These Crock Pot Pork Carnitas only require a handful of ingredients and are full of flavor. Perfectly seasoned pork and a trick to help the meat stay tender with crispy edges!

A SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS CARNITAS RECIPE

With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I thought we needed to add a little flair to our usual Pulled Pork. Mexican-inspired spices flavor the pork and a little twist at the end of cooking to give us some crispy pork pieces. Absolutely mouth watering!

pulled pork shown served in corn tortillas topped with chopped onion and cilantro.

TIPS FOR MAKING CARNITAS:

  • I really recommend letting the pork roast sit in the seasonings overnight. It really does make a HUGE difference in taste.
  • If you prefer, you can purchase store-bought packet seasonings for this – fajita seasoning is probably the closest to these flavors. I do recommend giving this easy homemade seasoning a try. The oregano really adds a kick of flavor here.
  • You want to look for a pork roast that has a good fat cap on it. This will really help keep the pork moist and flavorful as it cooks. The fatty bits will be removed when the pork is fully cooked.
  • I think a bone-in pork shoulder works best here since it adds more flavor but if all you can find is boneless, then you can certainly go with that. Just look for one that has a good bit of fat on top.
Slow Cooker pork carnitas recipe from The Country Cook, shredded pork shown in a slow cooker with pieces of lime.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • Boston butt (pork shoulder roast)
  • olive or vegetable oil
  • creole seasoning
  • kosher salt
  • cumin
  • oregano
  • onion powder
  • lime
Ingredients for slow cooker carnitas: Boston butt (pork shoulder roast), corn tortillas, creole seasoning, kosher salt, cumin, oregano, onion powder, limes.
patting a pork roast with a paper towel to dry.

Combine salt and spices in a small bowl and mix well.

spices and seasoning for carnitas in a small white bowl.

Rub the roast with oil (this will help the spices stick better.)

pouring olive oil on a pork roast.

Then coat the roast with spice mixture. Get it all over the roast and rub it in well.

rubbing seasoning and spices into a pork roast on a baking tray.

Wrap well with plastic wrap. Pop the roast into the refrigerator and refrigerate overnight (if possible.)

seasoned pork roast wrapped in plastic wrap.

The next morning, unwrap the roast and put it into to crock pot (fat side up) on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. No additional liquids are needed for cooking. The pork will cook in its’ own juices.

seasoned pork roast shown in an oval slow cooker.

When finished cooking, remove roast from crock pot and set aside onto an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Then pour 1/2 cup of the rendered cooking liquid from the crock pot into a glass measuring cup to use in a bit. Shred roast into chunks and remove the shoulder bone and fatty pieces and toss those. The meat will be very tender so this part will be a breeze.

shredded pork shown on a tray lined with aluminum foil.

Cut lime into wedges and squeeze juice all over pork. Toss the squeezed lime wedges into the pan with the pork for extra flavor. At this point, go ahead and turn the broiler onto ‘High” on your oven.

squeezing lime juice on top of shredded pork.

Drizzle 1/2 cup of the rendered cooking liquid over the pork.

drizzling pork broth on top of shredded pork on a baking sheet.

Place baking sheet on the middle oven rack and broil on high until pork pieces begin to sizzle and crisp up (about 5 minutes.)

Slow Cooker Carnitas, baked, on a baking sheet.

Remove from oven and serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings.

Carnitas shown served in a corn tortilla.

Crock Pot Pork Carnitas

These Crock Pot Pork Carnitas only require a handful of ingredients and are full of flavor. Perfectly seasoned pork and a trick to help the meat stay tender with crispy edges!
5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 20minutes 
Cook Time: 10hours  5minutes 
Total Time: 10hours  25minutes 
Servings: 

Ingredients

  • 8 pound Boston butt or pork shoulder roast
  • 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1-2 limes
  • flour or corn tortillas, for serving
  • shredded cheese, sliced avocados, sliced radishes, chopped onions, sour cream, chopped cilantro, pico de gallo or salsa, for serving

Instructions

    • Unwrap the roast and gently dry with paper towel.
    • Combine salt and spices in a small bowl and mix well.
    • Rub the roast with oil (this will help the spices stick better.)
    • Then coat the roast with spice mixture.
    • Get it all over the roast and rub it in well.
    • Wrap the roast well with plastic wrap.
    • Pop the roast into the refrigerator and refrigerate overnight (if possible.)
  • The next morning, unwrap the roast and put it into to crock pot (fat side up) on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
  • No additional liquids are needed for cooking. The pork will cook in its’ own juices.
  • When finished cooking, remove roast from crock pot and set aside onto an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
  • Then pour 1/2 cup of the rendered cooking liquid from the crock pot into a measuring cup. Shred roast into chunks and remove the shoulder bone and fatty pieces and toss those.
  • Cut lime into wedges and squeeze juice all over pork.
  • Toss the squeezed lime wedges into the pan with the pork for extra flavor. (At this point, go ahead and turn the broiler onto ‘High” on your oven)
  • Drizzle 1/2 cup of the rendered cooking liquid over the pork.
  • Place baking sheet on the middle oven rack and broil on high until pork pieces begin to sizzle and crisp up (about 5 minutes.)
  • Remove from oven and serve with flour or corn tortilas and desired toppings.

Notes

  • I really recommend letting the pork roast sit in the seasonings overnight. It really does make a HUGE difference in taste.
  • If you prefer, you can purchase store-bought packet seasonings for this – fajita seasoning is probably the closest to these flavors. I do recommend giving this easy homemade seasoning a try. The oregano really adds a kick of flavor here.
  • You want to look for a pork roast that has a good fat cap on it. This will really help keep the pork moist and flavorful as it cooks. The fatty bits will be removed when the pork is fully cooked.
  • I think a bone-in pork shoulder works best here since it adds more flavor but if all you can find is boneless, then you can certainly go with that. Just look for one that has a good bit of fat on top.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 17g | Sodium: 401mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.