Crispy Carnitas (Slow Cooker)

34 Comments

Crispy Carnitas
Crispy Carnitas

The secret to perfect carnitas: a crispy crust on one side and tender meat on the other side. You need two tools to achieve this – a crock pot and a cast iron skillet. Together, these two can make magic happen on your taste buds. Make my 3-ingredient Paleo Naan – use it as a tortilla – and you’ve got one tasty taco.

carnitas-cast-ironI make carnitas all the time and they’re always a huge hit. This recipe though is by far my favorite. I think the it’s the combination of orange and lime juice mixed with spices like cinnamon and bay leaf that make it extra awesome. This is a great dish to make when you have guests visiting – because the crock pot does all the cooking. Once you’re ready to serve, just fry the meat on high heat in your cast iron skillet and then squeeze a little fresh lime juice on top. Perfection.

I recently made these carnitas when my in-laws came to visit us in Morgantown. They’re not paleo-eaters but they loved the dish! Roby and I took the fam to Coopers Rock and to Fallingwater in nearby Union Mill, PA. It was such a lovely weekend.

Fallingwater
Fallingwater

When we first moved to West Virginia, we weren’t sure what to expect. We had heard all these negative things – ‘there’s nothing to do,’ ‘just a bunch of rednecks’, etc. To all our friends who have and continue to make jokes… West Virginians are the brilliant ones – they’re probably starting these rumors to keep people like us from invading this beautiful and breathtaking state.

Coopers Rock
Coopers Rock

I’m looking forward to having more friends/family visit, so that we can show them around the area and also so that we can eat these carnitas again.

Crispy Carnitas

Crispy Carnitas

5 from 8 reviews
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Ingredients
 

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder
  • 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper adjust to taste
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 onion coarsely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic minced (I used my garlic press)
  • 1-2 serrano peppers minced
  • 2 oranges juiced
  • 1 lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or as much as you need to fry your meat

Instructions
 

  • Put the pork in a crock pot and add salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and chili powder to both sides of the meat.
  • Add the onion, garlic, serrano pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon stick on top.
  • Squeeze the oranges and lime on top and then cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8.
  • Shred the meat with two forks. Heat ghee in a skillet and fry the meat on one side until golden and crispy.
  • Reserve the juices in the crockpot and pour some on top of the meat. Squeeze lime juice on top and serve.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!

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About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Marcel Lawson says

    5 stars
    I have served this countless times for many years and WE LOVE IT! Fried OR unfried, with pork, beef or chicken….it is SUCCULENT!

  2. Amanda says

    This is my favorite! I usually just make it as pulled pork rather than frying for traditional carnitas. And most of the time I don’t have the Serrano on hand. It’s always delicious no matter what! I’ve been making it a couple of years and I’m finally here to let you know it’s a winner in my book. Everyone I’ve made it for loves it as well. It is my go to recipe and I could eat it daily…multiple times a day…. and I usually do. 🙂

  3. Monica Cole says

    5 stars
    This is seriously one of the best meals i have ever had. Everyone i have recommend them to agree. Thank you so much for sharing!

  4. Megan says

    5 stars
    I adore this recipe and have made it many times! I intended to put it in the slow cooker before work but time ran out. If I were to cook this in the oven, what temp and time would you suggest? We love this for lettuce wraps with typical taco toppings.

  5. Ricky says

    Thank you for the recipe! It looks incredible. I’m thinking about serving it in a taco bar at a party we are hosting. Do you have any recommendations on how we could keep the carnitas both fresh and crispy, without having to fry separate servings?

    • My Heart Beets says

      Hi Ricky, I suggest frying the carnitas and then putting them in the oven on your lowest setting to keep them nice and crisp. I’d try to do this close to party time so as not to dry out the meat. Even if it does get a little dry though, you can always just drizzle the sauce from the meat overtop before serving. Let me know how this turns out!

  6. Mitchell says

    5 stars
    So I’ve made this before with the Pork roast and it was amazing! This morning I decided to get a butt roast from the store to make more (seeing as three pounds wasn’t enough to feed my hollow legged boyfriend). However, upon inspection of the meat, which I had already unwrapped, I noticed it was 10 POUNDS of butt! This is a butt of Kardashian proportions! So, I figured that a rough multiplying of the ingredients by three would work, but now I’m wondering about the cooking time. Any thoughts?

  7. Nancy says

    5 stars
    This is the first time I’ve ever commented on a blog recipe. I wanted to make sure to give this recipe 5 stars. It’s delicious! Thanks so much for sharing it.

    ps I used to live in West Virginia. It’s a beautiful state.

  8. Joy Chadwick says

    Just made this recipe, absolutely delish! I added an extra Serrano chili, a little more salt and garlic but my goodness, super great recipe!
    Joy ❤️❤️❤️

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