These Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are so easy to prepare and are ridiculously versatile! The combination of pork, spices, and citric juices make the tastiest carnitas. These are perfect served with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, chili, rice bowls…endless possibilities!
Despite my New York Giants not being in the Super Bowl, I am still “super”(get it, super, Super Bowl, lol, sorry couldn’t resist) excited for Sunday! We are huge sports fans and it’s a big family, food day for us! I’m also thrilled that the hubs is home for this one! It’s a monumental occasion! If you haven’t guessed, I’m serving one of his favorites dishes is this yummy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas!
These are so easy to prepare and oh so delicious! What we love about these pork carnitas, besides being a super easy, no-brainer recipe, is its versatility! I slow cook the pork, skies the limit on how the fam finishes their dish! For parties, like tomorrow, Superbowl Sunday, I will put out the pork carnitas, rice, cauliflower rice( my gluten-free daughters require this often), Pico De Gallo, my personal favorite pineapple mango salsa, lots of shredded Mexican cheese, and of course tortillas! I place a griddle on the buffet, ready to make the quesadilla, makes everyone happy! These make amazing tacos, burritos, burritos bowls, enchiladas, chili…I could go on and on!
I’m keeping this short and sweet because I have some cooking to do! I hope you put this on your Superbowl menu and add this to your regular roster because it’s just plain delish! Oh, one more thing, most carnitas recipes end with frying the pork in oil to make them crispy…save your arteries and simply do what I do, jack up the oven and bake the pork for a few minutes. Same great crispiness without the added calories!
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xo
Eileen
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
Pork Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pork Carnitas
- 4-5 pound pork shoulder/pork butt trim excess fat
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded, rib removed, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 large oranges, halved and juiced keep peel to add to slow cooker
- 1 large lime, halved and juiced keep peel to add flavor to slow cooker
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Pork Carnitas Spice Rub
- In a small bowl, combine, oregano, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, Kosher salt, and pepper. Set aside
Rinse and dry the pork shoulder/butt. Coat the pork with the pork dry rub. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add in the seasoned pork and brown on all sides. Once browned, remove and add to the slow cooker.
- Add the onions and jalapeno, saute about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and saute another minute. Remove from heat,add the veggies to the slow cooker.
- To the slow cooker, add the juice from the orange and lime. and bay leaf. Cook on low, for 8 hours. high, 4 hours.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees
- Meat is done when meat is is fork tender. Remove the bay leaf, citrus peels and discard. Shred the meat
- I add the shredded pork to a cookie sheet/ maybe two cookie sheets depending on how much meat.
- Place cookie sheet in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes to crisp up the meat
Notes
- For parties, I generally make these a day ahead and keep in an an aluminum tin and but them finish off in the oven as per recipe and they are ready to eat.
- freezer friendly, again freeze and defrost and then into the oven to crisp
- Pork Carnitas are amazing in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, any type of Mexi bowl. Enjoy!
I’m in. Thank you! Have a pleasant week !
Thank you! Hope you make this and enjoy as much as we do