Crispy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
These slow cooker carnitas are tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, with crispy caramelized edges that make carnitas so irresistible. Pork shoulder is rubbed with a warm blend of cumin, oregano, Aleppo pepper, and smoked paprika, then slow-cooked with fresh orange juice, garlic, onion, and jalapeño until it falls apart. The softened aromatics get blended with the reduced cooking liquid into a rich sauce that’s tossed back into the shredded meat. A quick sear in a hot skillet gives you those golden, crispy bits. Pile them into tacos, burrito bowls, or quesadillas, or use them to top my Chilaquiles Verdes with Crispy Carnitas and Fried Egg.
Crispy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Crispy slow cooker pork carnitas with orange, garlic, and a smoky spice rub. Tender, juicy, and seared golden. Perfect for tacos, bowls, and chilaquiles.
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker/Crockpot
Ingredients
Carnitas Dry Rub
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Pork Carnitas
- 3½ lb boneless pork shoulder
- 1 white onion quartered
- 8 garlic cloves peeled and left whole
- 2 oranges
- 2 jalapeños
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry and rub the spices in thoroughly, working into every crevice. Place the pork in the center of the slow cooker.
- Roll the oranges firmly on the counter under your palm to soften them. Halve them, squeeze the juice into the slow cooker around the pork, and add the squeezed halves.
- Separate the onion quarters into layers and scatter them around the pork. Add the garlic cloves.
- Halve the jalapeños, remove the stems and seeds, and lay them on top of the pork. Pour the broth around the pork.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 10 hours, until the pork shreds easily.
- Remove the pork and discard the orange halves. Strain the cooking liquid, keeping the onion, garlic, and jalapeños. Skim the fat from the liquid and set it aside for crisping.
- Simmer the defatted liquid in a small saucepan with 1 tsp salt until it reduces to about ½ cup.
- Blend the reserved onion, garlic, and jalapeños with half the reduced liquid until smooth.
- Shred the pork into bite-size pieces and toss it with the purée. Add more of the reduced liquid if more moisture is needed.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a spoonful of the reserved pork fat or oil. When it shimmers, add the carnitas in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook without stirring until well browned on the bottom and heated through, then remove from the pan.
Notes
Crisp carnitas for a crowd. When you’re feeding more than a few people, skip the skillet batches. Spread the carnitas on a sheet pan, drizzle with a little of the reserved fat, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the edges are browned and crispy.
