Make juicy shredded Crock Pot pork carnitas that are great on tacos, burrito bowls, or served simply over rice or salad. Infused with a citrus marinade and tons of flavor!
Crock Pot Pork Carnitas are so juicy!
Slow cooker recipes literally are the best, whether it's cozy fall and winter comfort food or summer inspired Mexican dishes, using a Crock Pot makes dinner as simple as possible.
You'll love our easy Mexican pulled pork recipe using a pork shoulder roast (the same cut as BBQ pulled pork), yet this is extra juicy from getting cooked in orange juice and other spices. Plus it's a high protein low carb recipe and gluten-free too.
We crisp it up in the oven for 5 minutes at the end to get that restaurant style crispy pork you're used to. This is totally optional if you're short on time.
Ingredients list
- Pork shoulder roast or Pork butt- These are the same cut of meat, they're just called different names depending on where you live or shop. Remove any large pieces of fat. Pork tenderloin "could" work, it won't be quite as juicy since tenderloin is such a lean cut of meat.
- Dried Oregano
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder - For an even spicier version, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the spice mixture.
- Salt & Black pepper
- Yellow onion - we used yellow, white onions, red, or sweet onions would be fine too.
- Fresh garlic cloves - You can also use jarred minced garlic or frozen Dorot garlic cubes.
- Jalapeno pepper
- Navel oranges - Oranges add a natural sweetness without adding brown sugar.
- Fresh cilantro - In Mexico, the herb epazote would be used, if you can't get it, fresh cilantro is often used in the US.
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Kitchen tools
- Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
How to Cook Slow Cooker Carnitas
Combine seasoning. In a small bowl, combine the dried oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper.
Spread the seasoning rub on the pork with clean hands to help it to stick to the meat.
Add the remaining ingredients. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers to the slow cooker. Squeeze the orange juice over the pork.
Slow Cook on low for 8+ hours. The meat should easily shred with a fork, if it doesn't, you'll want to continue cooking it until it does.
Shred the meat. Shred the pork in its own juices with two forks or meat claws.
Broil. Remove the shredded pork and place it in an even layer on the baking sheet. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the pork. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.
Serve hot in a corn or flour tortilla with a side of guacamole, fresh jalapenos, tomatoes, avocados, or a squeeze of lime. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or epazote. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
- I would recommend only broiling the amount you plan to eat at that time.
- Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
❓ FAQ's
Serve pulled pork carnitas with our Mexican corn on the cob or stuffed inside our taco stuffed sweet potatoes. Shredded pork is great in any burrito bowl or meal prep bowls then spritzed with a bit of lime juice.
In addition to that hint of sweetness, orange juice is added to carnitas because the acid helps to break the meat down until it's fork tender and juicy.
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Crock Pot Carnitas
Slow cooker pork carnitas cooked to juicy tender perfection with orange juice, jalapenos, and seasonings. If you're looking for a new kind of pulled pork recipe, you'll love this Mexican shredded pork roast!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Pork shoulder roast (or pork butt), cut off large fat pieces
- 1 tablespoon Dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 medium Yellow onion, diced (approx. 1 cup)
- 4 Garlic cloves, minced (approx. 1.5 tablespoons)
- 1 large Jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 Navel oranges
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the dried oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Using your fingers, rub the spices into the pork then place the pork into the slow cooker.
- Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers to the slow cooker evenly around the pork. Squeeze the juice from the oranges over the pork then replace the lid.
- Cook the pork for 8 hours. You'll know it's ready when it shreds easily with a fork. If it doesn't pull apart effortlessly, it is not ready. Check back in 30 minutes.
- Once it is fully cooked, use two forks to shred the pork in its own juices, and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn your broiler on high and allow it to preheat.
- Scoop some of the pork and place in an even layer on the baking sheet. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the pork.
- Remove from the oven. Serve the pulled pork hot in a corn or flour tortilla with shredded cilantro, guacamole, jalapenos, tomatoes, avocados, or a squeeze of lime.
Notes
- Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers will keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
- This recipe is a mild version. If you want a spicier version, leave the pith and seeds of the
jalapeños in the slow cooker and if you are feeling really brave, add a ¼ teaspoon of
cayenne pepper to the rub. - The serving size is set to 16 people since this is a 4 lb pork roast. This would allow for 1 taco per person.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 555Total Fat 39gSaturated Fat 14gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 163mgSodium 352mgCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 43g
The nutrional information is just an estimate and was calculated by an automated calculator. If you're on a restricted health program please manually calculate this information using the brands of ingredients you have since brands can vary.
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