Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Lately I’ve been really loving the 90s radio station on Pandora. Every Britney, ‘N Sync, Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls, TLC, and Backstreet Boys song just makes me want to DANCE and reminds me of slumber parties and talent shows as a kid. Even the 90s rock and alternative hits make me smile because they remind me of being carted around in the backseat of my parents’ car with the radio on as a kid. It’s crazy to think how much popular music and top 40 radio has changed since then. I wonder how we’ll look back at the music of the early 2000s in another ten or twenty years. Music has been around for centuries but what will the internet be like in ten years? Will blogs still be popular? What will be the next Facebook or Twitter or Instagram? I guess we’ll find out eventually!

Sometimes I also wonder how we’ll look back on popular recipes and meals of today. Things like meat loaf and casserole seem so dated now, what will seem dated in the future? I don’t really care if something is considered modern or popular as long as it’s good. Like these pork carnitas. They are goooooood. So flavorful, so tender, and so easy. You can do a ton of things with the meat too if you didn’t want tacos. Plus, unlike traditional carnitas which are fried, these carnitas are broiled to give them those crisp edges.

How to make

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Yield: 4 -6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

These pork carnitas are goooooood. So flavorful, so tender, and so easy. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup salsa
• Tortillas, cilantro, avocado, limes, etc. for serving

Directions

1. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno to the slow cooker. Pour the lime juice, orange juice, and salsa into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until tender.
2. Shred the meat with two forks and return to slow cooker to combine with the leftover sauce inside.
3. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the meat evenly over the sheet. Pour some of the sauce over the meat. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the edges of the pork are browned.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Course : Main Course

Cuisine : Mexican

Recipe by Tessa Arias

Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)