Favorite things in life, in order:
- tacos
- tacos
- tacos.
And one thing that has been known to elevate the tacos in my life is juicy, tender, savory, fall-apart pork that is both massively flavorful (garlic, spices, and just a hint of tangy lime) and juuust browned and crispy enough to keep me snacking on little bites of it while prepping my taco ingredients.
Yes, you know it. We’re talking about crockpot carnitas.
In my life, I give bonus points to any recipe that is idiot-proof easy to make and can be popped in the slow cooker or Instant Pot to cook while you manage your normal life things. More bonus points for recipes that can be frozen, prepped ahead, or kept easily as leftovers. And let’s just say that this carnitas recipe is racking up the bonus points right now.
Are you so into this right now? I AM SO INTO THIS.
This recipe is absolutely my go-to for “entertaining” aka “hey you guys should come over and watch the game and we’ll eat something yummy while sitting on the couch.”
You can prep all your beautiful extras (guacamole, fresh cilantro and lime, sour cream, cotija cheese, radish, red onion, tortillas, pico de gallo) in advance, and maybe even run a few errands (oops, forgot the drinks, and the dog could probably use a walk, and have I showered yet today?), all while the meat does its delicious thing, needing no supervision whatsoever.
When it’s time for friends to arrive, you shred that meat, you brown it up under a broiler (THIS IS ESSENTIAL DO NOT SKIP), and you plate it up nice and pretty and let everyone compliment you for this delicious, juicy, colorful spread.
Juicy, tender, saucy and simultaneously crispy carnitas. Truly a thing of beauty.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE OUR CROCKPOT CARNITAS (1 MIN):
Easy Crockpot Carnitas
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
These easy crockpot carnitas are simple enough for anyone to make! Broiling them just before serving gives a browned, crispy crust to the meat. SO good!
Ingredients
- 4–5 lbs. pork shoulder
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce (optional)
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 12 ounces beer (a standard lager works great for this!)
- 1/2 cup salsa (I like to use a less chunky one)
Instructions
- Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Roughly chop the garlic and place in the slow cooker (I actually kind of rubbed it onto the meat to get as much garlic flavor as possible, but you could just toss it in, too).
- Sprinkle the meat with salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne. Rub seasonings onto the pork.
- Add lime juice, orange juice, beer, and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred meat with two forks directly in the slow cooker (or take out, shred, and replace in sauce). It should fall apart easily.
- Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork.
- Serve on tortillas with fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime juice.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Want to make these in the Instant Pot? Follow the video below!
Oh how I love carnitas! And sweet babies. And pork belly doesn’t scare me either!
Holey moley this was insanely easy and soooooo good. I got the best compliment of my life from my hubby after making this, and I cook all the time. Broiling after it made it magic. Seriously. Thank you.
★★★★★
This looks amazing! I love carnitas. And the spices here look like a nice combination! When I make them I don’t even bother eating them with anything. No tortillas or anything like that. Just a big ol’ plate of meat.
And I had no idea that pork belly wasn’t a mainstream cut of pork. So no, I don’t mind. 🙂
It is excellent and better each day. Next day I put a small amount in a cast iron pan and heated on high till I had crispy pieces
Yum. I have a pork shoulder in the freezer right now that I wanted to do something different with, and thanks to you it looks like I found it! Carnitas! Wonderful! Oh, and about the pork belly, I am willing to try anything at least twice, so go for it. Hopefully, I am able to get my hands on one.
I’ve been considering giving carnitas a shot, and these pictures have definitely made my decision for me. And I’m even more excited about pork belly. I would LOVE to know something fantastic to do with it. 🙂
Is pork belly considered weird then? It’s probably the cut of pork that most often appears on restaurant menus here (& it’s amazing) so I’m all for it.
I keep seeing people say no way to pork belly, Y’all, pork belly is the cut of meat that bacon is made from it’s bacon before it is made into bacon. It is also amazing.
I don’t know which I want to chew on first – the pork or the baby cheeks!
You can share the pork belly recipe, but I will in no way partake. Pork belly? No. 🙂
I want pork belly! And I want A pork belly.
All of it. Rawt ner.
Does the alcohol in the beer cook out of this?
I tried it and loved it.
I’m sure it would, but if you are in doubt just use a N/A beer (they make a lot of different flavors now- everything from a light IPA to a dark stout)
★★★★★
Yum!!!!! So easy too. Can’t wait to try
Oh yum!! This looks like a crock pot recipe my husband will actually like:-) Will be making…thanks!
