Slow Cooked Carnitas

When it comes to slow cooked meats, pork is high on the list. Pork does so well with slow cooked, smoked, and cured preparation. Carnitas are a popular Mexican preparation of slow cooking pork roasts (pork shoulder or butt) in spicy peppers and a citrus component. These Slow Cooked Carnitas are infused with jalapeños and orange juice for a juicy tender deliciousness.

For this recipe, I have used my taco seasoning mix (which I added below the carnitas recipe). You can use mine, or your favorite blend. You can also use one of those seasoning packets (usually one ounce sized, which is roughly two tablespoons). I like to make my own blends because you get more of just the flavors and less of the fillers that a lot of the pre made mixes give you.

You will need are larger sized slow cooker – at least six quarts – for this recipe. You d not want the roast to be too cramped in the crock, otherwise it will not cook evenly. If at all possible, you don’t actually want to much of the meat to touch the sides of the crock. And the baking of the meat is crucial to get those little bits of crispy edges that make it a true carnitas flavor.

The last time I made this, I made some fantastic Carnitas tacos with homemade corn salsa and a little queso fresco on a nice soft flour tortilla. You could also make a delightful burritos with lots of rice, beans, sour cream and maybe some fresh pico de gallo. The really great things about this recipe for carnitas is that they keep very well. So it is perfect for meal prepping rice bowls or making after school carnitas quesadillas!

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Slow Cooked Carnitas

Delicious spicy and citrus notes in tender slow cooked pork, perfect for tacos

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword carnitas, jalapeno, onions, orange juice, slow cooked pork, slow cooker

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Slow Cooker Time 8 hours

Servings 6

Equipment

• 1 Slow Cooker at least 6 qts

Ingredients

• 4 lb Pork Roast bonelesss or bone-in
• 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning see recipe below
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 1 4oz can Diced Jalapenos
• ½ Medium Yellow Onion thinly sliced

Instructions

• Sprinkle pork roast with seasoning mix and place in slow cooker.
• Combine jalapenos, onions and orange juice. Pour over top of pork roast. Secure lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 425degF.
• Remove roast from slow cooker (do not discard any of the liquid). Shred pork and spread out on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Ladle two cups of liquid over top of the pork. Place in oven for 10 minutes.

Notes