Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

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. 

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! 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!

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.

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?!

5 from 2 votes

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

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

Instructions

1. Trim and discard excess fat from the pork.
2. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Generously season the pork on all sides. 
3. 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.
4. 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. 
5. 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. 
6. For tacos, serve warm inside corn tortillas, garnished with cilantro. Serve with a side of authentic Mexican rice and warm black beans. 

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