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Pork carnitas in white serving bowl with brown rim with metal tongs on top.
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

These Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are tender, juicy, and packed with bold, citrusy flavor! The pork cooks low and slow until it's fall-apart tender, then gets finished with a quick broil for those irresistible, crispy edges. These carnitas are perfect for serving with your favorite tacos, bowls, salads, or nachos and require minimal effort to make!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword slow cooker pork carnitas
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings 10 -12 servings
Calories 271kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion sliced or quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • Juice from 2 oranges about 1/2 cup
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • 2 cups chicken stock
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Season the pork: Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Rub the seasoning mixture evenly over all sides of the pork.
    4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, 1 Tbsp. dried oregano, 2 tsp. chili powder, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. black pepper
    Seasoning pork shoulder with carnitas seasonings.
  • Assemble the slow cooker: Add the onion, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, and chicken stock to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the seasoned pork on top.
    1 yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, Juice from 2 oranges, Juice from 1 lime, 2 cups chicken stock
    Assembling seasoned pork shoulder on top of onion and the rest of the ingredients for pork carnitas in slow cooker.
  • Slow cook: Cover and cook: Low: 8–10 hour or High: 5–6 hours. The pork should be extremely tender and shred easily with a fork. Start Timer
    Pork carnitas cooked in slow cooker.
  • Shred the pork: Transfer the pork to a large bowl or cutting board and shred using two forks. Discard excess fat if desired and keep all liquid.
    Cooked pork carnitas shredded with two forks on wood cutting board.

How to Get Crispy Carnitas (Don’t Skip This!)

  • Broil for crispy edges: Preheat your oven broiler to high. Line a large baking sheet with foil.Spread the shredded pork evenly on the baking sheet. Spoon about 1/2–3/4 cup of the cooking liquid over the meat to keep it juicy. Broil for 5–7 minutes, watching closely, until the edges begin to brown and crisp.
    Side-by-side image of adding shredded pork carnitas to baking sheet and tossing with extra juices before broiling.
  • Toss + broil again (if needed): Remove from the oven, toss the pork gently, then broil for another 3–5 minutes until deeply golden and crispy in spots. Pro Tip: Crispy edges + juicy centers is the goal, don’t overbroil or the pork can dry out.
  • Enjoy! Serve these crispy pork carnitas as tacos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, nachos, or your meal prep for the week!
    Pork carnitas finished and placed on serving dish with metal tongs for serving.

Notes

How to Serve Carnitas
  • Tacos with cilantro, onion, and lime
  • Burrito bowls or rice bowls
  • Quesadillas or nachos
  • Meal prep protein for the week!
Storage & Freezing Instructions
  • Store: If storing extra pork, I would wait to broil it until I'm ready to eat. To store, allow the cooked and shredded pork (but not broiled) to cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
  • Freeze: Freezing is a great option too! Let pork cool, then store in a freezer-safe bag (or container) and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
  • Reheat: Reheat refrigerated pulled pork using the microwave, stovetop, or oven at 300°F then broil to get crispy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg