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Tender pork, slow-cooked to juicy perfection, then quickly browned for deliciously crisp edges. This slow cooker carnitas recipe couldn’t be easier or more incredible, made with a simple spice blend and simmered in citrus juices with a handful of aromatics. I’ve been making this Crockpot pork carnitas for years and it’s still a huge hit in my house!
🌮 What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This easy pork carnitas recipe has been a favorite of mine for years. It’s just SO good! It uses your choice of pork tenderloin or pork loin, so you end up with unbelievably tender, juicy meat. Plus, the perfect amount of lime and orange juices tenderizes the pork even more while adding a delicious citrus flavor.
- Speaking of flavor, there’s SO MUCH of it here. Oregano and cumin, onion and garlic and jalapeño, lime and orange juices, not to mention the pork itself. It’s a simple recipe with just a handful of ingredients, but wow do they have a big impact!
- Cooking carnitas in the Crockpot means you have an incredible, flavorful, protein-packed Mexican dinner waiting for you when you get home. Just add the meat to tortillas or a salad with your favorite toppings, or even just eat it as-is. You’re all set!
👩🏼🍳 Chef’s Tips
- You’ll be tempted to skip the sear, but I’m telling you… DON’T. I mean, you can, but I really recommend the extra step. Browning the pork carnitas after it comes out of the slow cooker really makes a big difference. The meat gets just a little crisp on the edges, and it’s so, so good. You even get a little caramelization from the juices. Don’t worry, though, it doesn’t make the pork dry or tough at all.
- Whether you use pork loin or pork tenderloin for your slow cooker carnitas, make sure you only use 2 pounds! This recipe is written for 2 pounds of pork. If you use a whole pork tenderloin (or pork loin), you won’t have enough cooking liquid unless you adjust the amounts for all the other ingredients to match.
- Don’t let the ingredients list fool you. The recipe doesn’t call for a ton of liquid, because you really don’t need more than we’re using. The lime and orange juices keep the pork loin or tenderloin moist while the slow cooker warms up. From there, the pork starts to release its natural juices. You’ll actually end up with a little more liquid than you start with.
Crockpot Carnitas Recipe Variations
- Add a cinnamon stick to the Crockpot with the other ingredients for a super rich flavor.
- Add ½ cup beer (preferably Mexican beer) to the cooking liquid. The pork will have an even deeper flavor and be that much more tender.
- For hotter carnitas, don’t remove the seeds from the jalapeño when you chop it.
- Add a small can of diced green chilies for a little more kick.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook pork carnitas in the Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker?
Absolutely! I’ve even got an Instant Pot carnitas recipe on the blog already.
What cut of meat is best for pork carnitas?
Pork shoulder and pork butt are the traditional cuts for carnitas, but this recipe was actually developed to use pork loin or pork tenderloin. That’s why the cook time is so short!
What toppings do you put on slow cooker carnitas?
Anything you like! My favorite pork carnitas toppings are cotija crumbles, chopped cilantro, red onion, guac, pico de gallo, sour cream, and jalapeños.
How do you serve Crockpot carnitas?
Whether you make carnitas with pork loin, tenderloin, butt, or shoulder, it’s super versatile. Use it for tacos, quesadillas, nachos, salads, chilaquiles, burritos, or just enjoy it on its own or with a side of cilantro lime rice.
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Slow Cooker Carnitas (Pork Carnitas with Pork Loin or Tenderloin)
Tender, juicy, crispy, and full of flavor. This slow cooker carnitas recipe is made with a handful of simple ingredients and perfect for tacos, burritos, salads, chilaquiles, or just on its own!
servings
Equipment
- Small bowl
- whisk or small silicone spatula
- Cutting board
- Paper towels
- Slow Cooker with lid
- Tongs
- internal meat thermometer
- 2 forks
- Medium skillet
- ladle or measuring cup
- Large bowl
Ingredients
For the Carnitas Rub
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
For the Carnitas
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin
- half of one onion chopped, approximately 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeño stem removed, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice juice from 1 medium lime
- 4-5 tablespoons fresh navel orange juice juice from 1 medium navel orange
- avocado oil
Instructions
To Make the Carnitas
- Add 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon avocado oil to small bowl. Whisk or stir ingredients together until well combined. Set bowl aside.
- Place 2 pounds pork tenderloin or pork loin on cutting board. Pat pork completely dry with paper towels on all sides.
- Coat pork in carnitas rub, gently massaging spice rub into tenderloin until fully coated on all sides. Place seasoned tenderloin in slow cooker.
- Add half of one onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 medium jalapeño, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, and 4-5 tablespoons fresh navel orange juice to slow cooker.
- Cover slow cooker with lid. Cook on HIGH 4 to 6 hours, or LOW 6 to 8 hours. Check pork occasionally – when fully cooked, internal temperature will read 145° Fahrenheit on meat thermometer and meat will be easy to separate with fork.
- When pork is ready, carefully shred tenderloin in slow cooker using 2 forks. Alternately, remove meat from slow cooker and shred on cutting board, but do not discard any juices.
- If serving carnitas immediately, continue to next section of instructions. If not serving immediately, transfer shredded pork and juices to airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve, then continue with next section of instructions.
To Serve the Carnitas
- Heat medium skillet over medium heat. When skillet is warm, add drizzle of avocado oil and continue heating skillet until oil is hot and shimmering.
- When oil is hot, add just enough shredded pork to cover bottom of skillet without crowding. Ladle small amount of carnitas juice over meat in skillet and cook until liquid has evaporated and bottom of meat is browned and crispy.
