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.
Crockpot Carnitas from Pork Tenderloin (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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.
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10 years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of two who lives in Memphis, TN.
Molly says
I don’t have any limes and my kids ate all the oranges. I have bottled lime juice and regular orange juice in the fridge. How much should I use? Thanks!
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
About two ounces of orange juice and about two tablespoons of lemon juice. 🙂
Monica says
How much is a serving?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We consider anywhere from 4-6 ounces a traditional serving. 🙂
Kara says
Delicious! Cooked on high for about 4 hours and tossed it in the skillet and it was perfect. Served with Late July’s paleo tortilla chips and some fresh pico and guacamole.
Rachel Ingrisano says
Is it okay to change it out for a pork butt or pork shoulder?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
We have not tried that, but it should work. 🙂
Lulupka says
I’ve used a pork butt in this recipe. It’s a fattier cut of meat and it comes out way more juicy and flavorful ! You need very little oil to brown the meat after it comes out of the crockpot.
Kasey says
Delicious!!! So good – my picky teenager asked me to make these again y’all! This has become a family favorite and it’s Whole30!! Win!!!
Zoe says
Delicious AND easy? What a dream! My picky 2 year old agreed. Added to the recipe favorites. Thank you!
Cheryl Malik says
Picky toddlers are my harshest critics (I have one at home, so…), so I’m glad it passed the test!!
Mary says
Is there a way to save/download just the recipe itself and not the 22 pages that accompany it? It’s great to read once, but I hate digging thru all that stuff Just to find the instructions when I want to return to the recipe. Thanks- Mary
Cheryl Malik says
Just click the “jump to recipe” button at the very top of the page under the title.
Jessica says
Amazing recipe. Highly recommend. We made cauliflower rice carnitas bowls.
Cheryl Malik says
I’m so glad you loved it, and that sounds amazing!
Sara says
Great recipe. Juicy and flavor
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks for the great review! 🙂
Becky says
Hi, can I crisp carnitas in oven or broiler and how? In a cookie sheet? How much liquid? And exactly how would you go about freezing this? Liquid in with meat or seperate?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Sure! Broil them on a cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes until desired texture is met. We would ladle a small amount, but not too much! We would freeze the meat and juices separately in air tight containers.
Alli says
Hi Cheryl! I love all your recipes! Tried these carnitas Tonight- they came out super tough and I eventually shredded it all but with great difficulty. Used 2 pounds as directed! Do you think it was a bad cut of meat? Curious what I did Wrong here …sos
Stephanie says
This recipe is PHENOMENAL. My husband and I decided to try it on a whim one evening. And considering our previous frustration with slow-cooker meals, we were astounded at how tender and juicy the pork turned out – and how flavorful it was! We nixed the onions and did olive oil rather than avocado to cater to my allergies, and then we served over rice with a dollop of sour cream and some Cholula! We are already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. In fact, I’m shocked there are even leftovers to begin with, because we could have easily downed all of this tonight!
Cheryl Malik says
That sounds awesome! So glad you both loved it!
Brianna says
Can this be frozen?
Cheryl Malik says
Yes! I would freeze with the juice, too.
Kent says
Simply Magnificent recipe. Thank you Cheryl. All your recipes are 100% top notch. Always. (Hint: double this recipe up. it’s THAT good!)
isabella says
I have done this recipe probably five times, and it always turns out great
Cheryl Malik says
hooray!
Emily says
Could I use pork butt instead of pork loin?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Sure!
Tanya says
I’ve made this with both pork and chicken and its always amazing. It’s an easy go to meal each week for my husband and I.
Pat says
This recipe looks amazing, but I live in a Muslim country and can not get pork. Can it be made with a beef tenderloin or with chicken breasts? Has anyone tried it with beef or chicken?
Cheryl Malik says
I think you absolutely could switch it out! I would try it with chicken breasts first.
Allison says
What would the directions be for the instant pot?
Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says
Sautè the pork tenderloin with seasoning in the Instant Pot on both sides until browned on both sides. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pork and seal the lid on. Place the trivet in the IP & place the pork on top of it. Seal the lid to the Instant Pot and set the pressure to cook for five minutes.
Naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure. Carry on with step 3!
Amy says
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!
Quincy says
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!