Slow Cooker Carnitas

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You can make this easy slow cooker carnitas recipe overnight and use the meat for a carnitas plate, burritos, tortas, tacos, and more.

Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe Ingredients

You can make our slow cooker carnitas recipe with pork shoulder or pork butt, orange juice, lime juice, and tons of seasonings for easy, authentic flavor. Here’s everything you’ll need to make our slow cooker carnitas recipe:

• Pork shoulder or pork butt (bone-in or boneless)
• Orange juice
• Lime juice
• Liquid smoke
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Mexican oregano
• Cumin
• Ground red cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Bay leaf

Pork shoulder and pork butt are similar cuts of meat that are both fatty and benefit from a slow cook – that’s why they’re the best to use for this carnitas recipe! The fat renders as the meat cooks and brings so much flavor and tenderness to the carnitas.

Why do you put orange juice in carnitas? Carnitas typically has some citrusy flavor, so we add both orange juice and lime juice to the marinade. These acidic ingredients also help balance the salty and spicy seasonings that give carnitas its traditional flavor.

How To Make Carnitas In A Crock Pot

It’s seriously so easy to make these carnitas overnight in your slow cooker or crock pot! Here’s how to do it:

1. Add the pork shoulder to the crock pot or slow cooker.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the orange juice, lime juice, liquid smoke, and seasonings (minus the bay leaf) to make the marinade.
3. Pour the marinade evenly over the pork, then add the bay leaf (make sure to submerge it in the liquid).
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork is about 155-165 degrees F.
5. Remove the bay leaf, then transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 1 hour.
6. Pull the pork by hand, discarding excess fat.

Make sure your crock pot is set to low heat, because it is possible to overcook carnitas in a slow cooker! The meat will dry out if it stays in the crock pot for too long, or if you use too high of a heat setting. Carnitas should be juicy and tender, and fall apart easily when you start to pull it by hand.

After cooking the pork, we recommend saving the juices that are leftover in the slow cooker. There’s so much flavor in the cooking liquid – and you’ll want to use it to make our spicy verde sauce and restaurant style carnitas burrito recipes! Strain it into a jar or air-tight container and save it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Making Carnitas Ahead Of Time

Pulled pork carnitas freeze really well, so you can easily make these slow cooker carnitas ahead of time. (We like to pick up a pork shoulder whenever it’s on sale at the grocery store and make these carnitas or our traditional pulled pork!).

Simply make the carnitas as directed, then let cool for about an hour before packaging in air-tight containers and freezing. Freeze for 3 to 4 months, then defrost overnight in the fridge before using. Alternatively, you can reheat carnitas directly from frozen by warming in a frying pan over medium heat.

Tip: Portion out standard amounts of carnitas based on what you’ll use it for and freeze them in separate containers. This way, when you only need half a pound for making tacos, you can easily defrost only what you need!

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

To store freshly cooked carnitas, package in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in a frying pan over medium heat until warm and lightly crisped, about 6 to 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker Carnitas Serving Suggestions

If you haven’t ever tried carnitas, you might be wondering, what should I serve with pork carnitas? You’re in luck – there’s no shortage of delicious ways to serve these carnitas! Here are a few suggestions:

• Make a restaurant style carnitas plate with a pile of pork carnitas, a side of rice and beans (try our easy cilantro-lime rice here), a scoop of guacamole, and some flour tortillas
• Use carnitas as a filling in a delicious wet burrito with spicy verde sauce
• Make authentic carnitas tacos topped with raw onion and cilantro
• Add carnitas to a burrito bowl with rice, beans, tomato, onion, jalapeno, avocado, cheese, and hot sauce
• Make a Mexican torta with carnitas, refried beans, cheese, and guacamole on a soft telera roll
• Add carnitas to a cheese quesadilla or a plate of homemade nachos for extra protein