Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas

Scroll down to the bottom of the post to get the full list of ingredients, amounts, and directions for this recipe.

My love for Mexican food runs deep! It’s by far and away one of my favorite foods and it’s on the shortlist as one of the things I miss most about California. Outstanding taco shops are abundant in southern California and we had a few favorites that we ate at often when we lived there.

After moving to the south, it became a top priority mission to find good Mexican food where we lived. Although it’s possible, some of the best places aren’t as close as we’d like (or as close as we are used to). Therefore, I made it my new mission to start coming up with my own recipes for some of our favorite Mexican food dishes. First and foremost on the list, carnitas. I love carnitas!

For those who are unfamiliar with mouthwatering carnitas, I will share a little of what I know about this dish. Translated from Spanish, carnitas means, “little meats.” It originated in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Carnitas is made by braising or slow cooking a “Boston butt” pork roast until it’s tender and basically falling apart (think pulled pork). Traditionally, it’s served with warm flour or corn tortillas, fresh chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa. Oftentimes, it’s also served with guacamole or avocado, Mexican rice, and refried pinto or black beans.

Carnitas is often and traditionally made with lard. The pork is placed in a heavy bottom pot on the stove and slathered in it. It’s cooked slowly over low heat and as the lard melts it cooks the pork with the spices. Once the appropriate tenderness of the pork is reached, the heat is turned up to allow it to crisp.

As much as I am a traditionalist, I rarely cook with lard. Therefore, this recipe has no lard in it. Even without using lard, the flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and crispness of my carnitas are fabulous. Also, without the lard in it, this is a MUCH healthier version of carnitas.

• Pork shoulder or pork butt
• Salt and pepper
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Chicken broth
• Onion
• Jalapeño
• Garlic

First, rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Then, rub all over with salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin.

Next, pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker and place the pork inside (fat cap up). Top the pork with chopped onion, jalapeño, and minced garlic.

Slow cook the pork in the slow cooker on low for 10 hours or on high for 6-7 hours.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Meanwhile, remove the pork from the slow cooker, place it on a wood cutting board, and save the juices. Allow the pork to cool slightly. Then, using two forks, shred the meat.

Once all the pork is shredded, place it in an even layer on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Using a spoon, spoon some of the juices from the slow cooker over the meat to moisten it. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes to allow the edges of the shredded pork to crisp.

Take the shredded pork out of the oven, toss it, spoon some more juices over it, and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Once most of the edges of the pork have crisped, take it out of the oven, and put it in a bowl garnished with chopped cilantro.

Serve carnitas with warm corn or flour tortilla, chopped onion and cilantro, and your favorite salsa. Here is my favorite. You can also serve it with some guacamole or chopped avocado, queso fresco, Mexican rice, and refried pinto or black beans.

One of the many reasons I love carnitas is that it makes the best leftovers! Not only is it delicious the next day to make more tacos, but you can also make nachos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, tamales, or tortas with it. How about some huevos rancheros in the morning? Yum!

The pork is so deliciously seasoned, you can reheat it in a pot on the stove and add your favorite barbecue sauce to it. Carnitas also makes delicious barbecue pulled pork sandwiches. I love to pile it high with cool, creamy coleslaw and dill pickle slices.

If you love this carnitas recipe as much as we do here on the farm, you may want to try another one of my favorite Mexican recipes, Mexican Chicken Soup.

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