To live life is to eat tacos. Words spoken by a wise t-shirt.
I love Vietnamese food but once in a while I love me a good taco. What better way to enjoy tacos than making it yourself in a slow cooker and forgetting it for a few hours?
This pork carnitas recipe is made in a slow cooker for juicy, tender and flavorful Mexican pulled pork. They are perfect for tacos, tostadas, burritos, quesadillas, sandwiches and salads …pretty much anything that could use a little porky goodness.
Carnitas are made with pork shoulder (also known as pork butt). The pork is seasoned with oregano, cumin and chili powder then popped into the slow cooker to slowly braise in its own fat for about 4 hours. Once the pork is done braising, I shred it then fry it in a pan to caramelize the outside and to get those yummy crispy edges. For my tacos, I serve them in a corn tortilla and top it with cilantro, onions, tomatoes, a fresh squeeze of lime and homemade pickled Mexican jalapenos. Three words. Nom, nom, nom. It’s a delicious easy family meal that’s perfect for any night of the week.
Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Carnitas
- Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
This pork carnitas recipe is made in a slow cooker for juicy, tender and flavorful Mexican pulled pork.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder/butt (trim off excess fat)
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 small onion (slice)
- 3 garlic cloves (peel and smash)
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Marinate the pork: Season the pork shoulder with oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, chili powder, and cinnamon.
- Add ingredients to the slow cooker: Add pork to a slow cooker. Add water, onion, garlic and bay leaf.
- Slow cook the pork: Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Shred the pork: Remove from cooker and chop into small pieces against the grain.
- Brown the pork: Brown the pork in a large skillet with a bit of oil from the slow cooker. Serve with flour or corn tortillas, salsa and pickled jalapenos.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
