Pork Carnitas for Leftovers

A baking sheet of shredded slow cooker carnitas with lime wedges

No ratings yet

Flavorful Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas you can use to make tacos, burritos, or serve simply over rice. This recipe will feed a crowd and is great for a varity of leftovers.

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time8 10

Servings: people

Calories: 313kcal

Ingredients

Carnitas Seasoning (Dry Rub)

2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chipotle chile powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper

In the slow cooker

4 pound pork shoulder roast
1 white onion roughly chopped
3 jalapeno peppers whole
2 oranges

Instructions

Make the dry rub by combining all of the ingredients and mixing to combine.
Place the chopped onion and whole jalapeno peppers in the bottom of the crock pot. Squeeze the juice from oranges and place the rinds with the onions and peppers.
Coat the roast on all sides with the seasoning mixture and pat it in. Place the roast in the crock pot on top of the onions and peppers. Pour the orange juice over the roast.
Cook on low for 7-9 hours.
Remove the pork roast and shred it with a fork, removing any fatty areas.
Preheat oven to 425˚F. Place shredded pork in a thin layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 6-10 minutes or until the pork edges are crispy to your liking.
Strain juices and discard onions, jalapeno and orange rind. Spoon juices over pork when serving.

Notes

Substitutions:

Try using pork butt in place of pork shoulder
If you are in a pinch, use store bought taco or fajita seasoning in place of carnitas seasoning

How to Store: 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

How to Reheat: Reheat leftover carnitas in a skillet over medium high heat until crispy.

How to Freeze: You can freeze this recipe either before or after cooking. Check the post above for full directions for both methods.

To Scale: This recipe can be cut in half to make a smaller portion. In order to double the recipe, you would need to use a second slow cooker.

Nutrition