Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas

If you’ve ever thought slow cooker meals had to be bland, watery or lacking flavour, this recipe is here to change your mind. These Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are one of my favourite recipes because they deliver juicy, fall-apart pork with crispy, caramelised edges that taste like they’ve come straight from your favourite Mexican restaurant.

With just a few minutes of prep, the slow cooker does all the hard work while you get on with your day. The real magic happens at the end, when the shredded pork is tossed with its cooking juices and roasted until crispy around the edges while staying beautifully tender in the middle.

The best part? One batch can become multiple dinners throughout the week. Serve it in tacos one night, burritos the next, then use the leftovers for nachos, rice bowls, pizzas or loaded baked potatoes. It freezes beautifully too, making it one of my favourite recipes for busy families.

If you’re new to slow cooking, be sure to check out our Slow Cooking 101 Guide, where I share the slow cooker I use, my favourite tips for getting the best results and how to avoid common mistakes like watery slow cooker meals. If you’d rather make this in the oven, try our Pulled Pork recipe from Toddler to Table instead.

Age Appropriate

6 months+ (when your baby is developmentally ready for solids).

BLW notes

This is a fantastic recipe for baby-led weaning because the pork becomes incredibly soft and tender.

For babies, serve soft strips or small shreds of pork alongside avocado, roasted vegetables or mashed sweet potato.

Serving Suggestions

Use the pork to make:

• Tacos
• Burritos
• Nachos
• Rice bowls
• Jacket potatoes
• Pizzas
• Enchiladas
• Quesadillas
• Loaded salads

It’s especially delicious served with pineapple salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, coriander and plenty of fresh lime.

Storage

Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Freeze in portions with a little of the cooking liquid for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 hours hrs

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients Equipment Method Video

Ingredients

  

• 2 kg boneless, skinless pork shoulder
• 1 brown onion roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 limes juiced
• 1 TBSP dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP olive oil

Equipment

• 1 Slow Cooker
• 1 Wiltshire Baking Tray

Method

 

1. Pat the pork dry with paper towel.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, cumin, salt and olive oil to form a paste. Rub it all over the pork.
3. Place the onion and garlic into the base of the slow cooker, then place the pork on top. If your pork has a fat cap, place it fat-side up. I usually remove the fat cap before serving, but you can leave it on if you prefer.
4. Pour over the orange juice and lime juice.
5. Cook on Low for 10 hours or High for 7 hours, until the pork is tender enough to shred easily with two forks.
6. Transfer the pork to a large chopping board or tray and allow it to cool slightly. Remove and discard the fat cap if desired, then shred the pork using two forks.
7. Spread the shredded pork into a large oven tray. Spoon over about 1 cup of the cooking liquid, tossing to coat.
8. Bake at 240°C fan-forced for 10 – 15 minutes. Toss the pork, adding a little more cooking liquid if it looks dry, then return to the oven for another 5 – 10 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and caramelised.

Video