Pork Carnitas

Pork Carnitas makes me think of Chipotle and whenever we get a craving for Chipotle, I add this to the menu for the week. We do not go out to eat often. Anytime we've gone to Chipotle, the line is insanely long!! I just can't justify going out when I know I can make it at home for a fraction of the price too!

What I do with these - Whenever we make these, it's almost always for a bowl burrito like thing. My husband likes it as mini tacos or a GIANT burrito. Leftovers are amazing over my mac & cheese and a little BBQ drizzled on top. Honestly, you can't go wrong with using this however you like having shredded meat! 

I love how easy this is - a crockpot does 95% of the work for you! Throw it in the crockpot in the morning before you head off to work, come home to a glorious pot of warmly spiced and citrusy pork carnitas. Just shred and get on with dinner. One of our favorite things to make with this is a burrito bowl. Make my version of cilantro lime rice and Mexican beans, top with your favorite salsa, some sour cream, a fresh lime wedge, and a sprinkling of cilantro and you got yourself a mighty fine meal, don't cha' know?!

I'd love for you to try my version and let me know what you think in the comments!

Pork Carnitas

Slow cooked, flavorful shredded pork carnitas. Great for tacos, fajitas, on top of mac & cheese or a salad, burrito bowl...or just eating with a fork!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8

Equipment

• 1 Slow cooker/crock pot

Ingredients

  

• 2-3 lb boneless pork butt
• 1 navel orange, cut in half
• 1 lime, cut in half
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoon Mexican oregano or regular oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup pork or chicken broth LOVE Knorr brand for this

Instructions

 

• In a slow cooker, add the meat, fattiest side up.
  2-3 lb boneless pork butt
• Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat, add the onion
  1 medium onion, quartered, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 2 bay leaves, 2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
• Squeeze the orange and lime over the meat and toss them in the pot
  1 navel orange, cut in half, 1 lime, cut in half
• Pour the broth over everything, add the olive oil
  1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ cup pork or chicken broth
• Cook on low for about 10 hours. Meat will be tender, shred and use how you like!
• Pork Carnitas are VERY versatile! Use for tacos, burritos, on top of mac&cheese, the possibilities are endless

Notes

NUGGETS OF KNOWLEDGE

Pork - I will usually use pork butt shoulder or pork butt roast- any chunk of pork should work well. If it's super fatty, we tend to trim a little off to avoid it being too greasy.

Broth - I will NEVER tire of this 🙂 I LOVE KNORR bouillon and cubes. When I can find it, I use the pork bouillon cube and make the broth, then use ½ cup of it, then save the rest for other needs. Chicken or veggie broth is also very good in this.

Classic Carnitas - For a more classic dish, after shredding the pork, lay it out on a sheet pan and add a little of the juice over it. Put under broiler for about 2-3 mins until edges start to crisp and turn brown. We do this occasionally, as I am usually looking for the ease of just shredding and serving, but it's an excellent step! 

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