Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Introduction & Inspiration

I absolutely adore authentic Mexican carnitas – that incredibly tender, juicy shredded pork with delightful crispy edges, often simmered for hours with citrus and spices. This recipe for Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas immediately caught my eye because it promised to deliver that meltingly tender pork and signature flavor profile using the almost effortless magic of the slow cooker! It seemed like the perfect way to achieve flavorful shredded pork for tacos, bowls, or burritos with minimal hands-on time.

My inspiration came from wanting a simplified, largely hands-off approach to making delicious carnitas at home. While traditional methods can involve long braising or simmering, the slow cooker excels at breaking down tougher cuts like pork shoulder until they’re perfectly shreddable. This recipe uses a simple blend of orange juice and spices to infuse the pork as it cooks.

My goal was to explore this ultra-simple slow cooker method and share just how easy it is to get flavorful, tender pulled pork. While this basic recipe skips the final crisping step traditional for carnitas, I’ll also share how easily you can add that crucial step for truly authentic results!

Let’s get our slow cookers ready for some incredibly tender, flavorful pork!

Nostalgic Appeal / Comfort Food Connection

Pork Carnitas are a beloved staple of Mexican cuisine and have become a popular comfort food favorite worldwide. They evoke memories of vibrant street food stalls, festive gatherings, family celebrations, and incredibly flavorful tacos or burritos. The combination of tender, savory pork, often with citrusy notes and warm spices, is deeply satisfying.  

This slow cooker version taps into that comforting appeal by simplifying the process while aiming for the core flavors. Slow-cooked pulled pork, regardless of the specific seasoning, is itself a major comfort food, often associated with barbecues, potlucks, and hearty, satisfying meals.

The familiar aroma of pork cooking with onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano is incredibly inviting and homey.

This recipe offers a way to enjoy the comforting essence and flavors associated with carnitas through an incredibly easy, modern cooking method, making it accessible for any home cook.

Homemade Focus (Effortless Tenderizing)

This Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe is a prime example of how the slow cooker can be used to achieve incredibly tender results with minimal homemade effort. It’s a true “dump and go” style recipe where the appliance does almost all the work in breaking down the pork shoulder.

I love recipes that deliver impressive results with such simple preparation. You’re essentially placing large chunks of pork shoulder in the cooker with quartered onion, garlic, orange juice, and spices. There’s no complex marinade or intricate sauce to make – the slow cooker gently simmers everything together, creating flavorful, tender pork and its own natural juices.

Making it at home allows you to choose the quality of your pork shoulder and adjust the simple seasonings (cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper) to your preference.

The process highlights the slow cooker’s strength: transforming a relatively inexpensive, tougher cut of meat into melt-in-your-mouth shredded pork through long, gentle cooking, all while you’re free to do other things. It’s effortless homemade cooking at its best.

Flavor Goal

The primary flavor goal of this simplified Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe is to produce exceptionally tender, moist shredded pork infused with savory, citrusy, and warmly spiced notes. It aims for a flavorful base perfect for serving in various Mexican-inspired dishes.

The pork shoulder becomes incredibly tender and easy to shred after hours of slow cooking, absorbing the surrounding flavors.

The orange juice provides moisture, acidity, and a subtle citrusy sweetness that helps tenderize the pork and complements the spices.

The onion and garlic soften completely, adding essential aromatic depth to the cooking liquid and the pork.

The spice blend – cumin (earthy), oregano (herbaceous), and chili powder (mild warmth and complexity) – provides the characteristic savory, slightly warm flavor profile. Salt and pepper round out the seasoning.

The final shredded pork, mixed with some of its cooking juices, is moist, flavorful, and versatile. (Note: For the authentic crispy carnitas texture goal, see Tips & Variations for the crucial final step).

