Last updated on February 27th, 2018 at 05:27 am
These Crockpot Pork Carnitas are full of incredible flavor and so easy to make. They are super versatile and perfect for tacos or burritos!
I’ve been making pork carnitas for a few years now, and all they really are is Mexican pulled pork. When I started making pork carnitas I used to make them in a Dutch oven with the lid on in the oven. I still make it like that every once in a while, but I’ve discovered that they are much easier to make in a slow cooker. It’s so much less effort. The beauty of cooking in a slow cooker is that you basically throw all your ingredients in it, set it and forget it. The end result is incredibly juicy tender pieces of pork with incredible flavor.
The trick to getting perfect pork carnitas is really using the right cut of meat, and that is pork shoulder or pork butt. The reason for this is because, obviously, it’s a fatter cut of meat. I would not recommend using pork tenderloin because you will not end up with the same result, which is the juicy tender pork carnitas.
There is so much flavor in this meat and the pork is incredibly delicious. The reason I make pork carnitas often is because of their versatility. They are perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, just to name a few.
This time I chose to make a ton of burritos with it, and what a treat it was! This is what I mean by versatility, each burrito I made was different, I even made breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs. You do have options with the pulled pork. You can serve it just like it comes out of the crockpot, shredded of course, and make a gravy with the leftover juices, see recipe notes for instructions, or you can crisp up the meat under the broiler. If you crisp up the meat, I would still make the gravy to serve it with, because the meat might get a bit drier after broiling.
Hello burritos! I was in my element as I was making these burritos, and we were even happier eating them. This recipe was so easy to make. I prepped this the night before, got the slow cooker ready, turned it on, and in the morning, the house smelled fabulous and I started making burritos. All I can say is that it was a good Sunday morning, oh yeah it’s never too early to start eating burritos! I filled my burritos with lettuce, red peppers, herbs such as cilantro and dill, scrambled eggs, even pickled beats, some with Sriracha, some with gravy and some with mayo. It was a feast!
I hope you give this recipe a try, it’s so worth it and I’m sure it will become a staple in your house as well!
Looking for more carnitas recipes? Try these:
If you guys love this recipe, and most importantly make it yourselves, please let us know. Take a picture and tag it #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
- 4 lb pork shoulder
- 1 large onion quartered
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 cup orange juice
- 12 oz beer
- Cut the pork shoulder into large 2 inch chunks. Trim some of the fat if needed.
- In your crockpot add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Add the pork to the crockpot and stir. There should be enough liquid to cover the pork.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
- Take 2 forks and start shredding the meat into smaller pieces. Pour some of the leftover liquid over the meat or strain the liquid and use it to make a gravy. See notes for instructions.
- Serve on tacos, burritos, tamales, sandwiches, etc.
To make a gravy from the leftover juices, strain the liquid through a sieve. Add the liquid to a saucepan and sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour over it. Whisk it vigorously until smooth and comes to a boil, over medium heat.
If you wanted crispy pork carnitas, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the pulled pork over the prepared baking sheet and place it under the broiler for about 3 to 5 minutes or until crispy.
Store pork carnitas leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Nutritional information is only for the pork caritas, not for the burritos. Calories for burritos can vary greatly based on ingredients used.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Recipe originally shared September 2013
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I just woke up to a beautiful slow roasted pork shoulder all ready to be the star of tacos for tonight’s supper. The only variations I used was adding both Silk Road Spice Merchant’s ground Morita chilies and some Epazote. I love everything about this recipe, though next time I will add 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar to the mix! So happy to have found this site!
Hi Jo,
This is the first carnitas recipe that I’ve ever used that is actually flavorful. I think it is the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and all the great acids, but also just the perfect amount of spices used. I just made this last night and it was AMAZING. I didn’t get my act together early enough to crock pot it, so I cooked it in a dutch oven, first getting the liquid and meat to a boil, then stuck it in a 325 degree oven for about 3 hours. The only adjustment that I made was increasing the kosher salt to 1.5 tsp and squeezing fresh lime over it before serving it minimally dressed on tacos with green onions, cilantro, avocado and lettuce. It was perfection and I am so excited to now have this recipe in my arsenal. Thank you thank you!
Thank you Suzy for commenting and so glad you enjoyed the carnitas as they are a favorite of ours as well.
