Slow Cooker Carnitas
Of the recipes I’ve shared on my Instagram page, this is far and away the most popular. They’ve been made on at least 3 continents and in over a dozen states here in the US.
The recipe is the result of broke newlywed desperation. Joey and I had just moved to Atlanta, and we were pinching pennies so hard that I had a spreadsheet comparing grocery costs at 3 different grocery stores. One day I found pork shoulder at Aldi for less than $2.00 per pound and snatched it right up only to realize I had no idea what to make from it.
I was thinking carnitas, but most recipes I found had more steps than I wanted or a few ingredients I would never have on hand. My first pass was good, but I continued to adjust. The result is a foolproof, flexible recipe that will give you meal after meal of delicious meat. The wet rub is via this recipe by Jen at Carlsbad Cravings, and it’s a real winner. It’s very tweak-able; I’ve added coriander, removed the sugar, and permanently decided that ketchup is easier than tomato paste. You do you.
A few ideas for using your pounds of perfection: tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, grilled cheese, breakfast burritos, nachos, salads, with a fried egg on top of hash browns, or as a little protein on top of mac ‘n’ cheese. The options are endless, which is why this recipe is a meal-prepper’s dream.
Our carnitas nights usually begin with burrito bowls. We make several cups of rice, cut up a few heads of romaine, and head into the week knowing that easy meals are in the future.
My burrito bowl pro tip is to start with hot rice, then put shredded cheese on top of that. The cheese gets melty and delicious as you pile more toppings on.
It doesn’t make for a good photo to showcase the recipe, but this is how our burrito bowls look when they’re done. The sauces make it sing.
Featuring: pickled red onions, Greek yogurt, queso, our favorite tomato-based salsa, and Traders Joe’s Green Dragon Sauce (my favorite hot sauce) and Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa (I don’t recommend you buy it on Amazon since it’s much less expensive in store, but that’s what the jar looks like, and it’s delicious).
Slow Cooker Carnitas
INGREDIENTS
Pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed of excess fat (4-7 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice (note: any acidic fruit juice will do)
1 onion
Optional: 2 ancho chile peppers, cut into strips with seeds removed
Wet Rub:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons EACH dried oregano, salt
1 teaspoon EACH chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder
1/2 teaspoon EACH smoked paprika, black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Cut meat into 4” chunks and trim fat. Remove bone if there is one. Transfer meat to slow cooker.
Mix the wet rub in a bowl. Massage it over meat chunks. Add lime juice, onions, and chile to the cooker and mix to combine.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
Shred meat − it should fall apart! (Pro tip: use the beater attachments on a hand mixer to shred the meat.)
Set oven to broil high. Transfer meat and some of the juices to a rimmed baking sheet and broil, stirring as needed to get it all crispy. You’ll need to stir more often as it colors. Don’t be afraid of it getting dark and crispy, but be careful not to burn it.
NOTES:
The weight of the meat doesn’t matter here. I’ve used the same wet rub quantity from 7 pounds to 12 with good results.
Need to make this Whole 30 or keto friendly? You can ditch the brown sugar and swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos. The carnitas will still turn out great.
Make ahead: this recipe freezes phenomenally. I broil all the meat at once and then stick in the freezer immediately. The carnitas will still be crispy when you pull them out next month. You could also freeze after shredding and broil the meat when you’re ready to use it.
