These Crockpot carnitas are made in the slow cooker for a super easy paleo or Whole30 dinner. Pork loin or tenderloin makes these Crockpot carnitas a budget-friendly, healthy Mexican recipe, and they’re so full of flavor! Used in my Whole30 carnitas chilaquiles recipe, as well as my copycat Chipotle carnitas bowl.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using pork loin or tenderloin means no hard-to-find ingredients, and the result is super tender.
- Fresh citrus tenderizes the carnitas while they cook in the Crockpot and leaves you with plenty of juices for browning and serving.
- Cooking these carnitas in the Crockpot means an easy and flavorful Mexican dinner ready for you when you get home from work or school.
- Browning the carnitas at the end adds a beautiful crispiness to a few pieces that you’ll love.
- This Crockpot is super functional, and I highly recommend it! (<<< affiliate link)
I was never a huge fan of carnitas before my first Whole30. Nah, I didn’t have anything against the Mexican pulled pork, but I’d always, always opt for steak if given the chance. Problem is…
Well, two problems.
a) The steak at Chipotle is not Whole30 compliant, and
b) Um, steak is expensive?
So on our first Chipotle outing during a Whole30, I wandered up to the glass with my phone in my face and ordered off a post I’d found on the Whole30 forums.
“Carnitas and lettuce and, um… extra guac, of course,” I emphasized. “And like 2 cups of each salsa.”
Because, you know, that roasted salsa verde is damn good, but not as good as the one I made!
I was surprised, then, when I liked the carnitas bowl as much as I did, considering there was no, GASP, cheese, and no, ALSO GASP, steak, and no corn salsa and no crunchy chips and generally lots of saying no to lots of things. But what I got instead was crunchy and crisp, tender and juicy, bright and flavorful and garlicky and a little smoky. I left feeling satisfied but not grossly full, and I didn’t immediately need to take a nap or top off my steady caffeine drip.
Really, though, I found myself craving carnitas bowls on a recent Whole30 and had a couple pork loins in the fridge that I’d recently found on sale at Sprouts for insanely cheap. At about 4 bucks for half a loin (8 bucks for the whole thing, and we used the other half for a pan-roasted tenderloin with apples and bacon DROOL), this Whole30 Crockpot carnitas recipe made enough carnitas for an entire week of lunches for O and me. And did I mention I literally put it in the Crockpot on Sunday afternoon and just let it do its thing? Y’all.
Just Y’all.
Tips for the perfect Whole30 Crockpot carnitas:
- Don’t skip browning the carnitas after they’re shredded! Browning them in a bit of oil with some leftover juices takes them to the next level with crispy bits and a juicy texture.
- You can use pork loin or pork tenderloin for these Whole30 Crockpot carnitas:both are delicious.
- Make sure you only use 2 pounds of either pork loin or pork tenderloin, though, rather than just a whole pork loin or whole pork tenderloin.
- The order in which you add the ingredients after the pork doesn’t really matter, but I usually do salt, garlic, onion, jalapeños, then the juice.
Try this:
- Deseed your jalapeño for milder Crockpot carnitas.
- Try this recipe with chicken breasts. The cooking time should remain the same.
- Add a cinnamon stick with your citrus juices for a super rich flavor.
- Add 1/2 cup beer, preferably Mexican, to the cooking liquid for really tender Crockpot carnitas. Don’t do this if you’re on a Whole30, though!
FAQs
Can I use my Instant Pot?
Sure! First, you could try my perfect paleo Instant Pot carnitas and cook them under pressure. The result is seriously amazing.
Or you could use the Slow Cooker setting and follow this recipe as written.
Does the liquid need to cover the pork loin or pork tenderloin?
Nope!
Can I use two 1-pound pork tenderloins?
Absolutely. The key here is just to use 2 pounds of pork loin or pork tenderloin; however you come to that figure is fine.
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely! Simply double all ingredients exactly and follow the same time recommendations, perhaps erring on the side of the longer end (5-6 hours on high and 7-8 hours on low).
How to Make Whole30 Crockpot Carnitas
Combine the rub ingredients and rub all over the pork tenderloin or loin.
Cover pork with remaining Crockpot carnitas ingredients.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.
Remove pork from Crockpot and shred.
Heat a drizzle of avocado oil (or olive oil or coconut oil) in a skillet over medium heat. Add a layer of shredded carnitas (but don’t crowd) and spoon a couple ladles of cooking juice over. Cook until crisp on the underside then flip and crisp briefly on the second side. Serve with a bit of extra juice.
Did you make and love this recipe? Give your review below! 👇 And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Crockpot Carnitas from Pork Tenderloin (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, Keto)
Whole30 Crockpot carnitas made from pork tenderloin or pork loin in the slow cooker. An easy, healthy Mexican dinner recipe that's paleo, Whole30, low carb, and keto.