Ingredient Insights

Let’s explore the key ingredients for this easy slow cooker pork:

• Pork shoulder (also called pork butt), cut into large chunks: Essential for carnitas. This cut has ample fat and connective tissue that breaks down during slow cooking, resulting in tender, flavorful shredded meat. Cutting into large chunks helps it cook evenly.  
• Onion, quartered & Garlic cloves, minced: Provide the aromatic flavor base that infuses the pork and cooking liquid.
• Orange juice: Adds moisture, acidity (helps tenderize), and a bright citrus note typical of many carnitas recipes. Freshly squeezed or bottled works.
• Cumin, Oregano (dried), Chili powder: The simple spice blend providing warm, earthy, and slightly smoky/spicy notes.  
• Salt and pepper: Essential seasonings.
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish: Adds crucial freshness at the end.
• Lime wedges, for serving: Provide necessary acidity to brighten the rich pork.
• Tortillas or rice, for serving: Classic accompaniments.

A straightforward list focused on flavoring the pork during slow cooking.

Essential Equipment

This recipe primarily relies on the slow cooker:

• A Slow Cooker (Crockpot): Needs to be large enough to comfortably hold 3 lbs of pork shoulder chunks (a 5-6 quart model is usually sufficient).
• A cutting board and sharp knife: For cubing the pork shoulder (if not already cut) and prepping onion/garlic/cilantro.  
• Two forks: The easiest tool for shredding the tender cooked pork.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• A ladle or large spoon: For serving.

Minimal tools for a very easy main course!

List of Ingredients with Measurements

Here’s the complete list of ingredients, with precise measurements:

• 3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano (dried)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For Serving/Garnish:

• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Lime wedges, for serving
• Tortillas or rice, for serving

These simple quantities create flavorful, tender shredded pork.

Have onion quartered and garlic minced before starting.

Step-by-Step Instructions (Super Simple Slow Cooking!)

Let’s walk through this incredibly easy “dump and go” process:

1. Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker:

• Place the large chunks of pork shoulder into the insert of your slow cooker.
• Add the quartered onion and minced garlic around and on top of the pork.
• Pour the orange juice over the pork and vegetables.
• Sprinkle the cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper evenly over the ingredients.

2. Stir Gently (Optional):

• Give the ingredients a gentle stir just to slightly distribute the spices and aromatics.

3. Cook:

• Cover the slow cooker securely with the lid.
• Cook on the LOW heat setting for 8-10 hours OR on the HIGH heat setting for 4-5 hours. The pork is done when it is exceptionally tender and falls apart easily when prodded with a fork.

4. Shred the Pork:

• Once cooked, carefully remove the large chunks of pork from the slow cooker and place them on a large plate or cutting board (discard the cooked onion quarters if desired, they’ve imparted their flavor).
• Using two forks, shred the tender pork by pulling it apart.  

5. Return Pork to Juices:

• Return the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and stir it well to combine with the flavorful cooking juices. Let it sit for a few minutes to absorb more flavor.

6. Serve:

• Serve the hot Slow Cooker Carnitas using tongs or a slotted spoon (to drain some excess liquid if desired). Serve in warm tortillas or over cooked rice.
• Garnish generously with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

Effortless pulled pork ready for delicious meals!

Troubleshooting

Slow cooker meats are generally forgiving, but here are a few points:

• Problem: Pork isn’t shredding easily / seems tough.
  • Solution: It likely needs more cooking time, especially on LOW. Pork shoulder needs time for the connective tissue to break down. Continue cooking for another hour or two on LOW and check again. Ensure you used pork shoulder/butt.
• Problem: Too much liquid/juice at the end.
  • Solution: This is common as the pork releases juices. Simply use a slotted spoon to lift the shredded pork out of the juices when serving. You can also reserve the flavorful juice for other uses or simmer it down on the stovetop to concentrate it if desired.
• Problem: Flavor is bland.
  • Solution: Ensure adequate salt and pepper were used initially. Taste the shredded pork mixed with the juices and add more salt, pepper, cumin, or chili powder if needed. The flavor also depends on the quality of the pork and OJ. Browning the pork first (see Tips) adds significant flavor.

Patience during the long cook time is key for tenderness.

Tips and Variations (Including the Crucial Crisping Step!)

