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Home » Main Dish » Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

By Lauren Allen on March 6, 2017, Updated August 9, 2019

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Tender slow cooker shredded pork, flavored with Mexican spices and a hint of orange. Serve these pork carnitas in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, on salads, or in sandwiches. 

Four Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas in tortillas laying on a cutting board.

As I’m adjusting to my “new normal” as a mom of three kids under 4-years-old, my sanity has been saved by a few things: Good weather, that allows my kids to run outside and play and allows us to walk to the nearby park in the afternoon. Good friends, who have brought dinners, tended my kids and been so amazingly involved and supportive!

A Slow Cooker filled with pork, onions, oranges, and limes.

When you live thousands of miles away from all of your family members you come to view close friends as family. And lastly, easy meals that I can prepare first thing in the morning. By 5:00pm I’m usually dealing with fussy, hungry kids and I better have a dinner plan already prepared or else I’m in trouble!

Pork Carnitas in a slow cooker being stirred with tongs.

Slow cooker meals and 30-minute meals have saved my bacon, especially the last two weeks. If you’re ever in need of a really fast, easy dinner idea, check out this list of 30-minute meals.

An overhead view Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas tacos.

 

I LOVE how simple these slow cooker pork carnitas are, and you can use them in tons of different meals: quesadillas, tacos, salads, sandwiches, etc. We love them served with warm, white corn tortillas, pico de gallo, cilantro, a side of black beans and my favorite authentic Mexican rice. Who needs a Mexican restaurant when you’ve got a meal like that?!

Consider trying these popular slow cooker recipes:
  • Slow Cooker Lasagna
  • Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
  • Slow Cooker Pot Roast
  • Slow Cooker Ribs
  • Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas | Tastes Better From Scratch

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are shredded pork, flavored with Mexican spices. They are perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, on salads, or in sandwiches. 
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 230kcal
Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds pork shoulder
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
  • 2-3 teaspoons salt or more, to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 onions roughly chopped
  • juice from 2 large oranges
  • juice from 2 limes

Instructions

  • Trim and discard excess fat from the pork.
  • In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Generously season the pork on all sides. 
  • Add the seasoned pork to the bottom of the slow cooker. Add garlic, chopped onions, orange juice, and lime juice. 
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
  • Remove pork from the slow cooker, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Taste and add more seasonings and salt and pepper, if needed. 
  • At this point you can eat the pork as it, or (to be truly authentic) you can place the meat on a baking sheet and broil it for 2-3 minutes until the edges are crispy. 
  • For tacos, serve warm inside corn tortillas, garnished with cilantro. 
  • Serve with a side of authentic Mexican rice and warm black beans. 

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3.1mg
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RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas | Tastes Better From Scratch

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Kid-friendly· Main Dish· Slow Cooker
5 Comments

« Snickerdoodle Muffins
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Comments

  1. Amanda says

    April 28, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    Delicious! Even better as leftovers!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      April 29, 2017 at 7:44 am

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  2. Christy C Anderson says

    July 15, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my go-to recipes for feeding a big group. A huge hit at parties, potlucks, etc. I’ve yet to come home with leftovers, even after double batches!

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    August 8, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    My family loved the pork carnitas! We ate the meat with tortillas the first night and served it over rice and black beans the second night. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      August 8, 2017 at 7:47 pm

      Love that idea! So happy to hear you liked them–thanks for coming back to comment.

      Reply

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Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos. Read More
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