Ingredients
Rub
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
Crockpot Carnitas
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin or loin
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one lime
- Juice of one navel orange
To Serve
Equipment Needed
Instructions
Pat dry pork tenderloin with paper towels. Combine rub ingredients and rub all over tenderloin then place in your Crockpot.
Top with remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. When done, the meat will be cooked through and very tender, easily separated with a fork.
Remove the tenderloin from the Crockpot and shred the meat with two forks. Do not discard juices.
To Serve
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough carnitas to cover the surface without crowding and ladle a little of the carnitas juice over. Cook until juice has evaporated and the bottom of carnitas is crispy and browned. Flip and cook briefly, but not until too brown.
Remove from skillet and drizzle with a little more juice. Serve.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
It's important that you do not use a WHOLE pork loin but the recommended poundage. If you use a whole pork loin, you will not have enough liquid. If you would like to up your poundage, simply multiply the sauce ingredients to make up for the extra meat!
Wait until you're ready to serve to sear the meat in the skillet. Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container with juices drizzled over until ready to serve.
I recommend this programmable Crockpot.
This recipe is used to make…
Chipotle Copycat Whole30 Carnitas Bowl
Note: This post was originally published April 2017, but was republished with step by step instructions and tips June 2018.
996
This recipe is absolutely delicious! We’re sure to match the measurements of the liquid to whatever poundage of pork we end up using, and have found that we like to add some additional fresh orange juice to balance out the lime. One note is if using pork tenderloins that are in solution, be careful about over-salting!
Made this tonight for my wife and two daughters. They raved about it! I used tenderloins (admittedly it was a bit over 2 lbs). It came out deliciously juicy and tender. I finished it under the broiler for 5 minutes, stirred and put it back in for 5 more minutes. Came out great! We made quesadillas with the carnitas and there wasn’t a scrap left. This one is going to stay in the rotation.
Thanks for a great recipe!
What is the serving size for this meal? Looking amazing! I’m excited to try it out.
We consider a typical serving size to be between 8 – 10 ounces.
These are amazing!!! I can’t praise them enough. This is our second time making them. They are a household staple now!
I tried this last night and it was WONDERFUL! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Angela!
I’ve made this before with a different cut of meat and it was great, but I used 4 pounds of tenderloin and it came out dry 🙁 I think a pork shoulder or butt would be a better cut for this.
Sorry Cecelia, but the recipe calls for 2 pounds. We have not tried it with 4 pounds of meat!
I love the extra citrus flavors added!
Thank you!
It has been about 6 months since I made this and I don’t know why I waited this long. This is a great go-to for daily lunch. Mixes well with diced sweet potatoes, cauliflower rice, or another other nice side. Whole Foods sells some great “no-sugar” taco seasonings, just need to find a spicier one.
We are so glad you loved it, Daniel!
My fiance loves carnitas! I made this recipe in my Instant Pot and it was so good!
Yum! So glad you all enjoyed them!
Please help me with InstantPot directions! I no longer have a crock pot but I am not sure how to convert this to Instant pot. Did you use the slow cooker function or pressure cooker?
If converting to Instant Pot, you can use the slow cooker setting!
This recipe sounded so good that I decided to try it. I cannot believe how absolutely delicious it is. I think I am going to find it truly addictive, and it is one I will make often. Thank you for sharing it. I look forward to trying other of your recipes.
Thanks, Mal, for the beautiful feedback. I am so glad to hear you have enjoyed the recipe!
thanks for posting, I’m excited to try this recipe! I want to do it for my meal prep for the week. Do you think the crispy bits will still taste good when they’re reheated in the microwave?
I honestly make these every month, at least once. My husband and I love how easy they are to throw together in the crock pot and then use for many different meals throughout the week. We put them in Chipotle style bowls, in tacos, into quesadillas, and topped on your corn arepas. Thanks for sharing such an easy and versatile meat!!
Thanks for the compliment, Annalise!
I made this recipe and loved it! My husband and twins ate it up and looked for more. I am already planning on making this again!
So thrilled to hear you family enjoyed it!
Can I cook the pork loin from frozen state and how long would that increase my cooking time?
You can. If it is completely frozen, I would allow an extra 30 minutes to an hour in the crockpot. Be sure to check it often as to not overcook it.
I have had this several times and it is fantastic! I am going to be feeding a bigger group and was wondering if using a pork shoulder I already have would work? I would be slow cooking on my Traeger and multiply all ingredients to math the poundage.
One of my favorite recipes!! I have made this I think 4 times and I’m always stoked to eat it again and again. Thank you for such a great carnitas recipe!
I wish I could give this recipe more than five stars, it is THAT good. I have made this about 6 times so I guess you could say this is my favorite slow cooker meal! The hardest part is waiting until it’s cooked through so I can dig in.