The ultimate crockpot meal: Pork Carnitas.

Flavorful, shreds easily with two forks and are fall-off-the-bone fantastic.

I’m a big fan when it comes to pork carnitas. There’s no right or wrong in my book (but if you want to be right… stuff them into a fully loaded sweet potato). Swoon.

First things first, you’ll need to know how to make my extra special Crockpot Pork Carnitas.

Ingredients:

4 pound (bone-in) Pork Shoulder
1/3 cup Sweet Heat Dry Rub
1 Onion, roughly chopped
1 cup freshly squeezed Orange Juice
1/4 cup Lime Juice
Lime wedges for serving (optional)
Cilantro for serving (optional)

Note: For Whole30, simply omit the Sweet Heat Dry Rub and substitute with a mix of paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Directions:

Trim excess fat from Pork Shoulder and season with Dry Rub. (Make sure to cover all sides of the meat with spices!)
Place Onion on the bottom of the crockpot and then place the spiced meat on top. Pour Orange and Lime Juice over meat.
Cover and cook on low heat for 8 or 10 hours. You can also cook it on high heat for 4-6 hours if you’re in a rush.
After the meat has cooked, remove it from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Discard most liquid from the crockpot, reserving about 1/2 cup. Now add the meat back into the pot and mix with reserved 1 cup liquid and onions.
To achieve crispy, caramelized Carnitas you’ll need to either pan fry or broil the meat before serving. To pan fry, simply transfer the meat to a large sauté pan or wok and sauté on medium-high heat until the meat is crispy and browned, about 5-7 minutes. To broil, transfer the meat to a baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the meat develops a nice crust.
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze individual portions in Ziploc freezer bags and thaw them, as needed. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Note: if you’re going to freeze the extras, I recommend freezing them after step 4. Then when you’re ready to eat the Carnitas, thaw the bag in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours and pan fry or broil before serving.)

Sweet potato garnishes we like to include alongside the carnitas are:

Avocado
Onions
Beans
Greek Yogurt
Cilantro
Green Onions
Hot Sauce

To Print:

Crockpot Pork Carnitas

Serves: 8

Ingredients

4 pound (bone-in) Pork Shoulder
⅓ cup Sweet Heat Dry Rub
1 Onion, roughly chopped
1 cup freshly squeezed Orange Juice
¼ cup Lime Juice
Lime wedges for serving (optional)
Cilantro for serving (optional)

Instructions

Trim excess fat from Pork Shoulder and season with Dry Rub. (Make sure to cover all sides of the meat with spices!)
Place Onion on the bottom of the crockpot and then place the spiced meat on top. Pour Orange and Lime Juice over meat.
Cover and cook on low heat for 8 or 10 hours. You can also cook it on high heat for 4-6 hours if you're in a rush.
After the meat has cooked, remove it from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Discard most liquid from the crockpot, reserving about ½ cup. Now add the meat back into the pot and mix with reserved 1 cup liquid and onions.
To achieve crispy, caramelized Carnitas you’ll need to either pan fry or broil the meat before serving. To pan fry, simply transfer the meat to a large sauté pan or wok and sauté on medium-high heat until the meat is crispy and browned, about 5-7 minutes. To broil, transfer the meat to a baking sheet and broil in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the meat develops a nice crust.
Store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or you can freeze individual portions in Ziploc freezer bags and thaw them, as needed. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Note: if you’re going to freeze the extras, I recommend freezing them after step 4. Then when you’re ready to eat the Carnitas, thaw the bag in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours and pan fry or broil before serving.)

Other ideas for using Crockpot Pork Carnitas include: omelets, quiche, burritos, tacos, salads or chili.