Sunday Slow-Cooked Carnitas

Slow-cooked pork shoulder shredded into succulent, crispy-edged pieces, perfect for filling warm corn tortillas and serving with creamy refried beans and guacamole.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 5 hr
• Total: 5 hr 20 min
• Servings: 7
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $3.18/serving

Dietary

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

Tags

• slow cooker
• comfort food
• savory
• classic
• crowd-pleaser

Ingredients

• 3 pound boneless pork shoulder (trimmed of large fat pieces)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 yellow onion (medium, quartered)
• 6 clove garlic (peeled and smashed)
• 1 orange (quartered)
• 0.5 cup chicken broth
• 2 can refried beans
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 avocados (ripe)
• 2 tablespoon lime juice
• 28 corn tortillas

Instructions

1. Season the boneless pork shoulder with ground cumin, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Place the pork in a slow cooker.
2. Add the yellow onion, smashed garlic cloves, quartered orange, and chicken broth to the slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the pork is extremely tender and easily shredded with a fork.
4. Once cooked, remove the pork to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Discard the orange, onion, and garlic solids if desired, reserving the cooking liquid. Skim any excess fat from the cooking liquid.
5. For crispy edges (optional): Preheat oven broiler. Place shredded pork on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of the cooking liquid, and broil for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly crispy. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
6. Heat the refried beans in a saucepan over medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of water, stirring occasionally, until heated through and creamy. Season with salt to taste.
7. Prepare guacamole: Mash ripe avocados with lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt until desired consistency.
8. Warm the corn tortillas according to package directions. Serve the shredded carnitas with warm tortillas, refried beans, and guacamole.

Notes

The pork becomes incredibly tender in the slow cooker, ideal for minimal chewing. If preferred, skip the broiling step for even softer pork. Leftover carnitas can be used in bowls or scrambled with eggs.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 520
• Protein: 42.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 40.5 g
• Fat: 20.8 g
• Fiber: 9.2 g
• Sodium: 750 mg
• Saturated Fat: 7.5 g
• Sugar: 5.1 g
• Cholesterol: 110 mg