These are the easiest crockpot carnitas and simple enough for anyone to make! Juicy, flavorful, and perfectly browned with a crispy crust.
Easy Crockpot Carnitas
Juicy, flavorful, crispy. We’re talking about these beautiful crockpot carnitas!
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This is the best pork I have ever made! So delicious, easy to put together, and the fact that it’s a slow cooker recipe is an extra bonus!
Stephanie
In This Post: Crockpot Carnitas
Favorite things in life, in order:
- tacos
- tacos
- tacos.
And one thing that has been known to transform 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.
Watch How To Make Carnitas
Super Simple Ingredients For Carnitas
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.”
Here’s what you’ll need:
- pork shoulder
- garlic
- limes
- beer (or broth)
- orange juice
- salsa
- seasonings
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.
What Cut Of Meat To Use For Carnitas
So you’re in the grocery store and you can find pork shoulder but not pork butt? That’ll work great still for this carnitas recipe!
Both are tough cuts from the pig’s shoulder – pork butt is just a smidge higher up on the animal. Both are really perfect cuts though for long and slow cooking, like roasting, braising, or making crispy carnitas tacos!
How To Make Carnitas In A Slow Cooker
Here’s how to make this happen (it’s basic, just how we like it!):
- Plop the pork shoulder in your slow cooker with the garlic and massage the seasonings into the meat.
- Add in the lime juice, beer, orange juice, and salsa. Walk away and let this pork turn into something magical.
- Shred the meat and crisp it up in the oven. More on that below.
Important: Broil Your Carnitas
When it’s time for friends to arrive, you shred that meat in the crockpot (it’s okay if you have extra liquid in there), 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 are ready for that taking in tacos, burritos, and rice bowls. Truly a thing of beauty.
How To Serve Carnitas (And Leftovers Too!)
My go-to way to serve these carnitas is in tacos with corn tortillas. But they’re also delicious in burritos, rice bowls, arepas, quesadillas, and on top of salads.
These are the toppings I absolutely need with my tacos:
- Limes
- Diced red onion
- Guacamole (or avocado)
- Crumbled cotija cheese
Carnitas make great leftovers. Once you’re done eating them in tacos, you can use them in any of the above-mentioned ways or freeze them for later.
Easy Crockpot Carnitas: Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a substitute for the beer?
You can use chicken broth instead.
Can these be made in the Instant Pot?
Sure can! Watch our video here for how to make these easy carnitas in the Instant Pot.
What cut of meat is best for carnitas?
Pork shoulder or pork butt work best for carnitas.
Can you freeze carnitas?
This freezes wonderfully. Put the leftover carnitas into a Ziploc bag into one single layer, remove as much air as possible, and freeze. It’ll keep for up to six months!
Can carnitas be made with chicken?
You could, but it doesn’t have the same delicious fat content, so in my opinion, it’s not as good. However, if you can’t have pork, chicken thighs or a beef chuck roast could work!
Can I make this without a slow cooker?
You can also cook this recipe in the oven in a Dutch oven. Add the pork shoulder to a large Dutch oven. Roughly chop the garlic and rub it onto the meat. Toss the garlic around the meat after rubbing it on. 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 in the oven for 4 hours at 300 degrees F. Proceed with steps 4-6 above.
Can I make this in an Instant Pot?
Yes! Cut the pork into 3-5 large chunks. Add to the Instant Pot with the other ingredients as stated in the original instructions. Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes, and allow for a natural release. Shred, broil in the oven, and serve!
Source notes: Carnitas is a staple of Mexican cooking and eating and literally means “little meats.” The method to make it can vary from person to person, but what’s always consistent is shreddable pork for tacos, tortas, and more. This is a simple slow cooker version of carnitas, but traditional carnitas recipes are typically cooked by simmering or braising the pork in oil. You can learn all about the history of carnitas here. Also, to explore Mexican food more, highly recommend checking out the vibrant and fun Chicano Eats cookbook, written by Esteban Castillo and described as “Mexican food with an immigrant sensibility that weaves seamlessly between Mexican and American genres and cultures.”
Print
Easy Crockpot Carnitas
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
Description
These are the easiest crockpot carnitas and simple enough for anyone to make! Juicy, flavorful, and perfectly browned with a crispy crust.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 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.
Notes
Dutch Oven Method: Add the pork shoulder to a large Dutch oven. Roughly chop the garlic and rub it onto the meat. Toss the garlic around the meat after rubbing it on. 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 in the oven for 4 hours at 300 degrees F. Proceed with steps 4-6 above.
Instant Pot Method: Cut the pork into 3-5 large chunks. Add to the Instant Pot with the other ingredients as stated in the original instructions. Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes, and allow for a natural release. Shred, broil in the oven, and serve!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: crockpot carnitas, easy carnitas recipe, carnitas recipe
More Pork Recipes To Make Over and Over Again
- Caramelized Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (this chili mayo sauce could rule the world)
- 15-Minute Egg Roll in a Bowl (low on cook time, big on flavor)
- The Best Swedish Meatballs (a bit more diva-status to make but oh-so good)
- 5-Ingredient Spicy Pork (a fancy-feeling dinner that comes together in a snap)
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of yummy pork recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Instant Pot Lime Main Dishes Meat and Chicken Most Popular Quick and Easy Recipes Slow Cooker Spring Stovetop Sugar-Free Tacos
May 4, 2021
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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This turned out perfectly! I used a PBR but will try stock next time just to compare.
