Slow Cooker Crispy Carnitas
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This is the type of recipe our readers go ga-ga over. Slow Cooker Carnitas are a dump-and-go crock pot meal that’s easy to make, freezes well before or after cooking, and everyone loves them!
Find our Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas recipe here.
Find our Dutch Oven Carnitas recipe here.
Why You Must Make Carnitas in the Slow Cooker
Pork shoulders are one of my favorite cuts of meat to cook in the slow cooker. Coming from someone who has tested hundreds (yes, hundreds) of slow cooker recipes, that means a lot. I have probably made this slow cooker recipe more than any other one for groups of people.
The seasoning and marinade, plus the slow cooking method, pack some serious tangy-smoky-citrusy flavor into the meat. After being cooked all day and shredded, you’ll pop the meat under the broiler and broil until it begins to crisp up on the edges. You’ll find yourself going back to this recipe again and again!
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make These?
Like most of our recipes, the ingredients are fairly simple. To make Slow Cooker Carnitas, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat
- Seasonings: oregano, cumin, chili powder, Salt & pepper
- Lime juice
- Orange juice
- Hot Sauce
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.
Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart
Snag our 1 page cheat sheet and never overcook (or undercook) and Crock Pot meal again!
Can I Make Carnitas in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely! When using the Instant Pot, you can have these done in almost an hour!
We have instructions for Instant Pot Carnitas here. Enjoy!
Make It Into a Freezer Meal
As if our Carnitas weren’t good enough, I have even better news. They work really well as a make ahead freezer meal.
Simply double the recipe and freeze an uncooked batch. This won’t take much more time at all and will set you up for an incredibly easy dinner down the road! When you’re ready to prepare the frozen meal, thaw it using one of these safe methods. Then slow cook on low for 7-9 hours.
Or you can fully cook and shred the meat. Then, freeze it in the leftover juices from the slow cooker. When you’re ready to serve, thaw and rewarm the meat in the microwave, slow cooker, or over low heat on stove.
Want more freezer-friendly Crockpot meals? We have SO many to choose from in this roundup of 20+ Crockpot Freezer Meals. Make sure to hop over and browse around.
How to Serve Pork 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.
WANT MORE DUMP AND GO SLOW COOKER RECIPES?
We’ve rounded up 15+ amazing dump and go slow cooker recipes. Bonus: You can make them ahead and freeze these meals for later, too. Freezing instructions included!
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 Crispy Carnitas
The seasoning and marinade, plus the slow cooking method, pack some serious tangy-smoky-citrusy flavor into the meat. After being cooked all day and shredded, you’ll pop the meat under the broiler and broil until it begins to crisp up on the edges. 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
- chopped cilantro (optional for garnishing)
*Freshly squeezed is the best!
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Instructions
Make It Now:
(Find our Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas recipe here or our Dutch Oven version here.)
- 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 for 3 minutes. (Tip: Cover the pan with foil for easy clean up.) Using tongs, turn the meat over and spoon about ¼ cup of the juices from the slow cooker over the meat. Broil another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the edges of the meat start to crisp up and turn brown. Remove from the oven and spoon another ¼ cup of the juices over the cooked pork.
- Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, or salads, or enjoy a la carte. If serving in a corn tortilla, we suggest topping with diced avocado, pico de gallo, Cojita cheese crumbles, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. To take these OVER THE TOP, make our Cilantro Lime Aioli and Easy Pickled Red Onions to serve as a garnish–YUM!
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
Find our Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas recipe here or our Dutch Oven version here.
*You can also fully cook, shred, and freeze the carnitas meat. Just make sure the meat it cooled and then place it in a freezer bag/container with the juices from the slow cooker. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw and rewarm over low heat or in the microwave.
Want more slow cooker recipes?
Hop over to our round up of 25+ Slow Cooker Recipes for Groups of People.
I used leftover pulled pork and leftover pot roast with this instead of the pork shoulder. I mixed the spices and liquids together in a bowl then poured them on my meat which I then put in the oven. (I skipped the slow cooker step since the meat was already cooked.) It was fantastic!
★★★★
Good to know it works this way. Thanks, Katie.
Everyone in my family loved it!!
★★★★★
That’s a big win! My family is a big fan of this one as well. Glad you enjoyed it.