SLOW COOKER CARNITAS

Mexican carnitas are the cream of the crop when it comes to Mexican food. This slow cooked pork is packed with flavor and excellent on tacos, nachos, burritos….or just by the fork full! There are endless topping possibilities. Each combo is equally delicious.

WHAT ARE CARNITAS?

Carnitas are basically Mexico’s version of pulled pork. Taco Chronicles, a Netflix series my husband and I have been watching, has an episode all about carnitas. The roots of carnitas can be traced all the way back to the Aztecs. This dish has a rich and interesting history.

Traditionally, so much goes into making this dish. Authentic carnitas are made in huge copper vats and all the parts of the animal are slow cooked for hours. When the meat is fall apart tender, it is chopped up and put in a corn tortilla. Simple and delicious.

From creating the vats by hand to waking at all hours of the night to tend to the meat, people truly dedicate their lives to this dish.

Thankfully, for our everyday kitchen, a slow cooker/crock pot can achieve a similar method for cooking carnitas at home. Slow cooking the pork renders the marbled fat into the meat, leaving it tender and flavorful.

Garlic, onion, bay leaf, salt and oregano along with fresh orange juice and the peel of an orange meld together to create make the pork rich and tangy.

Browning the pork in some if its own renderings takes this dish to the next level. Those delicious brown bits are packed with flavor.

HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CARNITAS

Ingredients:

• 4-5 lb. pork shoulder/butt 
• 1-2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 teas. cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 teas. ground cumin
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 oranges, juiced and a few slices to lay on top

Remove pork shoulder from packaging and pat dry. Sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper. Then rub with mixture of oregano and cumin.

Put into slow cooker fat cap up. Drizzle olive oil over pork. Add garlic, onions, bay leaves, orange juice and orange slices.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until fall apart tender.

Remove and pull apart with two forks, disgarding the orange peel, bay leaves an any excess fat. Brown and serve!

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TIPS FOR MAKING CARNITAS

• Use a pork shoulder (same as a pork butt) for making carnitas. Put into the slow cooker fat cap up. When cooked, pull apart and remove unwanted fat.
• I have used bone in pork and pork without the bone. Either have worked great.
• ALWAYS brown your carnitas before serving. The caramelized bits add a delicious texture and flavor.
• Makes a great dish for serving a crowd and can be made ahead of time. You can even slow cook the pork a day or two in advance, pull apart and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Brown on the stovetop or in the oven right before serving.
• You can serve in corn or flour tortillas, however I prefer serving with browned corn tortillas right before serving.
• Freezes well for up to three months. I freeze them before browning. Take them out a day in advance, and crisp up before serving.
• I love the smell of this delicious meal cooking all day. It is truly mouth watering! But, I do not care for the smell of lingering dinner. When cleaning up from this meal I like to diffuse 4 drops orange oil, 4 drops of lime and 3 drops of peppermint for a refreshing clean kitchen smell.

BROWNING CARNITAS – TWO WAYS

Carmelizing the carnitas is the KEY do tasty, crispy goodness. There are two ways to brown the meat: stove top or using the broiler in your oven.

I personally prefer to brown my carnitas on the stovetop in my braiser or skillet, but it can be a little messy. I do like the caramelization better using this method, however if I am in a pinch or don’t feel like making that much of a mess, I use the broiler.

Method 1 – Stovetop

To brown the carnitas using the stovetop, heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add about a tablespoon olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the carnitas in batches. It gets more crispy if you do not crowd your pan. Add about a half cup of the juices from the slow cooker as needed.

As it becomes crispy around the edges, remove to a plate an cover with aluminum foil until all pork is ready to serve.

Method 2 – Broiler

Place shredded carnitas on sheet pan prepared with parchment paper. Add about one cup of the juices.

Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until parts of the pork are caramelized. You may want to stir around one time about half way through browning to ensure lots of brown bits are forming.

HOW TO SERVE CARNITAS

I like to serve my carnitas best as tacos. I crisp corn tortillas in a skillet to add an extra fresh and salty crunch.

Brush each side of the tortilla with olive oil and add a slight sprinkle of salt. Add to hot skillet until each side is golden brown. I put them immediately into a stainless steel taco holder for serving.

These carnitas also make great sheet pan nachos! Top your favorite chips with the meat and add the toppings of your choice. We tried bell pepper, pickled jalapeño and cheddar and loved it!

These tacos pair well with Mexican rice, homemade guacamole and fresh citrus margaritas!

My favorite toppings are feta, pickled red onions, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

SHOP THIS POST

• Stainless Steel Taco Holders
• Mini Stainless Steel Sauce Dishes
• Citrus Juicer
• Salt Cellar
• Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (Why is this the best salt to cook with? Read more here!)
• Garlic Keeper