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April 21, 2020

Easy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Name: Easy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 320 min
Total time: 340 min
Ingredients: 4 lb boneless pork roast; 3 Tbsp salt; 1 Tbsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 large onion (diced); 5 garlic cloves; 4 Tbsp lime juice ((from 2 limes)); 1/2 cup orange juice ((from 2 oranges)); 1 cup chicken broth; 2 bay leaves

Easy Pork Carnitas are sure to win you over. They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! With the power of the slow cooker, you will make restaurant-quality carnitas with little mess or fuss.

Pork Carnitas tacos with herbs and limes

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Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I can’t get enough of easy slow cooker meals that require simple ingredients and minimal clean-up. I’m SO looking forward to sharing this recipe with you! For years, I toiled with creating the perfect carnitas. They either came out too dry or too greasy. But, these are JUST right.

What is Carnitas?

Carnitas, or “little meats” in Spanish, is a dish of braised or simmered pork that has been cooked in juice until ridiculously tender. If they already aren’t one of your favorite dishes to order at your local taqueria, get prepared to fall in love. This pork packs some serious flavor and is the perfect candidate for weekend meal prepping. From tacos to burritos to salads, carnitas go great on just about anything.

Pork Carnitas on a baking sheet with herbs

How to Make Pork Carnitas

Let the slow cooker do ALL the work for you. Cooking your pork low and slow ensures that it will be nice and tender when it is time to chow down. There’s nothing worse than spending a bunch of time prepping carnitas for them to simply turn out bland and dry. Follow this easy step-by-step process and don’t let that happen to you:

Pat your pork dry and season pork roast liberally.
Add your veggies, broth, and citrus to the slow cooker.
Add the roast and slow cook on high heat for 5 hours.
Shred pork with a fork, transfer to a baking sheet and pour juices on top.
Broil the shredded pork for 5 minutes, until the edges are delicious and crispy.

What Can I Make with Pork Carnitas?

Street tacos: Grab your favorite corn tortilla, some onions, cowboy caviar, cilantro, and lime wedges. Pack each tortilla with a hefty chunk of pork. This is the perfect party food!
Nachos: Oh yes, everyone’s favorite snack food is made that much more delicious with some homemade carnitas. Top your chips off with a scoop of carnitas, cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo.
Burrito: I mean, who doesn’t love a good burrito? Stuff a large, flour tortilla with all the usual suspects and dip it into jalapeno ranch.
Salad: Add carnitas for our favorite Mexican Salad! This makes for a great weekday lunch.

A tray of nachos with vibrant veggies on top

Is this the Same as Barbacoa?

Carnitas are often confused for another dish called “barbacoa”. While the concept is similar, barbacoa is typically beef that has been slow-cooked in dried chiles and spices until tender. Also, barbacoa is much spicier!

How to Store Pork Carnitas

We love that this Mexican pulled pork can be made ahead. Carnitas can be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. To freeze, pack carnitas in a freezer-safe bag with some of the juices from the slow cooker. To prevent freezer burn, remove as much air as you can when sealing.

More Pork Recipes

Roasted Pork Tenderloin – so tender and is super easy to make.
Pulled Pork Recipe – delicious on a bun with coleslaw
Instant Pot Ribs – you’ll want this on your weeknight rotation.
Air Fryer Pork Chops – get super crispy in the air fryer
Cuban Pork Sandwich – perfect balance of tangy and juicy

Easy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

4.89 from 18 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours 20 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes

Pork Carnitas in tortillas to make carnita tacos

Easy pork carnitas are sure to win you over. They come out just right - and that means crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside!

Author: Natalya Drozhzhin

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $15 to $20

Keyword: carnitas, pork carnitas

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Main Course

Calories: 324 kcal

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

4 lb boneless pork roast
3 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large onion diced
5 garlic cloves
4 Tbsp lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/2 cup orange juice (from 2 oranges)
1 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Combine salt, pepper and dried oregano and rub pork with the seasoning.
In the slow cooker, add chopped onion, garlic cloves, broth, lime juice, orange juice, and bay leaves.
Add the pork to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker. Shredded the pork with two forks. Keep the juice.
To get crispy edges, transfer the shredded pork to a baking sheet. Pour ½ cup of the juices on top of the meat and broil it for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 324 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 143mg48%

Sodium 2738mg119%

Potassium 951mg27%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 52g104%

Vitamin A 31IU1%

Vitamin C 12mg15%

Calcium 27mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclosure

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Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya is a food blogger who founded Momsdish.com to make cooking easier. Growing up on a farm in Ukraine, Natalya was inspired by the amazing dishes that were prepared using simple ingredients. Natalya is most notably known for making cooking approachable for any person.