Description
This ultimate carnitas crockpot recipe is a flavorful and easy slow cooker meal made with pork shoulder, citrus juice, and spices. Perfect for tacos, rice bowls, or sliders, it’s a crowd-pleasing dish that’s tender on the inside and crispy on the edges. A must-try for fans of Mexican-style pulled pork and one-pot meals.
Ingredients
3.5 to 4 pounds pork shoulder (boneless)
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
1. Pat the pork shoulder dry and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
2. Place the pork in a crockpot. Add sliced onion, minced garlic, bay leaves, orange juice, and lime juice.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8–10 hours or on high for 5–6 hours until the pork is tender.
4. Transfer pork to a tray and shred with two forks, discarding any bones or large fat pieces.
5. Preheat your oven broiler. Spread the pork on a foil-lined baking sheet.
6. Drizzle with olive oil and spoon some juices over the pork.
7. Broil for 4–6 minutes until edges are crisp, flip, and broil another 3–4 minutes.
8. Serve hot in tacos, bowls, or store for later.
Notes
This recipe makes enough for 6 to 8 servings.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
For added crispiness, do not overcrowd the baking sheet while broiling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker + Broil
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approx)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 85mg