Slow Cooker Crispy Carnitas
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This is the type of recipe our readers go crazy over. Slow Cooker Carnitas are a dump-and-go crock pot meal that is easy, freezes well before or after cooking, and feeds an army. Give the tender, shredded meat at the end for that extra crisp!
Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
- It’s EASY! Simply season the pork and cook it in the Crock Pot with the simple marinade.
- It’s freezer friendly. Carnitas are a great recipe to double and freeze. You can also fully cook it and freeze it in small portions. So many options!
- It feeds a lot of people. This Big Batch recipe can easily feed 10+ people. Here are 25+ Slow Cooker Recipes for a Crowd if you want more ideas.
- It’s a Dump & Go Recipe. You do have to give it a quick broil at the end but that’s it!
- It can also be made in the Instant Pot or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
Like most of our recipes, the ingredients are fairly simple. To make Slow Cooker Carnitas, you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
- 5 cloves garlic – Save time and use pre-minced garlic.
- 1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat – Here is where we get meat you can trust.
- Lime juice – Fresh is best!
How Long Do I Cook Pork Shoulder in the Slow Cooker?
After testing hundreds of recipes for our slow cooker cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, we found that cooking one (3-4 pound) pork shoulder should take 7-9 hours depending on your slow cooker.
Oftentimes, people take the pork out too early because it appears to be tough and dry. However, the pork needs lots of time to break down the fibers holding the meat together.
When cooked correctly, pork shoulder in the slow cooker should be tender, juicy, and shred easily.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Carnitas
One of the beauties of this meal is that it can be customized and served in so many different ways. That’s why I love making carnitas for large groups. Here are some ideas of how to serve them.
- Change up taco night by using this filling instead of ground beef. To take these OVER THE TOP, make our Cilantro Lime Aioli and Easy Pickled Red Onions to serve as a garnish–YUM!
- Top a leafy green salad with it and other toppings like roasted fresh corn shaved off the cob, diced bell peppers, red onion, and crunched-up tortilla chips.
- Throw this shredded pork in a quesadilla or on top of a “burrito bowl” with brown rice, beans, and your favorite Mexican toppings.
So many options! I personally almost always serve it with our Avocado Lime Salsa.
Make it a Freezer Meal
Method 1: Freeze Before Cooking
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-3 but place all of the ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw 24-48 hours. Follow steps 5-8.
Method 2: Freeze After Cooking
Freeze For Later: Fully cook, shred, and freeze the carnitas meat.
Just make sure the meat is cooled and then place it in a freezer bag/container with the juices from the slow cooker.
Prepare From Frozen: When you’re ready to eat it, thaw and rewarm over low heat or in the microwave.
FAQs
You bet! We have all of the instructions written up for you in our Instant Pot Carnitas recipe. We also wrote a Dutch Oven Carnitas recipe.
Any hot sauce will work. Most people have a favorite that they keep on hand. Personally, I use Frank’s brand, but I see Tabasco at most restaurants.
Both will work. I have found that using a bone-in pork shoulder does yield more tender pork but you don’t get as much meat from the cut.
Yes, this recipe will work to cook on high in the Crock Pot. It should be done in 4-5 hours.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Slow Cooker Carnitas
The seasoning and marinade, plus the slow cooking method, pack some serious tangy-smoky-citrusy flavor into the meat. You’ll find yourself going back to this recipe again and again!
Ingredients
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup lime juice* (juice of about 4 limes)
- 3/4 cup orange juice* (juice of about 3 oranges)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Optional garnishes: Chopped cilantro, Pineapple Salsa, Pickled Red Onions, Avocado Salsa
*Freshly squeezed is the best!
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels and then rub the seasoning all over each piece. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Add the seasoned meat, diced onion, minced garlic, lime juice, orange juice, and hot sauce into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.
- Remove the pork to a wooden cutting board, and shred with two forks.
- Optional: Preheat the broiler. Broil the meat on a rimmed baking sheet until crispy – roughly 3-5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the meat over and spoon about 1/4 cup of the juices from the slow cooker over the meat. Broil another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the edges of the meat start to crisp up and turn brown. Remove from the oven and spoon another 1/4 cup of the juices over the cooked pork.
- Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, or salads, or enjoy a la carte.
Freeze For Later*: Follow Steps 1-3 but place all of the ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw 24-48 hours. Follow steps 5-8.
Notes/Tips
- Tip: Freeze the cooked meat in small portions. When ready to eat, warm in the microwave, slow cooker, or over low heat on the stove top.
- For crispier meat, use our broiling instructions above.
- Try our Dutch Oven Carnitas instead.
- Try our Instant Pot Carnitas instead.
I’ve made this several times for my husband as well as a group of 10-12 people and it’s a HUGE hit every time. I make it with just pico de Gallo as a topping and serve on corn tortillas. Yum!
Glad to hear you’ve found a winner to make for groups Kara! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
So easy and delicious! Toddler approved of it in his quesadilla
Yay! Love to hear what kids like eating. Thanks for leaving a review Emily.
Always a hit in our house and for large groups! This is an easy one with big flavor.
Yes! Everyone I make this for loves it also. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Maria!
Can the cumin and Chile powder be left out of recipe?
You certainly can leave those out. Cumin has a warm, earthy flavor and the chili powder brings a little heat and more complex flavors, so that will be missing from the marinade. But it should still be pretty tasty from the fresh citrus and oregano!
This was really fantastic. Loved it cooked with the fresh citrus juice. So good, it didn’t make it to the broiling stage (I will have to be more disciplined next time.) I served it as tacos with the toppings recommended in this recipe. This easily deserves 5 stars, and I look forward to making it again.
I have the same problem with it making it to the broiler! So yummy, I just can’t take the time. 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review Susie.