Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe yield a tender, flavorful pork. This carnitas recipe is easy to make in the crock pot and perfect for serving a crowd. Pork Carnitas taste incredible in a warm tortilla topped with avocado, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

I’ve made this recipe for slow cooker pork carnitas for my family for years. The flavor is so amazing! It’s simple to put together and let it cook in the crockpot all day. We love it served in a warm tortilla, but it’d also be delicious on a salad, in quesadillas, or served on a roll as a sandwich.

What are Carnitas?

Carnitas is a Mexican dish consisting of pork that’s braised or simmered in oil. I simplify the technique here by slow cooking in a crockpot. Slow cooking tenderizes the pork and in addition allows you to use little or no oil in the cooking process.

How do you serve Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas?

You can serve carnitas in a variety of ways. Most traditional is served like a taco on a warm corn or flour tortilla. Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are also delicious on a salad, in quesadillas, or served on a roll as a sandwich.

Why use Dr. Pepper or Coca Cola in Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas?

The can of Dr. Pepper or Coke in this carnitas recipe serves 2 purposes. First, the acidity in the soda works to tenderize the meat. Second, the soda imparts a sweet, unique flavor that is incredible when combined with the spices!

What type of pork roast for Crockpot Pork Carnitas?

I most often use a boneless pork shoulder roast for slow cooker pork carnitas, but you can use just about any type of pork roast. Leaner roasts will yield slightly tougher carnitas, but the slow cooking process significantly helps in tenderizing the meat.

Ingredients needed for Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

Here’s what you’ll need to make carnitas:

— pork roast (3-8 lbs)
— salt
— chili powder
— cumin
— oregano
— onion, quartered — I love using sweet onion
— garlic
— Dr.Pepper or Coca Cola soda (12 oz)
— brown sugar

How to make Slow Cooker Carnitas

This recipe for Crockpot Pork Carnitas is SO simple!

You can use a bone-in roast or a boneless roast; it doesn’t really matter since you’ll be cutting the meat off the bone anyways. First, trim your pork roast of excess fat and cutting into 2″ chunks.

Spray slow cooker to make clean up easier. Then, add ingredients into slow cooker and stir.

Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, until pork is tender and falling apart. After that, shred the pork with a fork and remove onion pieces.

Serve in a tortilla with sour cream, cilantro and sliced avocados. Enjoy!

Like this easy slow cooker recipe? Try these other crock pot recipes  ~ 

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe yield a tender, flavorful pork. This carnitas recipe is easy to make in the crock pot and perfect for serving a crowd. Pork Carnitas taste incredible in a warm tortilla topped with avocado, cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Main Dish, pork, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 278kcal

Ingredients

• 1 pork roast 3-8 lbs
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 large onion quartered
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 can Dr. Pepper or Coca Cola soda 12 oz
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

• Trim excess fat from pork roast. Cut remaining meat into into 2″ chunks.

• Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients into slow cooker. Stir.

• Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, until pork is tender and falling apart. Shred with a fork and remove onion pieces.

• Serve in a tortilla with sour cream, cilantro and sliced avocados. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 714mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1.3% | Vitamin C: 1.1% | Calcium: 1.8% | Iron: 6.7%

How long does it take to slow cook pork?

When you cook a pork roast in a slow cooker, how long you cook it for depends on how large your roast is. I use a small 3-4 pound boneless pork roast for this recipe and I like to cook it in a slow cooker on LOW for 10-12 hours. You can cook it on HIGH for 6-8 hours, but I think the texture and flavor is better when you cook it on low.

I cook this Pork Roast recipe in a 4.5 quart basic crock pot. (Basic but so pretty!)

How to make Pork recipes in an Instant Pot

I’ve also begun making pork in my Instant Pot and it’s AMAZING. It’s quite a bit faster than using a Slow Cooker (it takes about 2 hours total!) and I think I like the results even more! I use a small, 2-lb Pork Sirloin Tip Roast from Costco and add the remaining ingredients. It’s fall apart tender and so flavorful! Instant Pot instructions included below- I’ve even made it in my baby 3-qt Instant Pot with great success!

This carnitas recipe makes the best pork carnitas I’ve ever tasted. Easy slow cooker carnitas, that are unbelievably simple to make and SO tasty!

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