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A plate of carnitas tacos with limes.
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4.87 from 22 votes

Super Tasty Carnitas Tacos

These slow cooker carnitas tacos are the secret to the best Taco Tuesday dinner. And for visual reference, watch how I make these carnitas tacos in my kitchen in the video below!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carnitas tacos, carnitas tacos recipe
Servings: 8 tacos
Author: Lisa Bryan

Equipment

Ingredients

Carnitas Recipe

  • 4 pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder or butt
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 orange juiced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper deseeded and finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Carnitas Tacos

  • ½ cup red onion finely diced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • 6 tortillas
  • limes for garnish
US - Metric

Instructions

Carnitas

  • Mix and season the pork. In a small bowl place oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, and chili powder, then stir together. Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder (but remember that some fat is good), then rub the spice mixture generously around the entire pork shoulder and place in the slow cooker.
    Adding seasoning on pork shoulder.
  • Add ingredients. Add the onion, minced garlic, jalapeno and orange juice in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 5 to 6 hours (until the meat falls apart)
    Carnitas in a slow cooker.
  • Shred the pork. Remove the pork from the slow cooker to a large cutting board and use two forks to shred the meat. If the meat doesn't shred easily, just place it back in the slow cooker for another 30 minutes, or until it does shred easily. Don't get rid of the liquid as you will be using it later.
    shredding carnitas on a wooden board.
  • Crisp the pork. Place the shredded pork on a baking sheet. Pour 1 cup of the reserved slow cooker liquid over the pork to keep it moist and tender. Then broil for 5 to 10 minutes or until the meat becomes golden browned and crispy on the edges.
    A sheet pan of crispy carnitas.

Carnitas Tacos

  • Make the tacos. Serve immediately with tortillas, freshly diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Note: you'll likely have have leftover carnitas. You can make more tacos or enjoy the carnitas in burritos or on salads. You can also store it in the fridge and then reheat to enjoy later.
    A plate of carnitas tacos with cilantro.

Video

Notes

  • To store leftover carnitas in the fridge: Place the shredded pork in a sealed container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
  • To freeze and enjoy carnitas in the future: Store the pork in a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven. 

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 567mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 293IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg