Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)

5 from 101 votes

Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)

Crispy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork) is a winner! The closest recipe to authentic Mexican Carnitas (NO LARD), with a perfect crisp finish!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 hrs

Total Time10 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 12

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Karina - Cafe Delites

Ingredients

Carnitas

• 4 pounds (or 2 kg) skinless, boneless pork butt (or shoulder)
• 3-4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (or Mexican oregano)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 large brown or white onion , cut into wedges
• 8 cloves garlic , smashed
• 2 limes , juiced
• 2 large oranges , juiced (or 3/4 cup natural orange juice)
• 3/4 cup coke (Original or Mexican coke is ideal)*
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Rinse and pat dry pork with a paper towel.
• In the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, add pork, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, coke, and bay leaves.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high heat for 5-6 hours (until the meat falls apart).
• Remove pork and shred with two forks (DO NOT DISCARD THE LIQUID!)

TO CRISP IN THE OVEN:

• Transfer the pork to a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking oil spray (or lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper).
• Pour 1 ladle full (about 1 cup) of the liquid from the slow cooker over the pork to season. Broil for 5-10 minutes on high heat until the meat becomes golden browned and crispy on the edges.

TO CRISP ON STOVE:

• Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add pork in batches of two or three, and sear until just beginning to crisp. Ladle over about 1/2 cup of left over liquid, and continue cooking until the juices begin to reduce down and the meat is nice and crispy!

TO SERVE:

• Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Pour over more of the slow cooker juices once the meat has crisped for added flavour, just before serving! Serve in Tacos, Burritos, or in a salad!

Notes

*Coke with cane sugar instead of corn syrup is ideal, however you can use any coke. Alternatively, substitute with chicken broth (chicken stock).**If you don't like the sound of this particular carnitas recipe, try my tomato based crispy pulled pork!

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 16.2mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2.5mg