Slow Cooker Carnitas (Mexican Style Pulled Pork)

These Slow Cooker Carnitas bring the street-style carnitas tacos right to your kitchen with almost no effort! This recipe brings in the sweet citrus flavor of orange juice to balance out this Mexican-style pulled pork recipe.

Just set it and forget it.. until it's time to shred and eat! It really is that simple!

More easy weeknight meal ideas: Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken | One Pot Buffalo Chicken Tortellini | Chicken Tortellini | Southern Chicken Casserole | Chicken Tetrazzini (With a Southern Twist!) | Easy Crock Pot Lasagna | Chicken and Sweet Potato Chip Casserole

Need another Crockpot Taco Tuesday idea? Try another favorite of ours, 5 Ingredient Crockpot Chicken Tacos with Salsa!

Ingredients

To make your Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas, here's what you'll need:

• Pork Butt - Can also use Pork Shoulder
• Salt and Pepper
• Onion
• Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
• Garlic Cloves
• Orange Juice
• Taco Seasoning - I used Fiesta That from The Flat Top King

See recipe card for quantities.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Step 1: Coat the Pork Butt with taco seasoning.

2. Step 2: Prep vegetables: Slice bell pepper, cut onion into chunks, slice chipotles in adobo sauce, and squeeze fresh orange juice.

3. Step 3: Place pork, garlic cloves, vegetables, salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Taco Seasoning into the slow cooker. Set on low for 8 hours. (Add in 1 tablespoon of Adobo Sauce for a spicier version)

4. Step 4: Shred pork. Serve your shredded pork on tacos, in burritos, or however you prefer!

Pro Tip: The slow cooking process is what makes this tender and delicious! Although you can cook this on high heat for 4-5 hours, I don't suggest it. Be patient and let the crockpot work its magic.

Storage

Allow the carnitas mixture to cool before storing in an airtight container. Store with minimal liquids from the slow cooker. Good for up to 4 days. To reheat, place in a pan, covered on medium-low heat.

To freeze, portion out the pork and place it in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating in your pan.

Substitutions and Additions

In my opinion, the best way to enjoy carnitas is to keep it simple when serving. Typically, we just top our carnitas tacos with a little bit of lime juice and cilantro (and jalapeño if we're craving spice).

• Pork Options:
  • Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder
• Additional Seasonings:
  • You'll find a lot of recipes for Carnitas that add in chili powder and bay leaves as well. I prefer to keep this weeknight meal easy, but spice it up if you'd like!
  • Craving Spicy? The chipotles in adobo sauce are the perfect spice up! It's smoky and delicious. Adding just one more can make a world of difference, so use them cautiously.
• Peppers:
  • To cut down on spice, use banana peppers instead of chipotles in adobo sauce.

Our Favorite Taco Toppings

• More Topping Ideas:
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Jalapeños (fresh or pickled)
  • Red onion or green onions
  • Cilantro
  • Avocado slices or guacamole
  • Sweet corn or roasted corn
  • Sliced black olives
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Sour Cream
• Sauce Toppings:
  • Smoked Salsa
  • Three Pepper Salsa
  • Cilantro and Lime Crema
  • Hot Sauce (like Tapitio or Valentina)

Frequently Asked Questions

More From the Slow Cooker

Video of Recipe

Recipe

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

CookitwithTim

These Slow Cooker Carnitas bring the street-style carnitas tacos right to your kitchen with almost no effort! Just set it and forget it.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8

Calories 398 kcal

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 Lb Pork Butt or pork shoulder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Taco Seasoning use more if needed
• ▢ 1 Bell Pepper chopped
• ▢ 1 Onion chopped
• ▢ 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce or banana peppers for less spice
• ▢ 4 Garlic Cloves
• ▢ ¾ Cup Orange Juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 2½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• ▢ Adobo Sauce for more spice optional

Instructions

 

• Coat Pork Butt with taco seasoning.
• Prep vegetables: Slice bell pepper, cut onion into chunks, slice chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and squeeze fresh orange juice.
• Place pork, garlic cloves, vegetables, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of Taco Seasoning into the slow cooker. Set on low for 8 hours. (Add in 1 tablespoon of Adobo Sauce for a spicier version)
• Shred pork and serve carnitas on tacos, in burritos or however you prefer!

Notes

To cut down spice, use banana peppers instead of chipotle peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 54gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 963mgPotassium: 1068mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 573IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 4mg

Tried this recipe?Rate it and let me know how it was!