I’m making this later this week to go with the arepas, but one of the people coming to dinner has celiacs. What can I substitute the beer for that is gluten free? Thanks!
You could get a GF beef, or use broth instead!
Can’t wait to make this
I love carnitas, but have never made it. This recipe sounded easy, so I thought I’d give it a try. Ooooooh my gosh. This is so easy and SO delicious. I did use pork loin instead of shoulder because at the store the pork shoulders were all huge and way more than my family of 3 could ever eat, and I do prefer leaner meat. Another commenter said she tried both and the shoulder was better, but honestly this was AMAZING and no chunks of fat in sight! Haha. I served in corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, cojita cheese, salsa, avocado, and lime. Thank you for this recipe!
How would you adjust the amount of liquid and cooking time for 1 lb meat in the instant pot? Also, do you find red meat turns out equally tender in the slow cooker and instant pot?
I’ve found it’s always more tender in the slow cooker! You shouldn’t need to adjust the liquid, but I would cut the pork into chunks instead of adding it whole. Then cook it on high pressure for 30 minutes with a 15-minute natural release!
What do you do with all the extra juices? there’s only 2 of us so I plan to freeze the extra – should I freeze it with those juices?
I sometimes will add 1/4-1/2 cup of the juice to keep it moist, but that’s it!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. Don’t make the mistake I did my first try by using a tenderloin instead of a shoulder or butt. That extra fat is mandatory for flavor and moisture. The second batch using the proper cut of meat was like candy especially after caramelizing under the broiler.
Hi, is it possible to make this on the high setting (with about half the time)? Thanks!
I did 4 lbs on high for about 5 hrs and it was perfect! I did divide it in two pieces prior to cooking.
This recipe really benefits from a full 8 hours to make it shreddable/tender! You could try cutting the meat into smaller pieces, but can’t guarantee that it will be tender enough in that time.
If I use 2-2 1/2 pounds of pork do I cut the crockpot cooking time in half? Or go ahead and cook it for 8 hours on low?
I’d still do the 8 hours on low so it’s really tender!
I’m making this for a baptism luncheon. If I double the recipe do I need to change the temperature to cook at or lengthen the time? I think I will do it in the Le Creuset dutch oven.
Hi Jan! This already fills an entire crockpot or pot with just one batch, so you’ll likely need to use two pots or crockpots to double the recipe!
Yes, but I need to know if I need to cook it longer or change the temperature as it fills the large dutch oven?
The Cinnamon absolutely ruined this recipe l. I have used several recipes similar to this. However, I thought I would try the cinnamon this time. I used half of what the recipe called for and it was disappointing. It taste nothing like any carnitas at any mexican restaurant I have ever been to. I threw 4 pounds of meat in the garbage. Yuck!!
The recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and you used half – so 1/8 teaspoon – and it ruined it???? Are you sure you didn’t mistake it for 1/4 cup?? Just stop!!
These are awesome!
This is my go-to carnitas recipe! I’ve made it for parties, hunting trips, and easy weeknight dinners and get nothing but compliments! And I love how great it smells while cooking. Thanks!
I have made this twice now. It’s a definite hit. We’re not beer drinkers so once I used beef broth and once I used red wine. Both were delicious. Pork loin is often on sale in my area making this an affordable meal. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Lindsay
Is it okay to use a pork butt? Thanks for the recipe.
This recipe is amazing! So easy to make and the left overs are very versatile!! Definitely one of the family’s favorites
This is a go to recipe for my family, so delicious!!!
I love your recipes!
excellent ! I didn’t have OJ, so we used a little pineapple juice, which worked great. Will make again.
Hello, can I prep the meat and freeze it uncooked?
We haven’t tried freezing it raw, but it should work.
Can I freeze this after it has been cooked and shredded? If so, is there anything I need to do to heat it up? There is so much meat.
This freezes really well! To reheat it, we’d recommend thawing it first and then rewarming it in the oven or microwave.
Hi,
I saw the video on how to make this in the InstaPot. I am wodnering what kind of a release you do? I know the video said to cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
Thanks!
You can do a quick release!
So easy and so yummy!!!! Thanks as always for your great recipes!
I’ve made this once with the beer and once without. I think I like it better without because additional liquid almost makes the meat “boil” in the pot, and it definitely dilutes the spices. I used everything else though, and when the meat started cooking, the liquids rose to at least halfway up the roast–PLENTY. Not using the beer allowed the the subtle taste of the cinnamon to come through as well, which I really liked. Family liked it this way, too. Thank you!
I plan on freezing the whole recipe. Would you recommend freezing after shredding in the crockpot and broiling before serving, or broiling then freezing? Thanks!
Hi, Abigail! We’d suggest broiling before serving.
Hi, I see the cayenne pepper, but is it not spicy? In other words, ok for kids to eat?
Hi, Jennifer! This isn’t spicy in our opinion, especially since it’s just 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne for 5 pounds of meat. The cayenne adds a bit of flavor. Hope this helps!