Carnitas is a traditional Mexican dish made with pork shoulder that has been braised in oil or lard until it is crispy and tender. It is often served with rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, but it can also be used as a filling for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. Crock pot tex mex carnitas is a version of this dish that is made in a slow cooker. This method results in a tender, juicy, and flavorful carnitas that is perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
SLOW COOKER MEXICAN PORK CARNITAS
This is a shredded spin on carnitas. In Spanish, carnitas means "little meats." The traditional Mexican dish is typically made from pork, but can also be made from beef. This is a slow-cooked version of the otherwise braised or slow-roasted techniques. Once shredded, the meat is often served with cilantro, onion, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, and tortillas. Serve over cabbage slaw in a soft tortilla.
Provided by clifford
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 6h25m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Turn a large slow cooker to High. Pour chicken stock into the cooker and place pork loin in the center. Season pork with adobo, cumin, pepper, and paprika. Place onion, chipotle paste, and bay leaves in the stock around the pork. Place tomatoes and garlic on top of the pork, and squeeze limes directly over top, allowing pulp to fall into the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cloves.
- Use a spoon to baste stock over the pork loin, then sprinkle entire surface evenly with cilantro.
- Cover and cook on High until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Use a fork to shred pork.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 266.2 calories, Carbohydrate 12.1 g, Cholesterol 82.2 mg, Fat 11 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 31 g, SaturatedFat 3.8 g, Sodium 607.9 mg, Sugar 1.6 g
SLOW COOKER CARNITAS
Carnitas means 'little meats' and is traditionally fried then braised. This recipe is made much easier using the slow cooker but the results are just as tasty. This makes a great filling for tamales, enchiladas, tacos and burritos. This filling is also great combined with your favorite barbecue sauce and served on buns.
Provided by Erin Parker
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 10h10m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.
- Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 222.7 calories, Carbohydrate 0.7 g, Cholesterol 73.3 mg, Fat 13.8 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 22.2 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 474.3 mg, Sugar 0.3 g
SLOW COOKER CARNITAS
Authentic & Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas make the best pork tacos! They are easy to make with the help of your crockpot!
Provided by Amanda Carlisle
Categories dinner
Time 4h5m
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper
- Rub seasoning mixture onto pork shoulder on all sides
- Add onion, garlic, orange juice and peel, lime juice and chipotle pepper to slow cooker
- Place pork on top
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature is 145 degrees F
- Remove pork from slow cooker onto cutting board, let cool slightly
- Shred pork with forks
- Heat oil in skillet on stove ** see notes
- Add pork and some of the juice from the slow cooker
- Turn often to brown the pork until juices have evaporated and pork is nicely browned
- Repeat with more pork if your skillet doesn't hold all of it
- Serve immediately with tortillas and toppings
- Store leftovers in refrigerator
Nutrition Facts : Calories 250 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 28 g, Fat 12 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Cholesterol 93 mg, Sodium 914 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving
CARNITAS (MEXICAN SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK)
Recipe VIDEO above. Spiciness: Not at all. Scale recipe using Servings slider.These carnitas capture that elusive combination of flavourful, juicy AND crispiness. Pan frying to get the golden bits is not optional! Broiling/grilling will not produce the same results. Stuff them in tacos for an authentic Carnitas Tacos experience, see notes for other uses! FAQ below recipe.
Provided by Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Categories Slow cooking
Time 6h15m
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub all over with salt and pepper.
- Combine the Rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
- Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic (don't worry about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.
- Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 7 hours. (Note 2 for other cook methods)
- Pork should be tender enough to shred. Remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred using two forks.
- Optional: Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard.
- If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups. The liquid will be salty, it is the seasoning for the pork. Set liquid aside - don't bother straining onion etc, it's super soft.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 205 g, Calories 578 kcal, Carbohydrate 1.7 g, Protein 45 g, Fat 42 g, SaturatedFat 15 g, Cholesterol 173 mg, Sodium 616 mg, Sugar 0.5 g, UnsaturatedFat 23.1 g
CROCK POT TEX MEX CARNITAS
Here's a twist on the usual Mexican carnitas...add some BBQ spices and citrus juices and you have this Tex Mex dish. Serve on lettuce leaves for a low carb option. (Recipe is from lifeasaplate.com)
Provided by PSU Lioness
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 6h10m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Place roast in crock pot.
- Mix all other ingredients (except items for serving) and pour over roast.
- Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
- About an hour prior to eating (if possible), shred the pork with a fork and stir.
- Serve in lettuce bowls/wraps or tortillas and any other suggested toppings.
SLOW COOKER CARNITAS RECIPE BY TASTY
Have you ever gone out for Mexican food, eaten carnitas, and thought "gosh, I wish I could make this myself"? Well, you can with the help of your slow cooker. Just add pork butt or shoulder to a slow cooker with citrus juice, garlic, onion, and some spices, then let it cook for about eight hours until it's tender and easy to shred with a fork. Then, you can enjoy your home-cooked carnitas in tacos, burritos, or on top of your favourite grains.
Provided by Scott Loitsch
Categories Dinner
Time 8h10m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Cut pork into 6 equal pieces. Add it to the slow cooker.
- Add salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion, bay leaves, lime juice and juice the orange. Add orange to the cooker as well. Mix together until the meat is well-coated.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily.
- Remove the pork and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Shred the pork and spread across the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Pour about 1 cup (235 ml) of the liquid remaining in the slow cooker over the shredded pork. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the meat browns and crisps along the edges.
- Serve immediately. Great as a filling in tacos, burritos, salads, or nachos!
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 810 calories, Carbohydrate 23 grams, Fat 48 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 72 grams, Sugar 5 grams
THE BEST EVER SLOW COOKER CARNITAS
What makes these carnitas different? They are crisped and browned on the stove after low and slow cooking in the crock pot. These are incredibly easy to make and have replaced traditional taco filling at our house. These carnitas or "little meats" are great in Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, Tamales or Nachos. When served with corn tortillas, they are also gluten free!
Provided by sellingsavannah
Categories Mexican
Time 7h40m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Mix cumin, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, kosher salt and ground black pepper together in a small bowl to make a dry rub. Pat the pork shoulder roast or boston butt dry with paper towels, and then cover roast with dry rub.
- Place the pieces of onion and the bay leaf in the bottom of your slower cooker, lay the roast on top. Carefully pour the chicken stock or the water around the roast, taking care not to wash away the dry rub. Cook on low for 6 hours or until the pork easily falls apart.
- Once the pork is easily falling apart, remove from slow cooker to cool. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the excess fat, shred the remaining pork.
- Place the reserved cooking liquid in a large non-stick skillet with shredded pork. Cook over medium high heat until the liquid is absorbed, tossing the pork occasional to coat.
- Once the cooking liquid is absorbed, add the oil and crisp up the carnitas to your desired doneness. We like our extra crispy, usually about 14-18 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite taco fixings, like corn or flour tortillas, cilantro, lime, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese.
Tips:
- For the most flavorful carnitas, use a combination of pork shoulder and pork loin.
- Use a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven to cook the carnitas. This will help to distribute the heat evenly and prevent the pork from sticking.
- Add plenty of spices and seasonings to the pork. This will give the carnitas a delicious flavor.
- Cook the carnitas on low heat for a long period of time. This will help to make the pork tender and juicy.
- Once the carnitas are cooked, shred them with a fork. This will make them easier to eat.
- Serve the carnitas with your favorite toppings, such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese.
Conclusion
Carnitas is a delicious and versatile Mexican dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. Whether you are making tacos, burritos, or nachos, carnitas is sure to be a hit. With a little planning and preparation, you can easily make carnitas at home.
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