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Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
5 from 21 votes

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas uses pork shoulder chunks cooked slowly with chicken broth, lime juice, spices, and aromatics, then shredded and crisped in the oven. The result is tender, flavorful meat with crispy edges ideal for tacos and other Mexican-style dishes.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs
Total Time
8 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 10 cups
Calories: 179 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For Slow Cooker Carnitas
  • 4-6 pound pork shoulder boneless or bone-in, trimmed of fat cap and cut into fist-sized chunks, roast
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 6-8 cups chicken broth 3 to 4 cans, 14.5-ounce each
  • 1 onion diced, large
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon oregano dried
  • ½ teaspoon cumin ground
For Carnitas Tacos
  • tortillas flour or corn
  • cilantro chopped
  • white onion finely diced
  • lime quartered

Instructions

Slow Cooker Carnitas
    Cup of Yum
  1. Generously salt and pepper chunks of meat on all sides.
  2. In a large dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add meat to the pan and brown on all sides. You may need to do this in batches, and it will take 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Transfer meat and any juices to your slow cooker and return pan to the stove. Add a splash of the chicken broth and deglaze the pan over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape all the crispy browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour everything over the top of the meat in the slow cooker.
  4. To the slow cooker, add onions, garlic, lime juice, spices, and enough chicken broth to just cover the top of the meat. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 7 to 8. The meat is ready when it can be easily shredded with a fork.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the meat, a few pieces at a time, to a plate and shred. Place shredded meat on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. If you had a large roast, you may need to split the meat between two baking sheets. Pour ¼ cup of the cooking liquid over the top of the meat. Bake until crispy, about 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes and adding more cooking liquid if meat seems to be drying out.
  6. Or broil meat on high for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy, checking on frequently. DO NOT leave broiling meat unattended as it can burn very quickly.
Carnitas Tacos
  1. After carnitas are done, pop tortillas into the still-hot oven (or cover with a damp paper towel and microwave) until warmed.
  2. Top each tortilla with carnitas, chopped cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Adjust chicken broth amount to just cover the meat based on your slow cooker size.
  • Browning the pork chunks before slow cooking adds important flavor and color.
  • Crisping the shredded meat in the oven creates the characteristic texture of carnitas with crispy edges.
  • Serve carnitas with tortillas, chopped cilantro, diced white onion, and lime wedges for an authentic experience.
  • Nutritional information provided refers to the carnitas meat portion only, assuming typical serving size and broth consumption.

Nutrition Information

Calories 179kcal (9%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 cups

Amount Per Serving

Calories 179

% Daily Value*

Calories 179kcal 9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.