These Slow Cooker Carnitas Street Tacos are made with juicy, tender, well-seasoned pork that is slow-cooked until fall-apart tender and then broiled until crispy.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Carnitas Tacos are one of my favorite foods, they are just so, so good. This recipe is an easy way to make this popular Mexican food at home!
I have included in the FAQ section below how to make them in the Instant Pot as well as the oven.
Jump to:
What Are Carnitas Tacos?
Carnitas is the Mexican version of pulled pork, cooked until it can be shredded with a fork and served in taco shells. In Mexico, they make carnitas by simmering pork in lard until tender. While it is delicious, my carnitas recipe uses a cut of pork that contains some fat so the meat does not dry out. A little healthier than cooking it in lard all day. 😉
Why You'll Love This Carnitas Tacos Recipe
EASY: The slow cooker does all the work. Dump all the ingredients in the crockpot, set it, and forget it.
TONS OF FLAVOR: You will be surprised by how flavorful these carnitas tacos are. All of the ingredients meld together to make one tasty dish!
JUICY AND TENDER: The meat has just the right amount of fat in it to keep the meat moist so it will not dry out.
Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder, also known as pork butt or Boston butt. This meat has a higher fat content which makes the meat super juicy and tender. I recommend using a boneless pork shoulder; that way, you don't have to worry about the bone.
- Brown sugar. You can also use raw cane sugar or coconut sugar.
- Spices. To get the delicious Mexican flavor, I used ground cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Tortilla shells. You can use corn tortillas, flour tortillas, or 3-Ingredient Flatbread. You can also buy pre-made tortillas for an even easier meal.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Carnitas Street Tacos
- Combine the brown sugar, ground cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning over the outside of the pork shoulder and place it in a slow cooker.
- Add the chopped garlic, red onion, and jalapeno pepper if using. Juice 2 oranges and 2 limes and pour the orange juice and lime juice over the meat.
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove the pork to a baking sheet and shred it with 2 forks. Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker to soak up the flavorful juices.
- Place the shredded pork on a baking sheet, pour 1 cup of the slow cooker's liquid over the meat, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until the pork edges start to get crispy. Stir the pork every couple of minutes to crispy it up evenly. This is optional, you do not have to crisp up the meat if you don't want to.
- To serve, place shredded pork on a warm tortilla shell and add your favorite toppings! Serve with lime wedges and enjoy your Carnitas Street Tacos!
Storage Tips
Leftover carnitas can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze carnitas for up to 3 months in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.
Expert Tips
The cut of meat you use does make a difference. Use a pork shoulder or pork butt. I tried making it with pork tenderloin instead, but the result was very dry meat and not anywhere close to being as good as the pork shoulder.
You can also cut the roast into smaller chunks before cooking to ensure it cooks evenly throughout and that more parts are covered in the delicious seasoning.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, it is also known as Mexican pulled pork. It is slow-cooked with Mexican spices until the carnitas can be easily shredded.
Burritos, tacos, quesadilla, or as a topping for nachos. Add it to a salad and top it with onions and cilantro or guacamole or pico de gallo.
Yes, you can! To make Carnitas Street Tacos in the Instant Pot, season the pork shoulder with the pork rub and place it in the Instant Pot. Add the rest of the ingredients plus ¼ cup of chicken broth or beef broth, set to High Pressure, and cook for 55 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
Yes! Season the pork with the rub, place in the oven in a roaster or Dutch oven with the rest of the ingredients, and cook, covered, at 325 degrees F, for about 4 hours. The meat should be fall-apart tender when done.
Toppings For Carnitas Tacos
I like to set up a mini taco bar and place out a variety of toppings so everyone can use what they like. Some fun toppings to try are:
- Authentic Pico de Gallo
- Peach Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Chunky Salsa
- Salsa Con Queso
- Mango Habanero Salsa
- Lettuce, shredded cabbage, chopped onions or jalapenos, homemade Canned Cowboy Candy, sliced avocado, or cilantro.
- Sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, Cotija cheese, Queso Fresco, or Lime Crema.
More Easy Recipes You'll Love
Did you make this Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Street Tacos recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE 🌟 below! Thank you! 😊
Printable Recipe
Slow Cooker Carnitas Street Tacos
Ingredients
Pork Shoulder Seasoning
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Carnitas Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt
- 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 red onion chopped fine
- ½ cup orange juice juice from 2 oranges
- ¼ cup lime juice juice from 2 limes
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced optional
Instructions
- First, make the pork rub. Combine brown sugar, ground cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl.
- Season the pork on all sides with the pork rub. Place the pork in the slow cooker and add the garlic, red onion, jalapeno pepper, orange juice, and lime juice. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove the pork carnitas to a baking sheet and shred with 2 forks. Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker to soak up the juices for 5-10 minutes.
- To crisp up the meat, use a slotted spoon to transfer shredded pork carnitas to a baking sheet or baking pan. Pour 1 cup of juice from the slow cooker over the meat. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the edges are crispy. Stir the meat every minute or two.
- To serve, place pork carnitas on a warm tortilla shell and add your favorite toppings. Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!
Save This Recipe 💌
Enter your email below and I'll send the recipe straight to your inbox! Plus, you'll get new recipes from me each week!
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Liz says
Oh my word, were these ever good! Everyone wanted seconds.
Jeri says
I'm so glad you liked them!
Makhaya says
Definitely a five star recipe! The flavors and tender meat really do transport you right to a little street vendor in Mexico! The best tacos!
Jeri says
Thank you, Makhaya! I'm thrilled you liked them!
Lillian says
These tacos are so flavorful! Thank you for your recipe.
Jeri says
Glad you enjoyed them, Lillian!
Priya Maha says
I love the make-your-own-tacos idea! Great for parties.
Kayla DiMaggio says
These carnitas tacos were so delicious! They were so easy to make too! We are keeping them in our dinner rotation for sure!
Addie says
Truly the best tacos ever!
Megan Ellam says
My favourite! Tacos for dinner tomorrow night! Thanks again for the great recipes Jeri.
Alexandra says
These tacos are so delicious - my whole family absolutely loved them! They will definitely be on repeat in our household - we loved the spice blend.
Julia says
Love cooking a good pork shoulder in the slow cooker. These came out so tender, and the whole family loved the tacos. We definitely got a bit creative with our toppings.
Amy says
This was such a delicious recipe! Had some friends over and we had a "make your own" taco lunch and it was so much fun! We did have some pork leftover so I packed them up for my kid's school lunch during the week.