Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
User Reviews
4.8
Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
Description
The recipe begins by rinsing and drying pork shoulder or butt before placing it in a slow cooker with seasoning, onion wedges, smashed garlic cloves, lime and orange juice, cola, and bay leaves. Cooking times vary from 5-10 hours depending on heat setting, allowing the pork to fall apart easily. After shredding, the pork is either broiled briefly on a baking sheet to develop a golden crust or seared in a hot skillet with oil and moistening liquid from the cooker for crisp edges.
This method yields tender, juicy pulled pork with crispy bits, characteristic of authentic carnitas. The combination of citrus and kola cola adds sweetness and tang, balancing the spices and enriching the pork. The recipe suggests using cane sugar Coke or substituting chicken broth for alternative flavor profiles.
Ingredients
Carnitas
- 4 pounds pork butt skinless, or shoulder, boneless
- 3-4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oregano or Mexican oregano, dried
- 1 tablespoon cumin ground
- 1 large brown or white onion, cut into wedges
- 8 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 lime juiced
- 2 large orange juiced, or ¾ cup natural orange juice
- ¾ cup cola original or Mexican coke is ideal, Coke brand
- 2 bay leaf
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry pork with a paper towel.
- In the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, add pork, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, coke, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high heat for 5-6 hours (until the meat falls apart).
- Remove pork and shred with two forks (DO NOT DISCARD THE LIQUID!)
TO CRISP IN THE OVEN:
- Transfer the pork to a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking oil spray (or lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper).
- Pour 1 ladle full (about 1 cup) of the liquid from the slow cooker over the pork to season. Broil for 5-10 minutes on high heat until the meat becomes golden browned and crispy on the edges.
TO CRISP ON STOVE:
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add pork in batches of two or three, and sear until just beginning to crisp. Ladle over about ½ cup of left over liquid, and continue cooking until the juices begin to reduce down and the meat is nice and crispy!
TO SERVE:
- Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Pour over more of the slow cooker juices once the meat has crisped for added flavour, just before serving! Serve in Tacos, Burritos, or in a salad!
Notes
- Use cola sweetened with cane sugar, ideally Mexican Coke, for authentic flavor; regular cola or chicken broth can also be used as alternatives.
- The slow cooker method produces tender pork that can be crisped in the oven or skillet using leftover cooking liquid for seasoning.
- Adjust cooking time depending on slow cooker settings to ensure pork is fall-apart tender.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 233 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 233kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 91mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 682mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 618mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 90IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 21mg | 23% |
| Calcium | 56mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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