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crispy carnitas tacos on plate with extra tortillas

Crispy carnitas (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot)


  • Author: Mansee
  • Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 1x

Description

My favorite homemade carnitas! Crispy, juicy and slightly smoky. Easy to make ahead for a crowd, and perfect for tacos, salads, rice bowls and more! Slow cooker and Instant Pot directions included.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4-5 lb pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into large chunks
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 8 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (bottled is fine!)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Add 4-5 lbs pork shoulder, cut into large chunks, to your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  3. Add  8 smashed garlic cloves , 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Mix to combine and coat pork with spices.
  4. To cook:
    1. Slow cooker: Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
    2. Instant Pot: Cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Let pressure release naturally if you have the time. Otherwise, manual is fine!
  5. When pork is cooked, take out and shred with two forks. Transfer back into slow cooker or Instant Pot and mix with juices in pot.
  6. To finish them off, you have two options:
    1. Turn on your broiler and get it hot hot hot. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread pork out in an even layer. Broil for 5 minutes. Take sheet out, ladle some of the leftover juices over and toss with tongs. Broil for 3-5 minutes more until the edges are deeply caramelized and crispy. Keep an eye on this, as broilers differ from oven to oven.
    2. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high. Add 1 TB vegetable oil and spread pork out in an even layer. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, pressing down with a spatula to help it crisp up. Toss pork and let it cook for 1-2 minutes more. If it starts to look a little dry, just add in a few tablespoons of juice.
  7. Serve in tacos, burritos, bowls, whatever!

Notes

  • If you have some extra time and want to be an overachiever, you can sear the pork before adding the spices and cooking. While this does help develop some extra flavor, I've found over the years that it's really not necessary since we're searing at the end anyway!
  • If you're not eating these all at once, they keep really well. You can fry/caramelize them all at once and then keep them in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer for a month.
  • Alternatively, you can store the pork as-is out of the slow cooker and then fry up whatever you need, whenever you need it! If you do this, either transfer some of the juices into the container as you pack it up or keep it in a separate container in your fridge. You'll want it when you broil/fry them up later to keep things from drying out. If the idea of keeping meat juice in your fridge weirds you out (I get it), just keep some chicken stock on hand!
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Slow cooker
  • Cuisine: Mexican