We had this tonight! Yum! The meat was a bit salty for us (and I’m down with salt!) but otherwise delish. Can’t wait to try it again, maybe with 2 tsp. of salt this time. I did substitute chicken broth for the beer….which probably explains the saltiness;-)
★★★★★
Is there a substitute for the beer?
Maybe just chicken broth? https://www.thespruceeats.com/cooking-with-alcohol-substitute-ingredients-4076785
Pork tastes super yummy when cooked in root beer!
No…
I’ve heard of using a can of coke or Pepsi as a substitute for beer. I’m actually making these today and using Miller Lite Lime. Will let you know how they turn out! Can’t wait!
Interesting! Thanks Nicole!
These turned out AWESOME! And I thought I couldn’t cook! 😉 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Just came across it and your blog through Pinterest the other day. Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes! And if we have enough leftovers (I only made a 3 lb batch), I’ll definitely try out the Tamale Pie!
★★★★★
Put this bad boy together this afternoon. I was kind of on a time crunch so I put in on high for 6 hours. It came out perfect. Thanks for this awesome recipe. Best tacos I’ve ever made.
★★★★★
Pure sugar Coke is pretty standard when making carnitas.
ever heard of rum ham?
Yes a million times over. Carnitas are the best. PS – I love pork too!
Totally making this. And bring on the pork belly!
I’ve been eyeing it up at the Korean Market (and Whole Foods).
I made something so similar in my crockpot yesterday but with chicken. You have to love throwing it all in and walking away.
You’re not weird at all. I could NEVER give up meat!
Did you cook the chicken for the same amount of time the pork called for?
What a wonderful picture of a delicious looking dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sharing your love of pork!! Can we a “hug” button for the baby????
I’m so excited to try this since I too love Carnitas and the ones that I made last week were SO DRY! I love the chance to redeem myself with my family:)) Question though….What is the purpose of broiling/browning the meat before serving?
It just gives it that nice brown crispy look on the edges. I think it tastes good that way, kind of browned a little bit. Otherwise, to me, it’s too mushy or something. I mean, it’s still good, I just like the color/texture that it gives.
Quick question about this. I have seen on another recipe using beef they sear the outside of the meat before putting it in the crock pot. Do you think this might get the effect you are going for putting under the broiler afterwards? I do not cook often so was curious what your thoughts were. Thanks for any input!
Hi, Nicole. Searing the meat ahead of time does add nice flavor, but it won’t achieve the same effect that broiling the meat at the end does. Broiling it after it’s shredded gives it a nice little crisp texture that I’m pretty sure can only be achieved by broiling. 🙂
this dish looks very much like my pulled pork,everyonee loves it . Im game to try pork belly ,if its greasy fry it out good,give me the recipe .
Thomas Keller cured me of pork belly fear. I think it is just the name. They really should find another name for it.
Yummy recipe. Not to take away from your previous post, but this recipe is the best thing you have done.
Oh my gosh, the babies. Over the top cuteness.
I agree about the name thing. It weirds me out even though I know it’s delicious.
and eating something called pork butt doesn’t weird you out?!
This looks so good! I cannot wait to try it!
I love the baby picture, the recipe, and the fact that this post is so “you” that I can practically hear you right through the screen. But, most of all, I love the twinkly-eyed moments during the day when your alumni sweetly call me Mrs. Ostrom, then sheepishly look away. You are still present at Edgerton, Lindsay, and we are eagerly awaiting your return.
P.s. I have a new obsession with roasted chickpeas. If you haven’t tried them, it’s an absolute must!
I haven’t tried them, but I will now! 🙂
Pork belly is the best thing ever and by the looks of it, so are these carnitas!
I’m definately a meat eater. Bring on the pork! Pork belly sure does sound weird but if you say it’s pretty good…I guess I can give it a try.
lovely! hmmm did you use your rice cooker for this?
★★★★
OMG! Salivating looking at that recipe and it’s still kind of morning here. Am at home from work with a sick child otherwise would be off to the market to buy me some pork! Oh and I love pork belly too so yes please share a recipe! love the crunchy skin and then the under-layers that just melt in your mouth! Living in Italy, we can’t ever find this here so I always indulge when I go back home to Australia!
★★★★★
Learn something new everyday… Step #5.. browning under the broiler. Never thought about that. Great way to add additional edge to meat in crock pot!