Slow Cooker Carnitas

Carnitas is Mexican for little meat. Traditionally made with pork braised in oil or lard to produce tender, juicy, easy to shred pork.

Carnitas can be served two ways; crisp or not crisp. To crisp the pork, it can be cooked at a higher temperature in the pot after the meat is tender or the meat transferred to a baking dish and broiled.

Mexican-American restaurants usually serve carnitas with corn or flour tortillas and beans. The beans can be whole or refried. Some restaurants serve carnitas in tacos, tostadas, burros, and enchiladas. You can also use the meat for make carnitas fajitas.

Crispy carnitas using a slow cooker requires a second step involving broiling. But that step is optional.

Without Broiling

With Broiling

Slow Cooker Size

This recipe requires a 5 to 6 quart/liter slow cooker. For smaller slow cookers, cut recipe in half.

Cook’s Tip

1. If you have a blender, you can blend all ingredients expect the bay leaves and pour the mixture over the pork.
2. Small country style spare ribs can be cooked whole.
3. Left over juice can be refrigerated, the saturated fat layer removed, and then frozen for later use in soups or stews like Brunswick Stew.

Updated 12-5-2022 to reduce serving size from 5 to 3 ounces (140 to 85 g).

Ingredients

• One Half (100 g) onion, red, white, or yellow
• 4 to 6 (20 g) garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried oregano or marjoram
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon (0.625 ml) ground cloves, sliced or chopped
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) kosher salt
• 4 lbs (1900 g) pork shoulder, butt, or country-style ribs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice
• 6 oz (170 g) tomatoes, chopped (optional)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)

Method of Preparation