Go Back
–+ servings
Slow Cooker Carnitas. An easy, flavorful, healthy meal made in the crockpot. Tender pork served in your favorite tortilla and topped with a homemade salsa? Gimme! showmetheyummy.com #porkcarnitas #slowcookercarnitas
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe

These Slow Cooker Carnitas are packed with juicy, tender pork, zesty citrus, and bold spices that'll have everyone coming back for seconds.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 382kcal
Author: Jennifer Debth

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt more to less to taste (I use about 1 teaspoon)
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice about 1/2 orange
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 lime
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon about 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup soy sauce use a gluten-free variety, if necessary
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Serving Suggestions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Grease a 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper then stir in the oil.
  • Rub the spice mixture to evenly coat all sides of the pork, then set aside.
  • Whisk together orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, and vinegar, then pour half into the prepared crockpot.
  • Place the pork in the crockpot and pour the rest of the juice over the top.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
  • Remove the pork from the crockpot and set aside while you skim excess fat off the liquid (optional), shred the pork using two forks, broil or pan-fry (optional) stir back into the juices (if you'd like or just drizzle the juices over the pork later), then serve as desired and enjoy!
  • Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!

Notes

Nutritional information is for 1/4th of the carnitas mixture, but depending on what you're using it for (salads, tacos, nachos, etc) - it could definitely serve more than 4!

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1234mg | Potassium: 977mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 410IU | Vitamin C: 14.7mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 3.1mg

QR Code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.