Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Crispy Mexican Pork Carnitas Tacos

Can I get an AMEN? Oh yes! I do not recall where I was the first time I encountered slow cooker pulled pork, but I do remember the emotion. PURE JOY. What a discovery it was to try it for the first time. You have to make pulled pork in a slow cooker to fully grasp the ultimate juiciness of it, the captured flavor, in short, the perfection of it. SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Ingredients

Pork Shoulder (aka Pork Butt). Seasonings. Mexican oregano, cayenne, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper. Olive Oil. For searing the pork. Vegetables. Onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic. Chicken Broth. Or use chicken stock. For Serving. Roasted jalapeno peppers, diced onion, chopped cilantro, warmed corn tortillas (or flour tortillas).

Brown the Pork. Heat a cast iron pan to medium heat and sear the pork shoulder on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Get it good and browned. Remove and add to a crock pot or slow cooker. Onion, Peppers, Garlic. To the pan, add onion and jalapeno pepper. Cook a couple minutes, stirring. Add a bit more oil if needed. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring. Add to the slow cooker. Slow Cook the Pork. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until the pork breaks apart easily with a fork. Remove from heat and shred it up with a couple forks. Once the pork is SO TENDER and JUICY that you can break it apart with a fork, go ahead and do just that - break it all apart with a couple forks, which is essentially “pulling” it, or shredding it. Skim the Fat. Skim the fat from the juices in the slow cooker. Save the pork with the juices until you are ready to use. You can freeze it at this point if you’d like, or refrigerate a few days. Top and Serve! Top with onion, cilantro and chopped jalapeno peppers, and lime juice. Boom! Done! The best slow cooker carnitas around. I also like to serve with some hot sauce or picante. Bring in your favorite toppings!

Serving Pork Carnitas

We served ours up “cantina” style, with some roasted jalapeno peppers, onion, cilantro and bit of homemade picante sauce, but feel free to serve fixings to your liking, like homemade guacamole, shredded cheese, hot sauce, tomatoes, you name it! Go nuts. I hope you enjoy them!