• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
OMG! Yummy
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook!
  • Sumac & Sunshine
  • Classes and Events
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook!
  • Classes and Events
  • Sumac & Sunshine
  • Shop
  • Contact
×
Home » Main Courses

Craving Carnitas? - Crock Pot Method Offers Fabulous Flavor for Minimal Effort

by Beth Lee · Published: Dec 1, 2011 · Modified: Jan 27, 2022

515 shares
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
pin image showing pork carnitas slow cooker tacos

I find it especially difficult to prepare home-cooked healthy meals during the busy holiday season. Often, the slow-cooker solves this problem for me - the meal is brewing while I'm out running around all day and the house smells wonderful when we finally arrive home. But I never would have guessed that you can create carnitas, a traditional Mexican pork dish, in your crock pot. Traditionally, they are prepared in manteca (lard) in a copper pot, likely in your backyard.

In fact I was lucky enough to try them prepared this way last June, when my neighbors’ daughter requested that her dad cook traditional carnitas for her college graduation party. You can see from this photo that dad honored her request. Food geek that I am, I quickly pulled out my iPhone to snap a photo.

Carnitas in the backyard in a copper pot with manteca

The mom, on the other hand, was not nearly as excited as I was. She was appalled that her guests were standing in the side yard watching their dinner cook in a wheelbarrow. When the pork was done cooking, we carried it inside to the beautiful buffet and nobody (but his small audience) was any the wiser to its origin. And EVERYBODY gobbled the carnitas up, along with the homemade roasted pepper salsa served alongside. At the end of the party, not a shred of pork was left on the platter.

But in the reality of our busy, lard-free life the other 364 days of the year, how can we recreate this delectable traditional fare? That's where the slow cooker comes in to play.slow cooker carnitas

Recently, I happened upon a recipe from thekitchn.com espousing the use of the slow cooker to prepare carnitas. A bit incredulous, I gave it a try including just a few variations of my own. The results were remarkable and provide a busy family with at least two meals, perhaps more, of this spicy, succulent, satisfying taco filling. This recipe would be a great addition to a busy December schedule and even provide an easy buffet dinner for an impromptu holiday gathering.

Slow-Cooker Carnitas

Beth Lee
(adapted from the kitchn)
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 hours hrs
Total Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Servings 8 servings
Calories 642 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 lbs bone-in pork butt or approx. 6 lbs boneless
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce or ¾ cup tomato juice
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • ¾ cup orange juice
  • 6 oz beer ½ of a 12 oz bottle
  • ¼ cup salsa any red salsa that you enjoy will work
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
  • 8 whole cloves garlic smashed
  • 4 chipotle peppers canned or dried, roughly chopped
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Trim any excess fat on the exterior of the pork butt and then place it in the crock pot.
  • In a medium size bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, mix the next 13 ingredients together and then pour over the pork butt in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Or if you get a late start, cook on high for a couple of hours, then low for another 4 or 5. The pork is ready when you can put a fork in it and it feels like it will fall apart.
  • Remove the pork from the crock pot and place it on a large cutting board to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks, removing any large chunks of fat you find along the way.
    On a foil-lined jelly-roll pan, place a single layer of the shredded pork and drizzle the pork with a bit of the cooking juice. Turn on the broiler and place the pork under the broiler (about 6 inches away) and let it crisp up for about 5 minutes (time will vary depending on how far away from the broiler you place the pan and how hot your broiler is. Mine was set for convect broil at 450 degrees about 6 inches from the element.)
  • The pork will now have some of the crispness you traditionally find in fried carnitas.
  • Serve with corn tortillas and a variety of taco garnishings such as salsa, sour cream, avocado, fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, a blend of Mexican cheeses, cilantro or as a platter with refried beans, rice, and salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 642kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 86gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 272mgSodium: 2373mgPotassium: 1769mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 460IUVitamin C: 15.7mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 6.8mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Main Courses

  • Large oval red platter of matzo nachos with leftover brisket.
    Matzo Nachos with Leftover Brisket (Vegetarian Option)
  • Bulgogi burger on a wooden board with a red bowl of coleslaw in the background.
    Bulgogi Burgers with Kimchi Sauce
  • One stuffed pepper on a plate with yogurt and fresh parsley.
    Stuffed Romano Peppers Recipe
  • Braised beef brisket in a bowl with a slice of challah on the side.
    Braised Beef Brisket with Tsimmes

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Heather

    October 11, 2012 at 7:29 am

    I had to move to Singapore from California and there's no decent Mexican restaurants around. This recipe will SAVE MY LIFE! Now to look for some decent corn tortillas that don't cost $15 a packet! Yikes! Can't wait to try this recipe! Love that all the ingredients are accessible no matter what country you're in!

    Reply
    • Beth

      October 11, 2012 at 10:26 am

      Glad this will help bring a food you love to your new home in Singapore. Dare I say that if need be, you could make your own tortillas? But I suppose the masa harina might be hard to find as well? Could you order it from Amazon or is shipping too high?

