Effortless Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Create tender, flavorful pork carnitas with minimal effort using your slow cooker. This recipe delivers succulent, shreddable pork perfect for tacos, burritos, or bowls, with a simple step to achieve those desirable crispy edges.
1Ingredients
- 3 lbsPork shoulder (Boston butt)
- 1 wholeOrange
- 1 wholeLime
- 1 wholeMedium onion
- 5 clovesGarlic cloves
- 0.5 cupChicken broth
- 1.5 tspGround cumin
- 1 tspDried oregano
- 2 tspSalt
- 1 tspBlack pepper
2Instructions
- 1
Trim any large pieces of excess fat from the pork shoulder, then cut the pork into 2-3 inch chunks.
⏱ 5 min - 2
Halve and peel the onion. Smash and peel the garlic cloves. Juice the orange and the lime.
⏱ 5 min - 3
Place the pork chunks into your slow cooker. Add the onion halves, garlic cloves, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
⏱ 5 min - 4
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the pork is extremely tender and easily shreds with a fork.
⏱ 480 min - 5
Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a large bowl. Using two forks, shred the pork into desired pieces, discarding any remaining large fat chunks. Skim any excess fat from the liquid remaining in the slow cooker, reserving about half a cup of the cooking liquid.
⏱ 10 min - 6
To achieve crispy carnitas, preheat your oven broiler. Spread the shredded pork in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid. Broil for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully, until the edges are nicely browned and crispy. Flip the pork halfway through for even crisping.
⏱ 10 min - 7
Serve the crispy pork carnitas warm in tortillas, lettuce wraps, or over rice. Top with your favorite accompaniments like chopped cilantro, diced onion, or salsa.
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