Crispy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe for Easy Tasty Tacos
This recipe combines slow-cooked tender pork shoulder with a quick skillet crisping step to create flavorful, crispy carnitas perfect for tacos. It’s easy, family-approved, and ideal for busy weeknights.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 lbs pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 1 cup orange juice
- Juice from 2 fresh limes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Trim and season the pork: Remove excess fat but keep some for juiciness. Pat dry. Rub pork with cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Prep the slow cooker: Place diced onion and minced garlic in the bottom. Lay seasoned pork on top. Pour orange juice and lime juice over pork. Add chipotle peppers and bay leaves.
- Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours until pork is tender and shreds easily.
- Shred the pork: Transfer pork to a large bowl and shred with forks or tongs. Discard bay leaves and large fat pieces. Reserve some cooking liquid to moisten pork if needed.
- Crisp the carnitas: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shredded pork in a thin layer without overcrowding. Cook undisturbed 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy, then flip and crisp other side for 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining pork.
- Serve immediately: Warm tortillas and fill with crispy carnitas. Garnish with diced onions, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and your favorite salsa.
Notes
Dry the pork well before seasoning to avoid steaming during crisping. Avoid overcrowding the skillet to ensure even browning. Fresh lime juice enhances brightness. Pork can be crisped under a broiler as an alternative to skillet crisping. Leftovers reheat best under a broiler to maintain crispiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 4 oz (112 g) p
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 24
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Protein: 22
Keywords: pork carnitas, slow cooker carnitas, crispy pork tacos, easy taco recipe, Mexican pork, crockpot carnitas, weeknight dinner