      Reply
  2. Echo

    June 25, 2012 at 11:53 am

    Hi Beth!
    I spent most of my morning at work reading your blog, I am hooked 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing the stories and recipes.
    I love slow cooker, it just does all the wonders for you. (only problem is, there's only 2 of us!)
    I'd try this Carnitas this week, I know Fionn would thank you 🙂
    Echo

    Reply
    • Beth (OMG! Yummy)

      June 25, 2012 at 11:57 am

      Hi Echo! So glad you're enjoying it! I am already working on a post from this weekend - hope I can convey just how great it was to spend time with everyone sharing conversation, food, and activities. Make the carnitas! You can always freeze some leftovers (meat and sauce separately) and have meals for another time. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
      • Echo

        June 25, 2012 at 12:30 pm

        Will do!
        and can't wait to see your new post!

        love, echo

        Reply
  3. (y)our food choices

    March 12, 2012 at 6:20 pm

    Absolutely drool worthy!

    Reply
    • Jeanne

      March 20, 2012 at 5:39 pm

      This recipe is INCREDIBLE. HUGE hit at Taco Tuesday 🙂

      Reply
      • omgyummy

        March 20, 2012 at 6:25 pm

        So happy to make Taco Tuesday a happy gathering! Thanks for sharing the enthusiasm!

        Reply
  4. Heather @ SugarDish(Me)

    February 22, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    I am ALLLL about pork in the slow cooker. This look super! And besides the limes and chipotle peppers, I think I have everything on the list. That's a good enough grocery list for me to do this. And soon!

    Reply
  5. Healthy cooking

    December 15, 2011 at 6:29 pm

    It was a great effort. Nice approach.

    Reply
  6. Cheryl

    December 05, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    Can you do this with a pork loin? I have two 3-pounders in my freezer just waiting for a good recipe! Pinning!

    Reply
    • omgyummy

      December 05, 2011 at 1:50 pm

      Well, I think you can but I don't know if you'll get quite the texture and flavor with such a lean cut. But I've seen recipes using pork tenderloin in the crock pot. Personally, I think they benefit from a quicker cooking method but tenderloin would certainly soak up the flavors and still produce a delicious result.

      Reply
  7. Katy (KatySheCooks)

    December 01, 2011 at 4:13 pm

    Totally pinning this, it looks amazing. And I can only *hope* to throw a party sometime where my guests watch their dinner being cooked in a wheelbarrow ; )

    Reply
    • omgyummy

      December 02, 2011 at 9:13 am

      You never fail to put a smile on my face Katy! You even convinced me to finally become a "pinned" yesterday. I still have no idea what I'm doing but will figure it out eventually, I'm sure.

      As for the backyard wheelbarrow party - I thought it was pretty cool myself but when I told my neighbors about the post, the wife still rolled her eyes all the way back in her head at the mere mention of it 🙂

      Reply
  8. Sandy Corman

    December 01, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    I am not normally a pork person. But that does indeed look delicious. The fact that it can cook while you are doing other things is a big plus too.

    Reply
    • omgyummy

      December 02, 2011 at 9:11 am

      Multi-tasking is one of the biggest selling points!

      Reply
  9. IamSimplyTia

    December 01, 2011 at 3:21 pm

    I really was craving them today....but I have a confession...I never had one. Is that possible? In any case ,it's not gonna be for too long. I'm gonna bookmark this recipe and try it very soon!

    Yours look GREAT!

    Reply
    • omgyummy

      December 02, 2011 at 9:11 am

      Give it a try - you'll be hooked on carnitas without ever cooking in the backyard in a wheelbarrow 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

pin image showing pork carnitas slow cooker tacos
  • Amazon
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
Beth Lee holding red chopsticks and eating rice out of blue bowl.

Hi, I'm Beth!

I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

Read More!

Popular

  • Pomegranate charoset in a blue bowl with oranges surrounding it and pistachios on top.
    Pomegranate Charoset (Haroset) for Passover and Year-round
  • Chocolate-filled hamantaschen on a red plate with a yellow bowl in the background with powdered sugar suggesting the Mexican wedding cookie flavors as well.
    Chocolate-filled Hamantaschen: or was that a Mexican wedding cookie?
  • Mandu dipping sauce on a tan plate with mandu all around and brown bowl with sauce in the center and a slate colored liner in the background.
    Mandu Dipping Sauce (Cho Jung)
  • Pomegranate sauce in a gravy boat with a spoon and the sliced turkey breast in the background.
    Pomegranate Gravy with Port and Rosemary

Buy My Cookbook

Photo of the cover of the essential Jewish baking cookbook by Beth Lee.

Footer

pin image showing pork carnitas slow cooker tacos
↑ back to top
Horizontal image showing logos of various media outlets that OMG! Yummy has been featured in.

About

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Web Stories

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Jewish Recipes

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Beth Lee/OMG! Yummy · All Rights Reserved

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • Yummly
  • Reddit
  • X
 

Loading Comments...
 

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.