- Flip meat over and briefly cook other side until lightly browned. Transfer seared carnitas to large bowl.
- Repeat process with any remaining carnitas. Once all carnitas has been seared and transferred to bowl, drizzle small amount of carnitas juice over meat and serve immediately as desired.
- Pork: It’s important that you use only 2 pounds of pork as directed, unless you also increase the amounts of the other ingredients. If you use more than 2 pounds without adjusting the rest of the ingredients, you will not have enough liquid. Use the servings calculator in the recipe card above to adjust the quantities as needed based on the weight of the pork you’re using.
- Jalapeño: For more heat, don’t remove the seeds from the jalapeño when you chop it.
- Searing Carnitas: Wait to sear the carnitas until you’re ready to serve it. Until then, just refrigerate it in an airtight container with juices drizzled on top.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1 serving of carnitasCalories: 225calProtein: 32gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 857mgPotassium: 699mgTotal Carbs: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gNet Carbs: 4gVitamin A: 53IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Made with 3 pounds of pork loin (11 servings). It lasted my partner and I through the work week for lunches and was delicious reheated!
We’re so glad it worked out perfectly! Thanks for sharing, Jamey!
I am going to try this recipe this week but I haven’t been able to find pork shoulder that isn’t already chopped up. Any adjustments I should make in searing? Or perhaps not cook as long in slow cooker? Any advice is appreciated!
We haven’t tried this recipe with chopped pork shoulder, so we can’t say for sure. But we definitely suggest a lower cooking and searing time as to not dry it out. Fully cooked pork will reach an internal temperature of 145° Fahrenheit when ready.
Grabbed a 8 pound pork loin from Costco, cut in 10 or 12 pieces, used the calculator for ingredients Qty’s, and my 7 Qt crock Pot…. It turned out sooo good. Very good for meal prep with excellent Macros. Wife said, Tastes like Puerto Rican “Pernil” with a mexican twist without the extra calories… 🙂
So glad you and your wife loved it! Thanks for sharing, Jose. 😊
I had 2 pieces of pork tenderloin and cooked well but no juice. What could I put to make some juices
You could totally double the lime and orange juice to provide more liquid! 😊
Can I see ahead of time to be able to reheat the next day? I work late and don’t feel like cooking when I get home home at night..
Sure, that’s no problem. The carnitas may be a little dryer that way, since it’s being slow cooked, then seared, then refrigerated, then reheated.
This is definitely one of my favorites for a very large get together. I use 5 lbs of pork and multiply the recipe by 2.5. There is always plenty of liquid. Everyone loves this! One question I had regarding cooking it longer. It seems to me that if the whole amount of meat is covered in liquid, wouldnt it just get more and more tender if you cooked it longer? I usually just put it on for the max time and trust it will be amazing. Should I be stopping the cooking sooner if it is at temp?
So happy you enjoy this recipe so much, Cheryl! As for your question about cooking time, there does come a point where the meat goes well past “perfectly cooked” and starts to become tough and dry, especially if you’re using lean cuts of meat like pork loin or tenderloin and cooking them in acidic liquids like lime juice and orange juice. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what that length of time might be with your specific slow cooker, but if you’re automatically setting yours to 8 hours on low when we say 6-8 hours on low, you should be fine.
If you’re up for an experiment, you might try setting it for the shorter time, checking the temp, and adding time as needed – you might find that it’s perfectly cooked at 6 hours and you prefer that texture over the 8-hour cook.
Delicious…made it for a party! It was a hit…thank you😋
Thank you, Margaret!
So good! I used the slow cook function on my instant pot and this worked well. I actually checked the meat earlier than planned and it was cooked to temperature, probably because I had two thinner pieces of meat rather than one. The searing at the end really does bring it to the next level, as noted in the instructions! I put the meat in a Siete almond flour tortilla with some avocado, cilantro, and Siete enchilada sauce and it was great. My husband even said this was the best meal on our Whole30 so far!
Yum, that sounds incredible!! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the carnitas so much and best of luck to you on the rest of your Whole30!
So is the “internal temp to 145” a typo? I usually take pork to 165 internal.
Nope, not a typo! The USDA recommends cooking pork to 145° Fahrenheit followed by a 3-minute rest time (source here). You’ll also sear the carnitas on the stove before serving, so you definitely don’t want to overcook the pork in the slow cooker and then cook it even more on the stovetop.
So I doubled the recipe and put in a 4.8 lb pork loin. I set it overnight for 8 hours on low. I woke up 6.5 hours in and checked it and it was already way overcooked. The flavor seems good, it is just frustrating that it got so dry and tough.
I’m sorry to hear that, Jennifer! That’s definitely not the result we want you to have. I’d love to help troubleshoot if I can.
– This recipe is written for 2 pounds of pork, and you used 4.8 pounds, which is more than double the amount of pork. Did you also use more than double the amounts of the other ingredients in the recipe? Too little liquid will definitely make the pork dry out during the long cook time.
– The timing varies based on a number of factors, but each slow cooker behaves differently, which is why we say to check the pork occasionally well before the cook time is up. Often the full recommended cook time isn’t needed. Additionally, we recommend cooking on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, rather than 8 hours exactly. Depending on your slow cooker, it’s very likely that 6 hours is all you needed. If you try this recipe again, and I hope you will, I recommend setting the slow cooker for only 6 hours, checking the pork at the 4 and 5 hour marks, then adding time if you find you need more after that.
Thank you for your feedback, Jennifer! I do hope you’ll give this one another chance!