These flavorful pork carnitas are made easy in the slow cooker! Make healthier carnitas with pork loin, or go the traditional route with pork shoulder. Either way, you get tender, perfectly spiced Mexican pulled pork for the most delicious carnitas tacos! (gluten-free)
Every good Texan has a few go-to taco recipes up her sleeve. I have my fair share of healthy taco recipes, but these carnitas are at the top of the list. Juicy, flavorful shredded pork with signature crisp edges - what's not to love about carnitas? Especially when you can let them simmer away in the slow cooker while you do other things. Like, say, making guacamole?
What are Carnitas?
Carnitas, which translates to "little meats" in Spanish, is a Mexican version of pulled pork. It is traditionally made by simmering pork shoulder in lard and spices until tender and easily shredded, then heating over higher heat until the meat becomes crispy. Flavored with notes of orange, onion, and warm spices like cumin, Mexican oregano and sometimes cinnamon and cloves, carnitas are usually served as a taco filling.
Why You'll Love This Carnitas Recipe
In this carnitas recipe, I lighten things up a bit by using a center-cut pork loin roast. This cut of meat is much more lean, and it cooks a little more quickly. I also use the low-and-slow ease of the slow cooker to yield tender pieces of pork without braising and babysitting a pot of lard. After shredding, the chunks of pork are seared in a cast iron skillet or broiled in the oven for the crave-worthy crispy edges traditionally found with carnitas. With tons of flavorful spices and real oranges, these crockpot carnitas are the same delicious shred of pork with crispy outsides, but they're less greasy and are easy to make.
The Ingredients
- Pork loin roast - Use a center-cut loin roast (not pork tenderloin, which cooks in no time and is typically very small in diameter). For a more traditional version, you can also use a pork shoulder.
- Spices - Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, cloves, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
- Oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Oranges
- Taco fixings (If you're making tacos.) Warm tortillas, diced red onion, fresh cilantro, lime, salsa verde, cotija cheese, diced avocado and/or jalapeño. Mix and match your favorites!
How To Make Healthier Carnitas In The Slow Cooker
- Slice the onion and oranges and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Use the flat edge of a knife to smash the garlic cloves and throw them in the slow cooker along with the bay leaf.
- Mix the spices in a small bowl. Rub them all over the outside of the pork loin. Drizzle the pork with oil and rub that over the outside, too.
- Add the pork to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on LOW heat for 4-6 hours.
- Use two forks (or your stand mixer!) to shred the pork into bite-sized chunks. Toss with a little bit of the juices from the slow cooker.
- Crisp the edges. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with a little bit of oil. Add the shredded carnitas and cook, stirring occasionally, until the edges are crisp. Work in a single layer at a time to avoid over-crowding the pan.
- Mix in a little more liquid from the slow cooker to keep the meat moist, and serve in tortillas with taco toppings, or use however you'd like!
Tip: Don't skip the crisping step. It give the carnitas those delicious crisp edges!
Recice Variations
- Orange Juice - Some people like to make carnitas with orange juice to give it the orange flavor. This is a good option if you don't have any fresh oranges. Simply add about ½ cup of orange juice to the bottom of the slow cooker in place of orange slices.
- Pork Roast or Pork Shoulder - You can absolutely use a more fatty pork shoulder roast or "Boston Butt" for this recipe. Cut the roast into baseball-sized chunks before rubbing with spices and adding to the slow cooker. You may need to add 1-2 hours to the cook time to get the meat nice and tender.
- Crisping Under The Broiler - If you'd rather get the carnitas crispy under the broiler, go for it! Spread the shredded pork in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss with a little bit of the liquid from the slow cooker and broil on high for 3-5 minutes or until the edges start to sizzle and crisp. Watch carefully so the meat doesn't burn!
Ways To Serve Carnitas
The beauty of carnitas is that you can totally customize your meal any way you like!
- Make tacos with warm corn tortillas, cilantro, diced red onion (or quick pickled red onion!), and salsa verde. Or go crazy with the toppings: cotija or queso fresco, avocado, radish, jalapeño and fresh corn are all delicious options!
- Make burrito bowls with rice, beans, lettuce, and your favorite toppings.
- Use for protein on your favorite Mexican-inspired salad.
- Use as a filling for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tamales.
Delicious Mexican-Inspired Pairings for Carnitas
- Snack on chips and Caramelized Onion Guacamole and Hatch Chile Salsa Verde or Grilled Salsa.
- Serve with a side of slow simmered Pinto Beans or quick and easy Refried Black Beans.
- Get fresh with Grilled Pineapple Black Bean Salsa or Jicama Apple Slaw.
- Feeling festive? Add a Classic Skinny Margarita or Smoky Mezcal Paloma.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintSlow Cooker Pork Carnitas
These flavorful pork carnitas are made easy in the slow cooker! Make healthier carnitas with pork loin, or go the traditional route with pork shoulder. Either way, you get tender, perfectly spiced Mexican pulled pork for the most delicious carnitas tacos! (gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 2-3 lb center cut pork loin roast (or boneless pork shoulder for more traditional carnitas)
- 1 small orange, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you can find it)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for crisping in the skillet
Instructions
- Place orange and onion slices in the bottom of your slow cooker. Add garlic and bay leaf.
- In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Rub spice mixture all over the outside of the roast. Rub with olive oil and place in the slow cooker.
- Cook on LOW 4-6 hours or until pork easily shreds.
- Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. You can also use a stand mixer to shred the meat if you'd like. Be sure to discard the bay leaf and any pieces of orange peel.
- Optional: Crisp the carnitas. Place a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Heat a drizzle of olive oil and add shredded pork. Cook, until crisp on the edges, stirring occasionally. Moisten with juices from the slow cooker.
- Serve carnitas with warm corn tortillas and any toppings you like. You could also serve on a salad or in a burrito bowl.
Notes
- Orange Juice - Some people like to make carnitas with orange juice to give it the orange flavor. This is a good option if you don't have any fresh oranges. Simply add about ½ cup of orange juice to the bottom of the slow cooker in place of orange slices.
- Pork Roast or Pork Shoulder - You can absolutely use a more fatty pork shoulder roast or "Boston Butt" for this recipe. Cut the roast into baseball-sized chunks before rubbing with spices and adding to the slow cooker. You may need to add 1-2 hours to the cook time to get the meat nice and tender.
- Crisping Under The Broiler - If you'd rather get the carnitas crispy under the broiler, go for it! Spread the shredded pork in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss with a little bit of the liquid from the slow cooker and broil on high for 3-5 minutes or until the edges start to sizzle and crisp. Watch carefully so the meat doesn't burn!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to reheat them in a cast iron skillet.
Keywords: slow cooker carnitas, healthy carnitas, slow cooker carnitas with pork loin
Amber says
Followed the directions exactly and the meat was as dry as July. I cooked it for 5 hours on low. I would start checking after 3 hours at the latest. We threw it away. 🙁
★★
Crystal says
I notice the recipe does not include any liquid like water etc. Does this make it easier to dry out if cooked for too long bc the meat is not yet tender?
Kaleigh says
It will become moist as it cooks down. You can add a splash of broth in the bottom if you're worried about it drying out!
Mendoza-SA says
Crock-pot pork like this, melds the natural juices and the onion and garlic; so never dries out. I make my Pulled Pork "cheaters" way by buying the Pork Loin and let it sit in the crock all day and the juices intensify. Quite pleasant for those looking to get "fit n trim"
kasey says
do you have nutritional info for this recipe
Kaleigh says
Hi Kasey,
I do not provide nutritional data, but you can use the SuperTracker tool on myplate.gov to calculate it. Thanks for stopping by!