How to Make Carnitas: Homemade Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 30, 2024 • 2 min read
No matter where you get your Mexican food fix, pork carnitas are a staple item. Each juicy, flavorful bite of shredded meat is enhanced by those crispy, caramelized frizzled ends.
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What Are Carnitas?
Carnitas, or “little meats,” are usually made from pork shoulder that’s slowly simmered in its own fat, confit-style, until the meat is tender enough to pull apart into shreds.
How to Make Carnitas
As with any recipe, the cut of meat you choose will affect the flavor and texture of the end result. When choosing a cut of pork, look for a boneless pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt), which has a higher fat content than cuts like pork tenderloin or pork chops. This allows all that melting fat to infuse the meat throughout the slow-cooking process. As far as bone-in versus boneless, that’s a matter of preference. Your best bet is buying what’s fresh at the butcher counter.
While you can absolutely use a Dutch oven or a pressure cooker to make carnitas, this recipe uses a slow cooker to achieve the same effect. Pork should be cooked in a slow cooker with broth and spices on low for 6-8 hours, then broiled or fried until the edges get crispy.
How to Serve Pork Carnitas
Carnitas shine in almost every dish you can think of. You can serve them in the following ways:
- Tacos: For carnitas tacos, spoon this perfect shredded pork into fresh tortillas and dress it as you’d like, whether with a pinch of cilantro, lime, and diced white onion, or a selection of salsas and hot sauce.
- Burritos: Wrap carnitas into burritos with rice and beans, along with that trio of pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.
- Nachos, enchiladas, and quesadillas: Use carnitas to top off nachos, enchiladas, or quesadillas, paired with a chile sauce and queso fresco or cotija cheese.
No matter what you choose, consider incorporating an acidic, bright garnish like pickled red onions or jalapeños to play off the rich, savory flavors of the pork and make it all sing.
Homemade Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
8 hr 15 mincook time
8 hrIngredients
- 1
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, oregano, chile powder, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- 2
Add the pork to the slow cooker, followed by the chicken broth, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, turning the pork to coat.
- 3
Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the meat. Cover, and cook on low heat for 6–8 hours, checking periodically after the 3-hour mark. (The meat should be fork-tender, not tight or tough.)
- 4
Turn on your oven’s broiler to high heat. Using a pair of tongs or a large slotted spoon, gently remove the pork from the cooking liquid to a baking sheet. When cool enough to handle, use two forks (or your hands) to tear the meat into bite-sized pieces. Ladle about 1 cup of the braising liquid over the meat, along with 2 tablespoons of oil, and toss to distribute.
- 5
Place the baking sheet under the broiler and cook until the edges of most pieces look crispy, about 3–5 minutes. Don’t walk away during this part: Over-broiling can dry out the meat. (You can also do this by working in batches, searing the shredded pork in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop until edges are golden brown and sizzling.)
- 6
Serve immediately, topping with more braising liquid as needed.
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