Are you looking for a super easy way to make a lot of meat for tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas? This Crock Pot Pork Carnitas recipe is our all time favorite!
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How to Make Pork Carnitas in a Crock Pot
Cris here.
I found these Crock Pot Pork Carnitas from Gooseberry Patch’s Slow-Cooker Christmas Favorites months ago, and it immediately became a regular in our rotation. EVERYONE loves carnita night. I love how easy it is to throw together and the awesome flavor of the meat.
The toppings are not included in the recipe below, you can use shredded cheese, tomato, sour cream, my homemade guac, chopped onion, cilantro or any other of your favorite taco/carnita toppings. They are such a treat!
For these yummy carnitas, I used my all-in-one slow cooker (it is 6 qt). I like that you can brown the meat in the unit, however, that is not a requirement of course. Any slow cooker the roast can fit in with the lid closed will work.
The original recipe calls for 28 oz green enchilada sauce. Feel free to substitute red sauce or go half and half if you’d like.
What You Will Need for Crock Pot Pork Carnitas
Ingredients Needed
- 4.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder butt roast
- Seasoned meat tenderizer, salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1/2 teaspoon freeze dried garlic)
- 28 oz can green enchilada sauce
Equipment Needed
- Large skillet
- Measuring spoons
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Can opener
- 6 quart slow cooker
- Optional: Cookie sheet and parchment paper
Time Needed
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cooking Time: 8 hours on low (Cooking on low will give you the most tender results, so we do not recommend cooking on high.)
- Optional Broiling Time: 1 to 2 minutes
General Notes
- Looking for more recipes? Our Recipe Finder can help you find exactly what you need.
- Check out all our favorite recommendations for cookbooks, slow cookers and low carb essentials in our Amazon Influencer Shop.
- As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline. Recipes should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
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What Home Cooks are Saying:
“So easy and made wonderfully tender pulled pork. My family has picky eater syndrome. Everyone loved this. Even the pickiest!”
Kim D.
Crock Pot Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sprinkle your roast with a generous amount of meat tenderizer, salt and pepper, set aside for later.
- Pour your oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Once your oil is hot, saute your onion for a couple of minutes, until it is just starting to get translucent.
- Put your garlic in your skillet and cook for another minute.
- Push all of your onion and garlic to the side of your skillet and brown your roast on all sides in your skillet.
- Now you put your roast in your 6 quart crock pot with your onion mixture and enchilada sauce on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, your pork is done when it is fork-tender.
- Shred your roast with a couple of forks.
- If desired, place shredded pork on a cookie sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes to crisp up some of the edges and serve in tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos or on nachos.
Notes
- Looking for more recipes? Our Recipe Finder can help you find exactly what you need.
- Check out all our favorite recommendations for cookbooks, slow cookers and low carb essentials in our Amazon Influencer Shop.
- As with any of our recipes, carb counts, calorie counts and nutritional information varies greatly. As a result, your nutritional content depends on which products you choose to use when cooking this dish. The auto-calculation is just an automated estimate and should NOT be used for specific dietary needs.
- All slow cookers cook differently, so cooking times are always a basic guideline. Recipes should always be tested first in your own slow cooker and time adjusted as needed.
Nutrition
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So easy and made wonderfully tender pulled pork. My family has picky eater syndrome. Everyone loved this. Even the pickiest!