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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas (Mexican pulled pork) is my go-to recipe when I want to cook for a crowd or when I want to have a few days of delicious leftovers. It takes about 5 minutes of prep and then 8 hours of low and slow cooking to create deeply flavorful, melt-in-your mouth pork carnitas. (Watch the recipe video to see the buttery texture you can expect.)
After a few failed attempts, I had nearly given up on finding an easy pork carnitas recipe worthy of posting here. But I’m thrilled to report that I’ve found it, the one! As a bonus, it takes no more than 10 minutes to put together in the slow cooker and then it’s just a waiting game. (A tormented wait, I’ll admit, because it smells incredible.)
Table of Contents
- Ingredients You Need to Make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Why you should keep the cooking liquid.
- FAQ
- How to Store and Reheat
- How to Serve
- How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Recipe Video
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients You Need to Make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Boneless Pork Shoulder: also called pork butt and Boston butt
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cumin
Dried Oregano: ideally Mexican oregano
Cinnamon
Cayenne Pepper: use more or less to adjust spice level
Fresh Garlic Cloves
Tomato Juice
Orange Juice: fresh squeezed or store bought orange juice
Chipotle Hot Sauce: such as Tabasco or Cholula brands
If you love pork carnitas, you must try this. We made a marathon of it, first having carnitas on it’s own with a salad on the side, then tacos, and finally tostadas and even served it alongside Carne Asada and Lamb Barbacoa for a feast with friends.
Why you should keep the cooking liquid.
The cooking liquid that comes from this recipe should not be thrown away. We not only used it to reheat the carnitas, but also to season Homemade Refried Beans which tasted better than any I’d ever made and certainly better than anything from a can.
FAQ
What is the difference between pulled pork and carnitas?
Carnitas (meaning “little meats”) are a pulled pork dish that originated in the state of Michoacán in Mexico. The Southern United States pulled pork barbecue dish uses the same cut of pork (pork shoulder / pork butt), but is slow smoked, uses different spices and is typically served with a sweet and spicy sauce.
What cut of pork is best for carnitas?
Pork Shoulder, also called pork butt or Boston butt is the cut of pork used to make carnitas.
Can you put raw pork in a slow cooker?
Yes, you don’t need to cook or even sear it first.
Should I put liquid in slow cooker for pulled pork?
Flavorful liquids like orange and tomato juices add complex flavor to pulled pork.
Why do you put orange juice in carnitas?
The acidity of orange juice helps to break down the meat so it’s meltingly tender and shreddable and adds flavor depth to the cooking liquid.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover pork carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat leftover pork carnitas in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat in a little a thin layer of hot oil until the meat is heated through and the edges are crisp; add leftover cooking liquid as desired for flavor and moisture.
How to Serve
- Pork Carnitas Tacos
- Pulled Pork Salad
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
- Pork Carnitas Tostadas
- Pulled Pork Nachos
- Pulled Pork Enchiladas
- Pulled Pork Chili
- For a lightened up version with all the flavor, try my Chicken Carnitas!
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Rub pork shoulder all over with spice mixture and place in a large slow cooker. Sprinkle pork with garlic cloves
Whisk together tomato juice, orange juice, and chipotle hot sauce. Pour over meat. Cook on low 8 hours or until fall apart tender.
When cooled enough to handle, transfer pork from juices to a large bowl. Shred meat with two forks. (Skim fat from slow cooker juices and and use remaining liquid to moisten carnitas when reheating.) Serve.
Recipe Video
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
5 from 13 votes
By: Marissa Stevens
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 8 hours hrs
Total: 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 286
Servings: 15 people
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Adapted from with a few changes to tone down the spice.
Ingredients
- 1 boneless pork shoulder (6 to 8 pounds; also called pork butt and boston butt)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 8 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce such as Tabasco or Cholula brands
Instructions
Place trimmed pork shoulder in a large slow cooker.
In a small bowl, stir together salt, cumin, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne; rub mixture over pork on all sides. Sprinkle on garlic cloves.
Whisk tomato juice, orange juice and chipotle hot sauce in a medium bowl and pour over meat. Cook 8 hours on low, or until pork is pull apart tender.
Let meat cool slightly in cooking liquid before carefully transferring to a large bowl. Shred meat into bite size pieces using two forks.
Skim fat off of cooking juices and discard (recipe note #3). Stir 1 cup or more of the cooking juices to the meat to moisten. Refrigerate remaining juices for reheating the pork (see note #1) or freeze for another use (see note #2).
Serve pork immediately or reheated in tacos, on tostadas, in burritos, on salads, and more! (See post for links to my favorite recipes.)
Notes
- My favorite way to reheat pork carnitas is in a slick of hot oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet until the meat is heated through and the edges are crisp, adding a little bit of the cooking liquid for flavor and moisture.
- Don’t throw the cooking liquid away! If you have some left over when your pork carnitas is gone, you can freeze it. It makes a great start for chili or other savory soup.
- Or save the fat and use to fry tortillas for decadent delicious pork carnitas tacos!
Nutrition
Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 1114mg | Potassium: 903mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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