Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas

Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas are cooked for 10 hours to tender, fall apart perfection.  The perfect weekend meal that will is simple to fix, just let your slow cooker do all the magic.

Pork Carnitas

There is just something mouth watering about slow cooked meat, and these Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas fall right into that category.  Pork that basically falls apart for you and has been marinating in a land mine of flavors for 10 hours.

Then broiled in the oven to give it the most sensational crispy texture that caramelizes the sauce and makes every bite worth the wait.  The hardest part about this recipe is the wait, but I promise the simplicity of these crispy pork carnitas is almost silly.

How long do you cook carnitas?

• Carnitas are a Mexican dish meaning ” little meats.”  It is slow cooked until tender.
• Using a 5lb pork butt place in a slow cooker and add the juices and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.

Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas are extremely versatile and can be made according to your likes and taste preferences.  These crispy pork carnitas are slow cooked in Dr. Pepper, orange juice, and lime juice.  A strange combination?  Maybe, but the result is juicy, tender and magnificent.

How do you cook pork carnitas?

1. Place a 5lb pork butt into a 6qt slow cooker and add jalapeños, diced onions, minced garlic, bay leaves, lime juice, orange juice, Dr. Pepper and a  taco seasoning packet.
2. Put the lid on slow cooker and cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 5-6 hours.
3. Remove pork from slow cooker (it will probably be falling apart) DON’T discard juices in slow cooker.  Place on a rimmed sheet pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Roughly shred and pour 1 cup juices from slow cooker over pork.
4. Turn your oven to high broil and broil 5 minutes, remove and toss pork and add 1/2 cup juices.  Broil for another 5 minutes or until most of the pork is lightly crisp.
5. Serve with warm tortillas, pico de gallo, and a slice of lime.

How do you tenderize meat?

• By adding acidic juices to meat it acts as a natural tenderizer to soften the muscle fibers of the meat.
• Therefore, by Adding orange juice, lime juice, and Dr. Pepper, this pork becomes flavorful and soft and tender.

Because these pork carnitas are so tender and flavorful, if you don’t want to take the extra step to crisp them up a stitch that is ok.

Just simply shred, serve, and enjoy.

Make dinner amazing and let your slow cooker be your cooker partner in the kitchen.  Everyone will love your Crispy Pork Carnitas from the first bite.

What do you serve with pork carnitas?

1. Warm tortialls
2. Pico de Gallo
3. Refried beans, pinto beans, or black beans
4. sliced limes
5. Cheese
6. Hot sauce
7. Spanish rice
8. Chips and salsa
9. Sliced avocado
10. Cooked bell peppers

Looking for more Mexican inspired meals?

• Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
• Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Chicken Fajita Burrito Bowls
• Sheet Pan Beef Nachos
• Tex Mex Bean Soup

Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas

Yield: 12-15 servings

Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas are cooked for 10 hours to tender, fall apart perfection.  The perfect weekend meal that will is simple to fix, just let your slow cooker do all the magic.

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 5 lb pork butt
• 2 jalapeños, diced
• 1 cup red onions, diced
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 Taco seasoning packet
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 cup Dr. Pepper

Directions:

1. Place a 5lb pork butt into a 6qt slow cooker and add jalapeños, diced onions, minced garlic, bay leaves, lime juice, orange juice, Dr. Pepper and a  taco seasoning packet.
2. Put the lid on slow cooker and cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 5-6 hours.
3. Remove pork from slow cooker (it will probably be falling apart) DON’T discard juices in slow cooker.  Place on a rimmed sheet pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Roughly shred and pour 1 cup juices from slow cooker over pork.
4. Turn your oven to high broil and broil 5 minutes, remove and toss pork and add another 1/2 cup juices.  Broil for another 5 minutes or until most of the pork is lightly crisp.
5. Serve with warm tortillas, pico de gallo, and a slice of lime.

All images and text ©The Food Cafe.