnitas

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The Crockpot does it again!

Crockpot Pork Carnitas Recipe - Easy Family Fresh Meals

 

You all know how much I love my Crockpot. I use it for everything from baked potatoes to short ribs. But my very favorite thing to do with the Crockpot is take a really big, complicated recipe, like lasagna. and find a way to let the slow cooker do the work for me.

And now, I’ve done it again…with carnitas.

The secret to good carnitas is a long, slow cooking over low heat. Traditionally, you do this in a big, heavy pot, and you stir the seasonings into the oil and then let the pork cook over a really low flame until it’s falling apart. Then you turn up the heat briefly to sear it, and you end up with meat that’s crisp on the outside, but tender enough to pull apart with a fork.

Crockpot Pork Carnitas - Easy crockpot pork recipe - Pork Meat browned on a baking sheet.

Well, this sort of long, slow cooking is exactly what the Crockpot is made for. So you don’t have to watch a pot for hours; you just let the meat cook on low, and once it’s falling apart, you zap it in the broiler to get those delicious browned edges.

You can enjoy this in a taco or burrito, or just serve it up by itself with all the fixings: tortillas, refried beans, guacamole, and some of my fresh Pico de Gallo salsa.

(printable recipe at bottom of post)

Crockpot Pork Carnitas 

INGREDIENTS 

1/2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 Tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 pound pork shoulder
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
2 limes, juiced
12 oz chicken broth
1 bay leaf

 

DIRECTIONS: 
1. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Mix together chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt cinnamon and black pepper. Sprinkle seasoning on each side of the roast, and rub in. Next, add in mined garlic, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth and bay leaf.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. It should fall apart easily.

Crockpot Pork Carnitas - Pork placed in Slow Cooker with sauce and seasoning

 

3. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top of the meat. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork.

Crockpot Pork Carnitas - Slow Cooker Pork Recipe browned on a baking sheet

 

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Corey, Darryl, Big D & Little D

 

Easy Crockpot Pork Carnitas recipe. I LOVE this easy recipe for tacos, burritos, tostadas and salads!

 

4.5 from 6 votes
Print
Crockpot Pork Carnitas
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 10 mins
 

These Crockpot Pork Carnitas Recipe can be enjoyed in a taco or burrito, or just serve it up by itself with all the fixings!

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Crockpot, pork, Slow cooker
Keyword: Crockpot Pork Carnitas
Servings: 10
Calories: 199 kcal
Author: Corey Valley
Ingredients
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 pound pork shoulder
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 12 oz chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
Instructions
  1. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Mix together chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt cinnamon and black pepper. Sprinkle seasoning on each side of the roast, and rub in. Next, add in mined garlic, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth and bay leaf.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. It should fall apart easily.
  3. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top of the meat. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork.
Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Pork Carnitas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 199 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 914mg 38%
Potassium 462mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Sugars 1g
Protein 22g 44%
Vitamin A 3.2%
Vitamin C 16.7%
Calcium 3.1%
Iron 10.5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

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Comments

  1. Susan says

    April 14, 2016 at 5:37 pm

    Made the crockpot pork carnitas tonight. One word – AWESOME!!! So easy and my whole family LOVED them.

    Reply
  2. Grandmaonwheels says

    April 22, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    I hate to admit this, but how do you serve pork carnitas? It looks wonderful, and I plan to try this. Is it served in tortillas, or what?

    Reply
    • Corey says

      April 23, 2016 at 5:33 pm

      Yes! In tacos, burritos, on top of rice, on top of salads, or in a sandwich wrap.

      Reply
  3. Heidi Monteith says

    May 15, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    When you say “pour a few spoonfuls of sauce”, do you mean the sauce in the crockpot?

    Reply
    • Corey says

      May 16, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      Yep 🙂 This will help to prevent the meat from drying out 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sandra says

    October 25, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    Does it matter if it’s not boneless? I bought a pork shoulder with bone in. Thank you. ?

    Reply
  5. Cherie Morrissey says

    January 20, 2017 at 9:49 pm

    Would it cook okay on high for 4-6 hours?

    Reply
    • Corey says

      January 22, 2017 at 9:25 am

      I have only made this recipe are stated Cherie, so I can’t say for sure. Has anyone else out there tried cooking it for 4-6 hours? Leave a reply to this comment to let us know!

      Reply
      • April says

        November 6, 2017 at 4:04 pm

        I cooked mine on high because it was partly frozen lol. It was done in 5 hours. I then turned it on warm, and then put under broiler. ??

        Reply
  6. Matt says

    February 28, 2017 at 12:14 am

    I cooked this on low for 10 hours last time I made it and it came out beyond perfect! So soft and delicious, take the time to allow it to cook.

    Reply
  7. April says

    April 19, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    I used beef broth.do you think it will make much difference

    Reply
  8. Phillip says

    April 21, 2017 at 6:33 pm

    I thought this was quite mediocre. I guess i should have expected it with so little prep. The cinnamon was a bit strange and it just was lacking something. I cant put my finger on it. Meat was plenty tender but just not all there.

    Not bad i suppose for such little prep.

    Reply
  9. Ruth says

    June 2, 2017 at 11:47 am

    Hi, I’m planning on making this for meal prep next week. I have a 4oz crock pot. Will that work?

    Reply
  10. Robyn says

    September 28, 2017 at 10:44 am

    This was absolutely delicious! When I was frantically putting this together before work, I realized I didn’t have chicken broth. I did a quick search and discovered you can add a tablespoon of soy sauce per cup of water, so that’s what I did. I served this on corn tortillas topped with cheese, sour cream, avacado, and a bit of salsa. Absolutely delicious, and even my five year old approved! My husband forgot to put away the leftovers quickly enough because our German Shepherd got to them, but how can we be mad at him for being tempted by delicious meat? Thank you for the recipe and this will go in our rotation.

    Reply
  11. Carol says

    November 13, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    This is a fantastic dish…I have a family that does not like much heat at all..so I decrease the chili powder just a bit..so easy..great dish for a work day. The pork is so tender and flavorful ! Family favorite..thanks so much

    Reply
  12. Elizabeth Wissler says

    August 6, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    It looks like a nice, easy version. However, if one is a beginner, how does one know about the shredding of the meat with two forks? Food for thought, maybe?

    Reply
  13. Claudia S. Chastain says

    August 20, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    Could you use a pork loin instead of the shoulder?

    Reply
    • Corey says

      August 23, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      Yes you can!

      Reply
  14. Deanna says

    January 6, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    Delicious!!!!

    Reply

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Howdy! I'm Corey, and I'm so happy you're here! This blog is full of my love of food, photography, family & friends. Have fun looking around! I hope you find a couple yummy recipes to try. Read more about the family here...

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