This sounds so good. In the remarks, someone mentioned browning the pork before putting it in the crockpot, but it was not in the directions. Should it be browned? Also, love your pictures!
Hi Pam,
Thank you! You could brown it if you wanted to but it’s not necessary.
I’ve made this recipe twice. It is delicious and so versatile! Just hubby and me now so I saved half back each time and froze it for later. It freezes up beautifully–a bonus. The second time I made it I discovered that we were out of beer, so I used tequila. Came out just fine ;~). So thanks for the recipe and also for the cookbook. I bought two–one for me and one for my new daughter-in-law.
Thanks Terri for commenting and for buying the cookbook. Thanks for being.a part of the Jo Cooks community, we appreciate it!
Yummy! Can’t wait to try this
Hi Jo, do u think alcohol free beer would be a good idea in this recipe?
Yeah it should be just fine. 🙂
Hi Jo,
Since this is browned before going into the crock pot would it be okay to skip the broiler after?
Yeah for sure, that step is only required really if you want the meat a bit crispier, but totally not necessary.
I used the pork loin (on sale). They were delicious, although I agree, the added fat of the shoulder would keep them a bit more tender. I squeezed half a lime over them when they came out of the broiler. Everyone loved these! This recipe is a keeper.
If I choose to make this recipe in advance, how would you recommend re-heating the pork?
The microwave works fine and it’s normally how I reheat it, but you can also use your crockpot to reheat it which is great especially if you have to take this somewhere else.
These were awesome! Raves from the family! We did them in soft flour tortillas with taco fixings. Next time, we would like to find a cilantro or lime-cilantro crema rather than using salsa.
We use the cilantro lime mayo recipe from this fish recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/blackened-tilapia-sandwich-with-cilantro-lime-mayonnaise-recipe.html
Do you foresee any issues if I prepare the meat in steps 1 through 4, but refrigerate it overnight prior to cooking in the crock pot? It would be likely be refrigerated for about 14 hours in the mixture. Normally I would not take issue, but I am not sure what the OJ acid would do overnight. Can’t wait to try this one!
Thanks!
I think it should be fine, it would just give the meat a chance to marinate.
Made this a day in advance to further meld flavors.. was SUPERB!! Served with white corn tortillas, lightly toasted in dry non-stick skillet, guacamole, organic refried beans with chili and lime, summer crisp corn kernels, sour cream and of course salsas. (offered homemade salsa verde , mango salsa and regular tomato based salsa) … was a wonderful Mother’s Day dinner!! All ages loved it and I had hardly any leftovers from 3lbs pork.
So glad you liked it 🙂
I made this today! I didn’t have a crock pot so I used a rice cooker. It took about 2-3 hours in it and it was done. (I’m sure if I had a crockpot it would taste a bit different) it came out really great! I used stone IPA for my beer.
And at the end after I took it out of broiler I found it dry, so I boiled some beef broth and put the carnitas in and let it reduce. Came out perfect!
Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Melody. 🙂
The recipie sounds amazing! What kind of beer did you use?
I just used Corona because that’s what we usually have on hand, but any beer would work, especially a dark ale. 🙂
How many people does this serve?
I guess it depends on how you eat it, whether it’s on sandwiches or just with some mashed potatoes, but I’d say about 6 servings.
I made this today; the only change I made is that I did not use the cinnamon. I made tacos with corn tortillas, salsa verde, & cotija cheese. This recipe is a winner!
Glad you liked it April. 🙂
This looks delicious!! I will definitely be putting this on my list of new recipes to try! I love crockpot meals and will work this into my meal plan! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Lori, you’ll love it. 🙂
Jo, this sounds great. Wondering if you think Pork Loin would work out as well for tenderness. It is such a good buy from time to time and one could cut it up in advance and have it all ready for throwing in the crockpot.
Thanks Jo, love your recipes !
I totally agree with you, I buy pork loin when it’s on sale as well. Now, pork loin is quite lean, the pork shoulder here is a lot fattier, so I’m not sure if it would turn out as tender as the shoulder. I would still try it, it would be a lean pork carnitas. 🙂
Sounds great; is there something I could substitute for beer?
You could use chicken broth.:)
Sounds delicious.
I make a lot of crockpot meals because on the days that I work I am not usually home until around 7:30, and using the crockpot is the only way that I can get a meal on the table at a reasonable hour.