Itโs no secret that I love Mexican food. And living in Southern California gives me easy access to some of the best authentic Mexican food in the US. One of my absolute favorite Mexican dishes to have is Carnitas. So let’s make some Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas!
Carnitas, essentially shredded pork, requires a time of up to 3 to 4 hours to achieve juicy and tender meat. Although this recipe may not be the most authentic method for making carnitas, I would confidently place it among some of the best.
My Latest Videos
If you’ve ever wondered what part of the pig the Pork Butt comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?
This Carnitas recipe is relatively easy to make and rivals some of the best restaurants out there. Carnitas is typically served with chopped cilantro, diced onions, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, and refried beans.
Slow Cooker Tip
Try to resist as much as possible the temptation to open the lid while it’s cooking as the slow cooker loses heat. By just opening the lid to stir the contents can make the internal temperature drop by 10ยฐF to 15ยฐF.
Recipe Tips
- An alternative to using chicken broth is Better Than Bouillon. I often use it when I don’t have broth on hand.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Mexican Carnitas recipe in your Slow Cooker. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pork Butt or Shoulder – both work great for this recipe but I prefer using pork butt when I can
- Seasoning – Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Ground Cumin, Paprika, Red Pepper Flakes and Ground Cinnamon
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth – you can also use better than bouillon
- Yellow Onion – a sweet brown onion or a white onion will also work
How to Make Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas
- Trim any excess fat off the pork. You can leave some fat on it as this will create more flavorful juices.
- Cut the pork into approximately 8 cubes and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic, cumin, paprika red pepper flakes and ground cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
- Coat all sides of the pork with the spice mixture. Make sure you use all of the spice mixture.
- Place the seasoned pork in the slow cooker. Put the onions on top of the pork.
- Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker avoiding the pork so the spices won’t come off the pork.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 10 hours.
- Once the pork is tender, use two forks to shred the meat inside the slow cooker. Line a baking sheet with foil. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on the baking sheet.
- Pour the remaining liquid from the slow cooker over the pork on the baking sheet.
- Broil the pork until the edges are nice and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve with flour tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas
โ Click stars to rate
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Pork Butt or Shoulder
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 5 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
- 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat off the pork. You can leave some fat on it as this will create more flavorful juices.
- Cut the pork into approximately 8 cubes and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic, cumin, paprika red pepper flakes and ground cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
- Coat all sides of the pork with the spice mixture. Make sure you use all of the spice mixture.
- Place the seasoned pork in the slow cooker. Put the onions on top of the pork.
- Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker avoiding the pork so the spices won’t come off the pork.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 10 hours.
- Once the pork is tender, use two forks to shred the meat inside the slow cooker. Line a baking sheet with foil. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on the baking sheet.
- Pour the remaining liquid from the slow cooker over the pork on the baking sheet.
- Broil the pork until the edges are nice and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve with flour tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Notes
These carnitas are the best. Making the pork in the slow cooker is the best. In no time at all everything is done.