Slow cooker carnitas are so easy to make yet so tender, crispy, and full of flavor! Cinco de Mayo or not, you have got to make this crock pot carnitas!
Have you tried carnitas? If you haven't, you must! They are amazing!
The photos don't do it justice at all. They're juicy and moist, yet crispy on the edges, with lots of flavor from the spices, garlic, and orange!
What is carnitas?
Carnitas is the Mexican version of pulled pork. Pork shoulder is seasoned and cooked slowly in a pot of lard until it's rich, so tender it's falling apart, with crispy edges.
Don't worry, I'm not going to make you slave in the kitchen cooking pork in lard on the stovetop for hours! Who has a potful of lard anyway?
We're doing this in the slow cooker! You can set it, forget it, and come back to the kitchen filled with the amazing aroma of carnitas!
How to make carnitas in the crock pot
Season a hunk of pork shoulder with oregano, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stick it in the crock pot with garlic cloves, sliced onions, bay leaves, and a whole orange, and set it on low for 10 hours.
And when you come back, something magical happens, and that pork is nicely seasoned, moist, and shreds beautifully!
You could just shred the pork and call it a day. It'll be delicious!
But authentic carnitas are crispy, so I highly suggest going the extra step and crisping up the pork in a skillet. I like to use my griddle so I can crisp up a big batch of pork at a time.
What to serve with carnitas?
This carnitas recipe is so versatile, that you can serve it with almost anything!
- Tacos - classic
- Salads - to make it a balanced meal
- Small chunks in fried rice - my kind of comfort food
- Rice/quinoa bowls - a happy medium between a salad and fried rice
- Creamy pasta - carnitas mac and cheese? YUM!
- Sandwich - arepas are a great gluten-free option
I had my slow cooker carnitas on a rice bowl with baby greens, avocado, simple pico de gallo (sans jalapeños because I forgot to get some), and corn. I also added extra cilantro and a squeeze of a lime wedge and it was the bomb!
If you don't eat pork, try this slow cooker lemon chicken thighs instead!
What are you waiting for? Doesn't matter if it's Cinco de Mayo or not, it's too good not to make it!
Need a dessert to go with the best slow cooker carnitas? Try some mango lime sorbet!
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Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs pork shoulder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 onion slice
- 1 orange cut in half
Instructions
- Rinse the pork and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Combine the oregano, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Rub it into the pork.
- Put the pork into the slow cooker along with bay leaves, garlic cloves, and sliced onion. Squeeze the orange juice into the slow cooker, and add the orange halves as well. Set on low for 10 hours.
- After 10 hours, take the pork out and let it cool slightly before shredding. Let the juice in the crock pot cool completely to separate the juice from the fat. (I like to discard the fat and add the juice to the bowl of shredded carnitas to keep it moist)
- Heat a skillet or griddle on medium-high heat and crisp up the shredded carnitas.
Charlene | Better Living Blogger says
Gorgeous visuals!
Ai says
Thank you Charlene!
Antonia @Zoale says
I adore your presentation, with the avocado flower! This looks absolutely scrumptious! Thank you for bringing your festive and delicious dish to the party! Happy Fiesta Friday!
Ai says
Thanks Antonia! Happy Fiesta Friday!
Jessie | Mylittlewomen.com says
The avocado flower is awesome!! 🥑 🌸 Love your site! So many things I want to make. My girls would love it too.
Ai says
Thanks Jessie! Let me know if you try any of my recipes! 🙂
Liz says
My best friends favorite dish is carnitas, cinco de mayo or anytime. Thank you for bringing them to FF.
Ai says
Happy Fiesta Friday Liz! Thanks for cohosting 🙂
Carly says
I have this in my crockpot now and it smells great! Can’t wait to try it😊
Ai says
Yay!! I hope you liked it Carly 😀