Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

Being born and raised in Texas, means that I LOVE Mexican flavors. I share so many recipes inspired by the Mexican cuisine I grew up on like my bake chicken fajitas, 15 minute pork fajitas, sheet pan chicken fajitas, mexican street corn casserole and the list goes on! These pork carnitas though are really something special! This EASY version of classic pork carnitas is always an easy win at the dinner table.

And since it is a Crock Pot meal, I just ‘set it and forget it’ then go about the day stress-free. When we’re ready to eat I open the lid to a deliciously tender pork roast that falls apart and makes enough to serve my family really easily.

Plus there’s no wrong way to enjoy carnitas! Serve them over rice, in a pork carnitas street taco, burrito, on carnitas nachos, pork quesadillas, or mixed in a hearty carnitas bowl for a super easy family friendly dinner. You can also use leftovers to create new meals throughout the week. There are so many fantastic ways to enjoy this Crock Pot carnitas recipe that you’ll never get bored!

Why I LOVE this recipe!

• Easy Prep! – 10 minutes is all you need to get this in the Crock Pot.
• Simple Ingredients – Find all the ingredients at any grocery store year around.
• Hands off Cooking – Once you push the start button, your slow cooker takes over and you can forget about it all day long.
• BIG flavor – Did I mention that it is delicious? The citrus and carnitas seasoning combine with the natural flavor of jalapeños to create the yummiest slow cooker pork carnitas.
• Makes a LOT – Starting with a 4lb pork shoulder creates plenty of delicious pulled pork carnitas. It’s easily enough to feed an average family, maybe even for more than one meal!
• So Versatile! – Whether your family wants tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, or just to serve the pork carnitas meat with a spoonful of the delicious cooking jus, there are so many tasty ways to gobble it up.

What is Carnitas?

If you’re not familiar with Mexican cuisine you might be wondering what ‘carnitas’ actually means. It translates to ‘little meats’ and traditionally is made with pork slowly cooked in citrus, spices, and fresh chilis then fried in lard to create an irresistible crisp texture.

My version is so much simpler for busy families who want to enjoy all the flavor, but with way less time and effort! They are a healthy option too, by cooking in just the natural pork juices and fresh squeezed oranges, and then being baked instead of fried to create that crispiness.

Carnitas are essentially a delicious flavor loaded Mexican shredded pork. If you are looking for Mexican Shredded Beef or a Crock Pot Chicken Carnitas, check out these recipes!

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Pork Shoulder – You want a pork shoulder roast to yield the juiciest, tender Crock Pot carnitas. You can also use pork butt or smaller chunks of pork shoulder if you can’t find a whole roast.
  
  Smaller pieces will cook a little faster and may be done and hour or two early.
  
• Onion – White or yellow onions both work really well.
  
• Jalapenos – Yes, we do use 3 jalapenos for this recipe but I promise it is not spicy! They go in whole rather than chopped which allows the flavor to infuse into the carnitas without making it spicy. Instead we just get the delicious floral, fruity flavor of jalapeno without the heat.
  
• Oranges – You’ll want the juices and the aromatic and flavorful rinds of fresh oranges for this. Use whatever variety you like.
  
• Carnitas Seasonings – A blend of common pantry spices make the most delicious rub for your carnitas. You’ll need to stir together salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Make sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full quantities and ingredients list.

1. Dice an onion and add fresh jalapeno to the slow cooker– I like to do this first to hold the roast up off the bottom of the crock pot as it heats. The peppers are added whole to add flavor without adding heat to the dish.
   
2. Season the pork– My favorite thing to use is our homemade carnitas seasoning, which is simple and uses pantry ingredients to create an incredible authentic carnitas flavor. Once you rub this over the roast, place it in the slow cooker on top of the onion and peppers.
   
3. Shred the meat– After the pork has cooked, remove it from the crock pot (careful, it’s hot!) and use forks, or thick insulated cooking gloves to shred the meat. I use this as an opportunity to discard any extra fat, bone, or gristle as well.
   
