I have always been a huge fan of tacos, but only in recent years did I find out just how delicious tacos with carnitas could be! I made this slow cooker carnitas recipe in my gorgeous stainless steel 360 Cookware slow cooker and it was a hit with the family!
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I love how veratile carnitas can be. We usually eat them in tacos or nachos for the first meal, but after that, they are delicious served on a baked potato or sweet potato, in a burrito bowl with cilantro lime rice, or even with eggs for breakfast!
You can use carnitas in just about any main meal recipe and serve your tacos with jalapeños, onions, cheese, lettuce, onions, bell peppers, and more! Add your favorite toppings to customize your carnitas tacos!
I made this slow cooker carnitas recipe in my brand new 360 Cookware stainless steel slow cooker set and it worked quite well!
I love this gorgeous slow cooker set SO much! You can use the base with the 6 quart or 4 quart stock pot, which can also be used on the stop top. It cooks everything so well! 
The stock pot and cover have ergonomic handles and is oven safe. The cladded metal is .110 gauge and T-304 surgical grade stainless steel and simply beautiful. It is easy to use, versatile, and just gorgeous to display on your countertop!
These slow cooker carnitas keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and can make a busy week delicious! Leftover carnitas never seem like leftovers!! They can even be frozen if you will not be eating them in the next few days, and pulled out for another meal or two!
How will you serve your slow cooker carnitas?
Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe
Slow cooker carnitas are easy to make and great for tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, sandwiches, and more!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork butt
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 TBSP cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place pork butt in slow cooker, fat side up.
- Pour orange juice all over the pork butt.
- Sprinkle salt, cumin, and paprika all over the pork butt.
- Spread garlic on top.
- Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 7 hours.
- After time is up, check on pork to see if it is easily shredded. If not, cook for another 1-2 hours.
- Skim off fat and discard.
- Shred pork with two forks. If you don't like your carnitas crispy, serve now in a tortilla, on rice, as a nacho topping, on a sandwich, etc.
To crisp, option 1:
1. Heat 1 TBSP oil in a large skillet on medium high heat.
2. Spread shredded pork in the pan and drizzle some juices from the slow cooker all over the pork.
3. Cook until carnitas are crispy to your liking.
4. Remove carnitas and repeat with the rest of the meat.
To crisp, option 2:
1. Turn oven to broil.
2. Prepare 1-2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.
3. Spread shredded pork in a layer on cookie sheet(s).
4. Broil meat for 3-5 minutes and stir/turn.
5. Drizzle with juices and cook another 3-5 minutes, until crispy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 224mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 27g
The writer is not a doctor or nutritionist and this nutritional information is just a guideline. Please consult your doctor or nutritionist for more accurate information.