Name: Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 5 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 1.5” cubes; 1 cup water; 1 orange, quartered; 1 lime, juiced; 1 white onion, thinly sliced; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt

Taco night dinner is so easy with these Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas! Simple ingredients, fast prep, so tender and great flavor! Crisp the meat before serving for the best taste!

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carnitas in slow cooker with white background.

Tired of the same tacos at home? Then you'll want to give these amazing carnitas a try!

This pork ends up with great flavor! It's slow cooked until tender, then crisped and browned in the skillet before serving.

We usually serve tacos, then use the leftover meat for nachos, burritos, taquitos and quesadillas. If you make extra and plan, then you'll have a few meals for the week with little prep and cook time.

Pork butt is a great cut for slow roasting as it has a ton of fat and flavor. The citrus in this recipe really helps break down the meat while cooking and adds a little freshness and sweetness.

Authentic carnitas are made by evaporating all of the liquid from the cooking vessel over a few hours and then frying the cooked meat in lard. Because we won’t be evaporating our cooking liquid in the slow cooker, we have to remove it and use either a skillet or the broiler to crisp our carnitas.

Keep scrolling for tips, additional pork slow cooker recipes and more!

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recipe ingredients displayed on a white background.

boneless pork butt
water
orange
lime
white onion
garlic
bay leaves
salt

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for measurements and instructions!

Recipe tips:

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

If you don’t plan on crisping the carnitas, I recommend juicing the orange and adding the juice only, rather than the whole fruit. The pork takes on a slightly bitter citrus flavor in the slow cooker that is cooked out when it is sautéed but this can be avoided by not cooking the citrus peel with the meat.

I opted for the skillet to crisp the carnitas because it helps get a good crisp on the outside of the pork without overcooking it. For the broiler method, transfer the shredded pork to a sheet pan and place it 6 inches away from your broiler on the high setting. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the pork is crisp. Don’t walk away because the broiler burns very easily.

tacos in a metal taco holder with a light gray background.

More pork slow cooker recipes you might like:

You can add or substitute with these ingredients:

use light beer instead of water
add chili powder
use pork shoulder instead of pork butt
add cumin
use broth instead of water
add crushed red pepper
use beef chuck roast instead of pork
use a yellow onion instead of white

Our favorite kitchen equipment and supplies used with this recipe:

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

taco in a metal taco holder with light gray background.

Yield 6 servings

Author Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

5 Hour

Total time

5 H & 5 M

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork butt, cut into 1.5” cubes
1 cup water
1 orange, quartered
1 lime, juiced
1 white onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker. Stir them around to ensure that all of the ingredients are well mixed.
Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 5 hours, or until the pork is falling apart.
(Optional, but highly recommended) To crisp the carnitas, shred the pork and then heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and then add the pork. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pork is crisp around the edges.
Serve warm in your favorite tortillas for tacos.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

If you don’t plan on crisping the carnitas, I recommend juicing the orange and adding the juice only, rather than the whole fruit. The pork takes on a slightly bitter citrus flavor in the slow cooker that is cooked out when it is sautéed but this can be avoided by not cooking the citrus peel with the meat.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

220.76

Fat

8.69 g

Sat. Fat

3.03 g

Carbs

5.24 g

Fiber

0.89 g

Net carbs

4.34 g

Sugar

2.93 g

Protein

28.83 g

Sodium

488.92 mg

Cholesterol

90.72 mg

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You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual's dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.