Authentic Mexican Carnitas Recipe
This Mexican carnitas recipe is super easy in a slow cooker and packed with flavor. Your carnitas will come out tender, juicy, and crispy all at the same time! These carnitas are absolutely mouth-watering, have several delicious ways to serve them, and use NO LARD.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 jalapenos (chopped)
- 8 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 cup orange juice
Carnitas Rub Recipe
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the pork shoulder dry, then coat with the salt and pepper. Combine the ingredients for the rub and rub all over the pork shoulder. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker, fat cap facing up. Top with the onion, jalapeño, and garlic, then pour over the orange juice. Slow cook the pork for 10 hours on low heat, or 7 hours on high heat.
- Once cooked, remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Place the remaining juices in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside. After the pork has been shredded, crisp up the meat in batches by frying in a large nonstick pan or skillet with a little bit of oil on high heat. Pour some of the juices over the meat and allow them to evaporate and for the meat to develop a golden crust before removing from the pan. After the pork has been crisped, pour some of the juices over the meat. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 980mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg