Best 9 Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipes

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Embark on a culinary adventure as we delve into the art of creating mouthwatering slow cooker carnitas. Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with this classic Mexican dish made from succulent pork shoulder, infused with an aromatic blend of spices, herbs, and zesty citrus. Whether you're planning a casual family meal or a festive gathering, our carefully curated collection of recipes will guide you in crafting the perfect slow cooker carnitas that will leave an unforgettable impression on your dining table.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

THE BEST EVER SLOW COOKER CARNITAS



The BEST EVER Slow Cooker Carnitas image

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

2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder or 4 lbs boston butt
1 large onion, cut into large pieces
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups water
2 tablespoons canola oil or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

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.

SLOW COOKER MEXICAN PORK CARNITAS



Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Carnitas image

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

1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
1 (3 pound) pork loin, or more to taste
3 tablespoons adobo seasoning
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 large white onion, diced
2 tablespoons chipotle paste
2 bay leaves
1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, halved
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup fresh cilantro

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 RECIPE BY TASTY



Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe by Tasty image

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

4 lb boneless pork butt, or shoulder, cut into six equal pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, quartered
3 leaves bay leaf
1 lime, juiced
1 large orange, juiced, save the spent halves
tortilla, taco shell
rice
1 can black beans
salsa
guacamole
sour cream
fresh cilantro
1 cup cheese

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

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CARNITAS



Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas image

Chicken variation on the classic pork carnitas. Serve in tortillas with whatever toppings you want. Enjoy.

Provided by Chef Dan J

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     Latin American     Mexican

Time 4h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 22

2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 (4 ounce) can fire-roasted diced green chiles
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon Mexican-style seasoning blend
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning blend
¼ teaspoon chile powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 cloves garlic

Steps:

  • Dissolve chicken bouillon in boiling water.
  • Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent and browned, about 5 minutes. Add jalapenos and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green chiles; cook for 3 minutes more.
  • Mix salt, cilantro, Mexican seasoning, cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, seasoning blend, chile powder, paprika, mustard powder, and black pepper together in a bowl.
  • Trim chicken as needed. Coat all sides with the seasoning blend.
  • Place onion mixture in a slow cooker. Add chicken broth, juice and zest from the limes and orange, and garlic cloves. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on Low until chicken is no longer pink inside and very tender, 4 to 6 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 177.9 calories, Carbohydrate 8.1 g, Cholesterol 66.1 mg, Fat 4.6 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 25.9 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 824.7 mg, Sugar 3.7 g

SLOW-COOKER CHIPOTLE BEEF CARNITAS



Slow-Cooker Chipotle Beef Carnitas image

I came up with this recipe while trying to figure out what I could do with a pot roast that had been in the freezer. Now I keep the rub in a plastic bag, ready and waiting in my cupboard, and I can get the roast in the slow cooker in less than 15 minutes. -Ann Piscitelli, Nokomis, Florida

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 8h40m

Yield 16 servings plus 1/4 cup leftover spice mixture.

Number Of Ingredients 18

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 pounds)
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
16 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
3 cups crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Optional toppings: cubed avocado, sour cream and minced fresh cilantro

Steps:

  • Mix the first nine ingredients. Cut roast in half; rub with 1/4 cup spice mixture. Cover and store remaining mixture in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year., Place onions and peppers in a 4-qt. slow cooker. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown roast on all sides. Transfer meat and drippings to slow cooker. Top with salsa. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 8-10 hours., Remove roast; shred with two forks. Skim fat from cooking juices. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/2 cup meat mixture on each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Add toppings of your choice.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 415 calories, Fat 18g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 70mg cholesterol, Sodium 830mg sodium, Carbohydrate 35g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 27g protein.

SLOW-COOKER CARNITAS



Slow-Cooker Carnitas image

We shared these flavor-packed tacos with friends from church who came over to help us move. They're so good, I put them on my blog, manilaspoon.com! The slow cooker makes this recipe extra easy, and I love that whenever I make it, I'm reminded of the wonderful people back in Michigan. -Abigail Raines, Hamden, Connecticut

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 8h25m

Yield 12 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 13

1/2 cup salsa
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 whole cloves
1-1/4 cups water
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bone-in pork shoulder roast (6 to 7 pounds)
24 corn tortillas (6 inches) or taco shells, warmed
Optional toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped tomato, onion, cilantro and lime wedges

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, mix first 9 ingredients. Place onions in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Place roast over onions; pour salsa mixture over roast. Cook, covered, on low until pork is tender, 8-10 hours., Remove roast; remove and discard bone. Shred pork with 2 forks. Serve in tortillas with toppings as desired. Freeze option: Freeze cooled pork mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Microwave, covered, on high in a microwave-safe dish until heated through, stirring occasionally; add water or broth if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 393 calories, Fat 18g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 100mg cholesterol, Sodium 757mg sodium, Carbohydrate 25g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 32g protein.

