Crispy Pork Carnitas are slow cooked with spices and a bit of citrus zest until the pork shoulder becomes tender and succulent. The pork is pulled and crisped on the outside for the perfect filler for tortillas or topper for burrito bowls!
Serve this easy dish alongside cilantro tomato rice or on top of Cilantro Lime Rice with a side of Mexican Grilled Corn. Add in a spoonful of Homemade Guacamole and you’ve got the perfect tableside fiesta!
Easy Pork Tacos
When it comes to indescribably delicious comfort food, nothing surpasses this carnitas recipe. Succulent and meaty, this dish is inexpensive, yet sensational!
The first time I ever tasted pork carnitas was when my friend Mary from Barefeet in the Kitchen made these amazing carnitas! I think we stood at the stove and ate 3/4 of the recipe right off the pan. So good!
What is Carnitas?
Pork carnitas is Mexican pulled pork the word actually means “little meat,” (but there’s nothing small about the huge flavor you’ll get from this recipe)!
Pork for Carnitas: Carnitas meat is best when made from a pork shoulder roast. Tough and flavorful, this economical cut of meat takes especially well to braising on low heat in the slow cooker. After several hours, the fat has dissolved and the pork becomes fall apart tender. It is shredded, spread out on a cookie sheet and popped under the broiler for a few minutes. The resulting crispy brown edges make the meat incredibly scrumptious.
Traditionally, Mexican pork carnitas are braised in oil or lard but we prefer to cook meat in broth, citrus juices, herbs and spices.
Pork for Carnitas
I use a pork shoulder for this recipe. Just like Slow Cooker Pulled Pork or Crock Pot Pork Chops, this recipe needs a nicely marbled fattier cut of pork. As it cooks low and slow it becomes melt in your mouth tender.
A pork tenderloin is great for making roasted or grilled pork tenderloin but it’s not ideal for slow cooking in this recipe as it’ll dry out.
How to Make Carnitas
This is an easy meal to make, but takes planning, like most slow cooker meals. But I promise, carnitas are well worth the wait! Here’s how to make the best ever slow cooker carnita recipe:
- CITRUS: Use a vegetable peeler to peel strips off the oranges/lime. We add this to the slow cooker in place of the whole rind for great flavor without the bitter pith (the white part of the orange peel). Juice the oranges and limes.
- PORK: Brown the pork (again, this just adds more flavor) and add to the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients.
- SHRED: When the meat is fork tender, pull into small chunks (we prefer this over finely shredded).
- .CRISP:
- Broil: Spread the shredded meat on a cookie sheet broil until the edges are deep brown and crispy.
- Stove Top: Add a bit of olive oil to a hot pan and add pork. Do not stir until browned and crisp on one side.
- Air Fryer: If you have an airfryer, 4-6 minutes at a high temperature (425°F) will produce the perfect crisp.
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Proceed as directed in the recipe increasing the broth by 1/2 cup. If browning the pork in the Instant Pot, be certain to deglaze very well before pressure cooking. If you have little brown bits left on the bottom of the IP, you risk getting the dreaded burn notice.
Cook the pork chunks on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow for natural release 15 minutes. Broil/crisp as directed.
To Serve Carnitas
Ladle on some more of the pot juices and serve with tortillas, a variety of toppings. Pork carnitas are best served rolled in soft corn tortillas topped with veggies or condiments.
A fun way to serve crispy carnitas tacos is to place a variety of toppings on the table and let everyone pick and choose at will. Include bowls of shredded lettuce, chopped cilantro, sour cream, pico de gallo and shredded cheese.
Pork carnitas are savory and filling, so look for side dishes that are fresh, light, and somewhat acidic or sweet. Try serving it with cucumber salad, or a fresh mango salsa for a heavenly and scrumptious repast. Don’t forget the margaritas!
More Mexican Favorites
- Easy Ground Beef Tacos – so easy
- Shrimp Tacos – so fresh
- Easy Fish Tacos – perfect for summer
- Creamy Chicken Enchiladas – easy and flavorful
- Chicken Tortilla Soup – family favorite
Pork Carnitas Recipe (Slow Cooker)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 large onion quartered, or two small
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 large navel oranges
- 1 lime
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into large chunks (about 3"). Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large pan and add olive oil. Brown the pork in small batches.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel 4-5 strips of rind off the oranges and 3 strips off the lime. Juice the oranges and lime.
- Place pork, citrus juices, peels and spices in the slow cooker with chicken broth and onion.
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8 hours until the pork is fork tender. Discard bay leaf.
- Turn the oven on to broil. Pull the pork into large chunks and place in a single layer on a large pan. Spoon a little bit of juice on top. Broil 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Stir and add a ladle a little bit more broth. Broil an additional 5 minutes.
- Spoon juices from the slow cooker over the pork.
- Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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Made it tonight. We topped ours with sour cream, lime, banana peppers, and cilantro.
My husband told me to be sure to keep this recipe.
Will make this frequently.
so I have a question it says to put three garlic cloves but in the instructions it doesn’t say when to put them and do we cut them up or put them in hole thank you.
You can add them peeled and whole with the onions. Enjoy!
I just made this today family loved it. I also used kinder’s Cuban blend and was so yummy
Made this yesterday. My boyfriend and I love tacos but the regular use off ground beef, chicken, or carne asada gets boring. This turned out amazing and is now a must have on the menu.
I didn’t pull the meat out to thaw out. Would I be able to just throw the meat in the crockpot without cutting it up and browning it on a pan? Thanks!
It is not recommended to cook a frozen roast in the slow cooker as it can remain at an unsafe temperature for too long.
This was fabulous! Absolutely one of our new favorites!!❤️❤️
I made this for a Mexican potluck and it was amazing. Easy and delicious!
Wow!!!!!!! Tastes great!!!! I changed a few things, like using mineola’s instead of oranges, forgot to add the chili (chich is ok with me though) and instead of the chicken broth I only used the dried stuff, no water added. There’s enough fluids as it is IMHO.
I’m surely going to make this again (and again and again……..LOL)
Hello… Currently making this in my crockpot. I have a question about the lime and orange rind… Can you eat those or do they need to be taken out before I shred the meat? Thanks so much!
The rinds should be discarded.
These pork carnitas were so good I had to make them again!
My all time favourite recipe of yours. So delicious!
Thank you so much Sara, so glad you love them as much as we do!
Made this for my family and it was delicious. The only thing I did different was coat the roast with olive oil before applying the rub. I served it with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, fresh guacamole and a sweet salsa. It is definitely a keeper & extremely easy to make.
So delicious! This turned out perfectly with the browned tips from the broiled. Do not skip that step! My only issue was not using a bigger piece of meat.
This recipe has great flavors!! The only thing to keep in mind is it’s time consuming. Other then that it was a great recipe!!