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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Carnitas for Easy Tacos

A close-up of a generous mound of perfectly shredded, dark, and caramelized Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Carnitas on a white plate.
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Make authentic, juicy pulled pork carnitas in your slow cooker. This recipe is simple to prepare ahead of time for Cinco de Mayo gatherings and crisps up perfectly for street tacos.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lb pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 large orange, halved
  • 1 lime, halved
  • 1 white onion, quartered
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Place the pork shoulder into the basin of your slow cooker.
  2. Squeeze the juice from the orange and lime halves over the pork. Place the squeezed rinds into the slow cooker as well.
  3. Add the quartered onion and smashed garlic cloves to the cooker.
  4. Sprinkle the cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt evenly over the pork.
  5. Pour the chicken broth around the pork.
  6. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is fork-tender.
  7. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Shred the meat using two forks. Discard any large pieces of fat.
  8. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker liquid. Stir to coat.
  9. For crispy carnitas, spread the shredded pork in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the edges are browned and crisp.
  10. Serve immediately in warm tortillas for your taco meat ideas.

Notes

  • You can prepare this Mexican pulled pork a day ahead. Store it in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stove or in the oven before crisping.
  • If you do not have a slow cooker, you can cook this recipe in a Dutch oven in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 hours.
  • Use the rendered liquid in the slow cooker to moisten the meat after shredding if you prefer a wetter texture.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbyjade.com/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-carnitas/