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Tender shredded pork carnitas meat piled on a tortilla with salsa.

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

Arlene Mobley - Flour On My Face
Making pork Carnitas in a Crock Pot is a delicious and straightforward meal that requires minimal effort to make succulent, fall-apart-tender meat that’s perfectly seasoned for tacos, burritos, salads, and more. Crock Pot Pork Carnitas can be made for dinner and then freeze the left overs to make pulled pork tacos, nachos or quesadillas later in the month.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Cinco de Mayo, Mexican
Servings 10 servings
Calories 337 kcal

Ingredients  

  • 5 lb boneless pork shoulder (trimmed of fat and cut into large chunks)
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons of butter or lard
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • cup lime juice
  • 4 sprigs or 5 sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons of dry thyme
  • 4 small bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups of water
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Instructions 

  • Trim the pork shoulder of the excess fat from the outside, cut into large chunks and season with salt and pepper.
  • Heat a large skillet and melt the butter or lard in it.
  • Brown the chunks of pork in the melted butter turning to brown all sides. As the pork chunks turn golden brown move them to a 6 or 7 quart crock pot slow cooker.
  • Once all of the pork is browned add the diced onion and garlic to the pan. Lower the heat and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent making sure not to burn the garlic.
  • Scrape the onion, garlic and pan drippings into the slow cooker.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot and mix well.
  • Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low.
  • Once the pork has cooked remove the meat from the crock pot to a bowl or serving platter.
  • To serve shred the meat and serve on warm tortillas with your favorite pork taco toppings.

Recipe Expert Tips

  • Freeze the leftovers: Leftover carnitas meat can be frozen and reheated and eaten later.
  • Pork Freezer Meals: Or you can slow cook the pork and freeze dinner size portions for meals during the month. Slow cooked carnitas make a perfect pork freezer meal where you can cook it once and have the the pork on hand for a couple of other Mexican recipes later in the month.
  • Browning pork carnitas in the oven: If you like crispy edges you can brown the cooked meat in the oven. Spread the meat out on a cookie sheet and broil it in the oven on 400 F. degrees for a few minutes, occasionally tossing to brown all the edges evenly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 51gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 400mgPotassium: 895mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 199IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg
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