Tender, juicy pieces of pork shoulder, seasoned and slow cooked to perfection! This Carnitas recipe is perfect for tacos, nachos and so much more!
What are carnitas?
Carnitas, also called “little meats”, is a Mexican dish, made of slow cooked pork shoulder in Mexican seasonings and juices. It is then seared in oil or butter, which will form crispy pieces of meat.
How to prepare
While it takes a while to cook, the simplicity of this dish is one of my favorite things about it. All it takes is seasoning the pork shoulder, then placing in your slow cooker, along with aromatics and juices, then slow cooked for hours.
The rub
This is probably the most important part of the dish. The flavors from the rub, will be released throughout the cooking process. This will ensure you have carnitas with distinctive flavors.
The rub is made by combining cumin, salt, cinnamon, onion powder, marjoram, brown sugar and chili powder. I am a big fan of people doing what they want in their kitchen, but I strongly urge you not to leave any of these ingredients out of the rub. They all are imperative to achieve an authentic version of carnitas.
Aromatics
OK, the aromatics are important too. In addition to the rub, the aromatics will also add a burst of flavors, and kick to the carnitas. The primary aromatics I use are:
- Yellow onions
- Garlic
- Jalapeno pepper
- Bay leaves
- Fresh lime
- Cilantro
Juices
The only juices needed are fresh orange juice and lime juice. If possible, please stick to using fresh orange and lime juice. It is fine to use bottled juices, but the flavor will be altered a bit.
Cooking process
After adding everything to your slow cooker, you will cook it on high for 4-5 hours, or 8 hours on low. My favorite time, of course, is 8 hours on low. However, either way you will still have delicious carnitas. As long as the meat is pull apart tender, you’re good to go. Make sure to reserve the liquid.
Make crispy
Carnitas wouldn’t be carnitas if they don’t have a crisp to them. You can achieve this by adding oil or butter to a skillet, and searing until a desired level of crispiness is reached. This is also the time you will add the reserve liquids to add extra bit of flavor.
How to serve carnitas
Carnitas can be eaten with a side, like rice or beans. However, the most popular way to eat carnitas are in tacos. Tacos are my favorite, because they can be dressed any way you like. I love to garnish my tacos with fresh onion, Mexican hot sauce, fresco cheese and cilantro. Burritos are another great option.
Carnitas
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
The rub
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. marjarom
Carnitas
- 4-5 lb. pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- recipe for rub
- 1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped or sliced
- 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup fresh orange juice about 3 oranges
- 2 limes one sliced
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, prepare the rub by combining and mixing all ingredients.
- Using a cutting board or large plate, season pork shoulder with prepared rub. Use hand and rub into the pork shoulder.
- Place seasoned pork roast into slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, lime slices and bay leaves. Pour in the orange juice, along with the juice from the extra lime. Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8 – 10 hours; or until meat is fall apart tender.
- Remove pork from slow cooker and reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Shred pork roast with forks, or pull apart with hands, until you have small pieces of meat.
Make Crispy
- In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. To the hot skillet, add shredded meat. Began to sear, until meat starts form a crispy texture. Pour over 1/2 of the reserved liquid, and continue to sear until most of liquid is absorbed. Pour over remaining liquid. Taste carnitas and add more salt if needed.
- Serve as tacos, or a main dish item.
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