BEST EVER SLOW COOKER CARNITAS



Best Ever Slow Cooker Carnitas image

A mouth-watering Mexican carnitas recipe with a special sweet addition, slow cooked for hours in a crock-pot and served with warm tortillas. After numerous attempts at perfecting the art of carnitas from scratch, this is my best recipe yet. A taste of Mexico in your very own kitchen!

Provided by SocialWorkChef

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 6h15m

Yield 8 meat-filled tortillas, 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 lbs pork loin (Boston butt and shoulder work great. Leaner meats seem to dry out.)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
5 -6 garlic cloves, peeled with the tips chopped off
3 -4 bay leaves, broken
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 (20 ounce) bottle Coca-Cola Classic

Steps:

  • Cut the 2 lbs of pork into roughly 2 inch squares and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  • Pour the stick of melted butter in the slow cooker coating the meat. Do the same with the 2 Tbs of oil.
  • Break the one cinnamon stick in half and place to the sides of the meat.
  • Peel 5-6 garlic cloves, cutting the tips off, and break 3-4 bay leaves in half. Place the leaves and the garlic in the slow cooker, evenly distributed among the meat.
  • Add the 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp (or more depending on taste) red pepper flakes, sprinkling evenly across the meat.
  • Pour the 1/3 cup whole milk in the cooker, being careful not to wash away the spices from the meat.
  • Add the Coca Cola, being careful not to wash away the spices from the meat. Add enough to just cover the top of the meat.
  • Turn the slow cooker to the "Low" heat setting. Cook for 6 hours, stirring every few hours.
  • Once cooked, remove meat from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and place in a separate large bowl. Shred the meat using two forks, and add spoonfuls of liquid from the cooker to ensure meat is moist.
  • Serve on warm tortillas, with pico de gallo, sour cream, and chopped jalapenos.

SLOW COOKER CARNITAS



Slow Cooker Carnitas image

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

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth

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

THE BEST SLOW COOKER CARNITAS, GREAT FOR TACOS!



The BEST Slow Cooker Carnitas, Great for Tacos! image

These carnitas cook low and slow in the Slow Cooker or Crockpot and finish on the stove for a crispy and delicious filling for tacos, burritos or nachos. This is the new taco filling for Taco Tuesday at our house. My whole crew prefers this to traditional taco filling made with ground beef or ground turkey.

Provided by sellingsavannah

Categories     Mexican

Time 6h30m

Yield 10-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
1 large onion, sliced into large peices
2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups water
1 (4 -6 lb) boneless pork shoulder or 1 (4 -6 lb) boston butt
2 tablespoons canola oil or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Steps:

  • Mix the kosher salt, garlic powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano and black pepper together in a small bowl. Coat the pork shoulder roast with the dry rub.
  • Place the sliced onion and bay leaves in the bottom of your slow cooker, lay pork shoulder roast on top. Carefully pour water or chicken broth around the roast, making sure you don't disturb the dry rub.
  • Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 6 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 3 hours.
  • When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, remove and discard excess fat and shred with two forks. Reserve cooking liquid.
  • Place shredded pork into a large skillet with 1 cup of reserved cooking liquid over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Once liquid has cooked down completely, add canola or vegetable oil. Stir occasionally for 15-20 minutes or until the meat has reached desired crispiness.
  • Serve in warm flour or corn tortillas with your favorite taco toppings. We serve ours cilantro, pickled red onions, salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, sliced cabbage and lime wedges,.

Tips:

  • Choose the right cut of pork: Pork shoulder or pork butt are the best cuts for carnitas. These cuts are tough but full of flavor, and they become tender and juicy when cooked slowly in the crock pot.
  • Don't overcrowd the slow cooker: If you're cooking a large batch of carnitas, be sure to use a slow cooker that is large enough to accommodate all of the meat without overcrowding. Overcrowding will prevent the meat from cooking evenly.
  • Cook the carnitas on low for 8-10 hours: This will give the meat time to become fall-apart tender. You can also cook the carnitas on high for 4-6 hours, but the meat will be less tender.
  • Add a flavorful cooking liquid: You can use a variety of liquids to flavor the carnitas, such as water, chicken broth, or pork broth. You can also add spices, herbs, and vegetables to the cooking liquid for extra flavor.
  • Shred the carnitas and serve: Once the carnitas are cooked, use two forks to shred the meat. Serve the carnitas immediately with your favorite toppings, such as tortillas, rice, beans, or guacamole.

Conclusion:

Slow cooker carnitas are an easy and delicious way to make a flavorful and versatile meal. With just a few simple ingredients and a little time, you can have a delicious meal that your whole family will enjoy. Plus, the leftovers can be used to make a variety of other dishes, such as tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

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