Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Succulent slow-cooked pork carnitas, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, seasoned with vibrant Mexican spices. Perfect for tacos, bowls, or simply enjoyed on its own.

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 3 hr 30 min
• Total: 3 hr 45 min
• Servings: 4
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $2.43/serving

Dietary

• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein

Tags

• comfort food
• savory
• slow cooker
• spicy

Ingredients

• 1.5 pound pork shoulder (boneless, skinless, cut into 2-inch chunks)
• 1 orange (halved)
• 1 lime (halved)
• 0.5 white onion (quartered)
• 4 garlic cloves (smashed)
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 8 corn tortillas
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped, for serving)
• 0.25 red onion (thinly sliced, for serving)
• 0.5 cup salsa verde (store-bought, for serving)
• 15 ounce black beans (rinsed and drained, for serving)

Instructions

1. Pat the pork shoulder chunks dry with paper towels. Season generously with ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned pork chunks in batches until browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared pork to the slow cooker.
3. Add the halved orange, halved lime, quartered white onion, smashed garlic cloves, and water to the slow cooker with the pork.
4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the pork is fork-tender. Once cooked, carefully remove the pork, orange, lime, and onion from the slow cooker, reserving the cooking liquid.
5. Shred the pork using two forks. Discard the orange and lime rinds. Strain the cooking liquid and skim off any excess fat if desired.
6. For crispy carnitas, spread the shredded pork onto a baking sheet. Broil for 5-10 minutes, or pan-fry in a little oil until crispy. You can drizzle some of the reserved cooking liquid over the pork as it crisps to keep it moist.
7. Serve the crispy carnitas in warm corn tortillas with chopped fresh cilantro, thinly sliced red onion, a side of black beans, and salsa verde.

Notes

Carnitas are excellent for meal prep! Store leftover pork and cooking liquid separately. When reheating, add a bit of liquid to keep the pork moist before crisping it up. For spicier carnitas, add a pinch of cayenne pepper with the other seasonings.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 610
• Protein: 58.7 g
• Carbohydrates: 44.8 g
• Fat: 23.5 g
• Fiber: 6.8 g
• Sodium: 1420 mg
• Saturated Fat: 8.5 g
• Sugar: 5.1 g
• Cholesterol: 160 mg