4. Make the Carnitas Crispy– The signature crispy texture of the carnitas can be achieved by taking the meat, spreading it in a thin layer over a baking sheet, and cooking it at high heat (or broiling) until the edges become crisp. This step is optional but gives your carnitas an authentic texture.

Recipe Tips

1. No Need to Trim – Don’t get caught up trying to trim the fat from the roast before hand. Not only does that fat render and help build flavor in your pork carnitas, but it also is much, much easier to remove once the pork is fall apart tender.
   
2. Use all of the rub – You really want to coat the entire pork shoulder roast with the carnitas seasoning. Don’t be afraid to really layer and rub it in. It seasons everything as it cooks, but also gets shredded in afterward too, which equals BIG flavor!
   
3. Cook Low and Slow – This easy slow cooker carnitas recipe cooks on low for a minimum of 7 hours. But I really recommend 9 if you can. The longer it cooks, the more tender and juicy all the connective tissue and fats of pork shoulder will become, and that means super flavorful, delicious shredded pork for you!
   
4. Remove to Shred – I like to remove the roast from the Crock Pot once it is done cooking for a couple of reasons. It is much easier to shred and separate the meat from the fat on a platter or casserole dish than the hot slow cooker. Just use a pair of forks and it will fall apart!
   
   It also makes it so easy to remove the oranges, onions, and peppers without accidentally shredding them into the meat.
   
5. Bake on High Heat – To create that iconic crispy carnitas texture, you want to use a HOT oven. Lay out the pork carnitas meat onto a large baking sheet and pop it in at 425°F. You can broil to make it a tad quicker but you will need to keep a close eye on it. Alternately, you can crisp it up in a skillet on the stove top over medium high heat if you prefer.
   
6. Strain the Liquid – Don’t waste the incredibly flavorful broth that’s left. Strain out the onion, oranges, and peppers then use the liquid to moisten the meat or as a dipping sauce for tacos.
   
   Once you have removed the chunks you can use it as is or let it cool in the fridge and skim off the fat as it solidifies to make the broth a little healthier.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Use a seasoning blend – I recommend the blend of carnitas seasoning I use in this recipe, but pre-mixed options like a fajita seasoning or taco seasoning could also be used to save time. You’ll want 2-3 tablespoons to really coat the pork.
  
• Use Bottled Orange Juice– I prefer the flavor or fresh oranges. But in a pinch, absolutely use bottled orange juice instead if that is what gets dinner on the table!
  
• Skip the oven – Making your carnitas crispy is a delicious, but entirely optional step. You can save yourself the 10 minutes in the oven if you just serve the pulled pork after shredding.
  
• Quick Clean up – For quicker clean up line the crock pot with a slow cooker liner, and line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Each can be tossed when the cooking is done making clean up super quick and easy!

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making this recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to a month

Leftover Recipes

Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!

• Pork Carnitas Tacos– Serve leftovers in either corn or flour tortillas with toppings like tomatoes, shredded cheese, lettuce, or a corn and black bean salsa. Or combine diced red onion and cilantro to make a homemade version of carnitas street tacos!
• Pork Carnitas Burritos– Layer warm shredded pork with rice, Mexican refried beans, and shredded cheese. Fold up the burritos and serve.
• Pork Carnitas Quesadillas– This is one of our kids favorite meals made with leftover carnitas!
• Pork Carnitas Nachos– This is one of my kid’s favorite meals! I love that I can sneak so many veggies into this since they are all about having nachos for dinner!
• Pork Carnitas Bowl – Layer warm carnitas over a bowl of rice or quinoa with toppings like corn salsa, tomatoes, cilantro, and sliced avocado. Serve with creamy jalapeno dressing and fresh limes to drizzle over top.
• Pork Carnitas Enchiladas – Grab this great recipe for an easy weeknight casserole!

Recipe FAQ’s

More EASY Slow Cooker Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my easy crock pot recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
• Crock Pot BBQ Brisket
• Crock Pot Thai Style Pork