Let’s enhance this easy recipe:

• CRUCIAL TIP (for Authentic Carnitas Texture): While this recipe yields tender shredded pork, traditional carnitas have crispy edges. To achieve this: After shredding the pork (Step 4/5), spread the shredded pork (drained slightly from excess juice) onto a baking sheet. Broil under a hot broiler for 5-10 minutes, watching very carefully, until the edges become browned and crispy. Alternatively, crisp it up in batches in a hot skillet with a little oil or lard. This step transforms it from simple pulled pork to true carnitas!
• Flavor Boost Tip: Brown the pork shoulder chunks in a hot skillet before adding to the slow cooker for much deeper flavor. Sauté the onion and garlic briefly in the same skillet before adding.
• Variation: Use a mix of orange juice and lime juice, or add the zest of the orange for more citrus flavor.
• Variation: Add other spices like smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne, or a bay leaf to the slow cooker.
• Tip: Trim excess large fat cap from the pork shoulder if desired before cooking, but leave some fat for flavor and moisture.
• Variation: Use pulled chicken (thighs work best) instead of pork for a different protein option.

Adding the crisping step is highly recommended for the best carnitas experience!

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are incredibly versatile.

Serving: Serve the tender (and optionally crisped) shredded pork warm.

Ways to Serve:

• Tacos: Pile into warm corn or flour tortillas with toppings like diced onion, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, crumbled cotija cheese, and lime wedges.
• Burrito Bowls: Serve over rice (or cauliflower rice) with black beans, corn salsa, avocado, lettuce, and your favorite bowl toppings.
• Burritos/Quesadillas: Use as a filling.
• Salads: Top a sturdy green salad for a protein boost.
• Sliders: Serve on small buns with slaw.

Pairing:

• Classic Mexican side dishes like rice and beans, elote (street corn), or a simple avocado salad.
• Refreshing beverages like agua frescas, Mexican beer, or margaritas. Drink with moderation.

Perfect for building your own taco or bowl bar!

Nutritional Information

Pork shoulder is a richer cut of meat. Nutritional info is approximate (per serving, assuming 6-8 servings of pork only, before toppings/tortillas):  

• Calories: 300-450+ (depends on fat content of pork)
• Fat: 20-35+ grams
• Saturated Fat: 7-15+ grams
• Cholesterol: 100-140+ mg
• Sodium: 150-300+ mg (depends heavily on added salt)
• Total Carbs.: 3-6 grams (mostly from onion/OJ)
• Dietary Fiber: <1 gram
• Sugars: 2-5 grams (mostly from OJ/onion)
• Protein: 25-35+ grams

High in protein and fat (especially saturated fat). Low in carbohydrates, making it suitable for keto/low-carb diets before adding rice/tortillas.

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Recipe Summary and Q&A

Let’s conclude with a summary and common questions:

Recipe Summary:

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas is an incredibly easy recipe where pork shoulder chunks are slow-cooked with onion, garlic, orange juice, and simple spices until fork-tender. The pork is then shredded and mixed with its cooking juices. For authentic texture, an optional but highly recommended final step involves crisping the shredded pork under a broiler or in a skillet.  

Q&A:

Q: Can I make this ahead of time? A: Yes! This is perfect for making ahead. Cook and shred the pork as directed. Store refrigerated in its juices. Reheat gently before serving (and crisping, if desired).

Q: How do I store leftovers? A: Store leftover shredded carnitas (with some juice) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Q: Can I freeze pork carnitas? A: Absolutely! Let the shredded pork cool in its juices, then store in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently (and crisp if desired).

Q: Do I have to do the final crisping step? A: No, the slow cooker part yields tender, flavorful shredded pork perfect for many uses. However, the crisping step is what gives it the characteristic texture of authentic carnitas. It’s highly recommended for the full experience if serving as tacos or similar.

Q: Can I use pork loin instead of shoulder? A: Pork loin is much leaner and will likely become dry and tough with this long slow cooking method. Pork shoulder (or butt) is essential for tender shreddable results.