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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Authentic Carnitas Tacos Recipe - Crockpot

    Published: Sep 11, 2021 · Modified: Aug 21, 2022 by Jeri Walker · This post may contain affiliate links · 13 Comments

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    These authentic carnitas tacos are made with juicy, tender, well-seasoned pork that is slow-cooked to perfection, then broiled until crispy edges form. After one bite, you will be transported to Mexico; this is one of their most popular street foods. So the next time you feel like serving up some Mexican food, give carnitas tacos a try; you won't be disappointed!

    PIN the recipe to try it later!

    Carnitas tacos on a yellow plate, topped with jalapeno pepper slices and cherry tomatoes. this …

    These carnitas tacos are one of our favorite meals to make, especially when we have friends over for dinner. They are so, so good.

    I like to make a self-serve taco bar with various ingredients laid out so everyone can add what they like!

    This authentic carnitas goes perfect on homemade taco shells, especially when topped with pico de gallo, peach pico de gallo, or salsa. You can also serve delicious carnitas on rice.

    Jump to:
    • What is a carnitas taco?
    • Why You Will Love Carnitas Tacos
    • Ingredients
    • How to make carnitas tacos
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    • Carnitas Tacos Toppings
    • Related Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • Food safety
    • More Recipes
    • 💬 Comments

    What is a carnitas taco?

    Carnitas is a Mexican dish that means "little meats." This 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 recipe involves 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 Will Love Carnitas Tacos

    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: If you get the right cut of meat, it has just the right amount of fat in it to keep the meat moist, and it will not dry out.

    GREAT FOR SERVING TO GUESTS: This is the perfect recipe for feeding a crowd. Set up a taco bar and let them add their favorite carnitas tacos toppings.

    GREAT FOR MEAL PREP: This makes tasty leftovers. Keep it in the fridge and reheat it throughout the week!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients needed to make carnitas tacos
    • Pork Shoulder (or pork butt). This has a higher fat content and makes the meat super juicy and tender.
    • Brown sugar. You can also use raw cane sugar as well.
    • Spices. To get the delicious Mexican flavor, I used ground cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
    • Garlic
    • Onions
    • Oranges
    • Limes
    • Tortilla shells. I make my own, but feel free to buy pre-made for an even easier meal.
    • Jalapeno pepper, optional

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    How to make carnitas tacos

    This is a straightforward recipe. All you have to do is place the pork roast in the slow cooker, add all of the ingredients, and let it cook low and slow.

    Carnitas pork meat for tacos in the slow cooker with all seasonings and juices
    Fully cooked pork carnitas meat in the slow cooker

    Then, remove the pork, shred it with 2 forks, and return it to the crockpot to soak up all the delicious juices.

    Shred carnitas tacos meat with 2 forks
    Shredded carnitas tacos meat placed back in the crockpot to soak up the juices

    Remove the juicy shredded meat from the slow cooker and place it on an oven-safe pan. Broil for a few minutes until it starts to crisp up. That's it!

    Shredded carnitas taco meat on a sheet pan in the oven under the broiler
    Shredded pork carnitas taco meat broiled until it starts to form crispy edges

    Place on a tortilla shell and serve with your favorite taco toppings! Enjoy!

    Carnitas taco served on a tortilla shell on a white dinner plate with cherry tomatoes and a jalapeno pepper

    Equipment

    To make this easy carnitas tacos recipe, you will need a slow cooker (or crockpot). I couldn't live without mine!

    Storage

    Leftover carnitas can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

    Carnitas can also freeze for up to 3 months in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.

    Top tip

    The cut of meat you use does matter. For example, 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 make sure it cooks evenly throughout, and all bits get covered in the delicious seasoning.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Is carnitas the same as pulled pork?

    Yes, it is also known as Mexican pulled pork. It is slow-cooked with Mexican spices until the carnitas can be easily shredded.

    What do you eat carnitas with?

    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.

    Carnitas Tacos Toppings

    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 Recipe
    • Peach Pico de Gallo
    • Homemade Salsa
    • Chopped lettuce.
    • Chopped cilantro.
    • Sour cream.
    • Pico de gallo.
    • Shredded cheese
    • Chopped onion
    • Sliced jalapeno pepper
    • Shredded cabbage
    • Guacamole
    • Lime wedges
    • Lime Crema 
    Slow cooker carnitas tacos served in a warm tortilla shell and topped with sliced jalapeno pepper, with cherry tomatoes on the side

    Related Recipes

    • Authentic Pico de Gallo Recipe
    • How To Make The Perfect Smoked Pork Loin Roast
    • Peach Pico de Gallo
    • Instant Pot Pork Ribs - From Frozen

    If you’ve tried Carnitas Tacos or any other recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you!

    You can also Follow Me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Would you please tag me in your photos @windingcreek_ranch? I would love to see your pictures!

    📋 Recipe

    Carnitas tacos on a yellow plate, topped with jalapeno pepper slices and cherry tomatoes.

    Authentic Carnitas Tacos Recipe-Crockpot

    These authentic carnitas tacos are made with juicy, tender, well-seasoned pork that is slow-cooked to perfection, then broiled until crispy edges form. After one bite, you will be transported to Mexico; this is one of their most popular street foods. So the next time you feel like serving up some Mexican food, give carnitas tacos a try; you won't be disappointed!
    5 from 35 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours
    Broil time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 288kcal
    Author: Jeri Walker
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker

    Ingredients

    • 4 pound pork shoulder or pork butt
    • 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
    • 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
    • 1 onion, chopped fine
    • 2 oranges, juiced
    • 2 limes, juiced
    • 1 jalapeno pepper optional

    Instructions

    • Mix spices together. Season the pork on all sides with the spice rub. Place the pork in the crockpot and add the garlic, onions, and juice from the oranges and limes. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
    • Preheat oven to broil on high. Remove the pork carnitas to a platter and shred with 2 forks into bite-size pieces. Place the meat back into the slow cooker to let it soak up the juices.
    • Place shredded pork carnitas on a baking sheet or baking pan and pour 1 cup of juice over the meat. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the carnitas takes on a crispy texture.
    • To serve, place pork carnitas on a warm tortilla shell and add your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.6g | Protein: 21.5g | Fat: 19.5g | Saturated Fat: 7.1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 3.9g | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg
    L❤️VE this recipe? PIN it for later! 😊Mention @windingcreek_ranch or tag #windingcreek_ranch on IG!

    Food safety

    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      September 17, 2021 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Oh my word, were these ever good! Everyone wanted seconds.

      Reply
      • Jeri

        September 17, 2021 at 9:16 pm

        I'm so glad you liked them!

        Reply
    2. Makhaya

      September 16, 2021 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Jeri

        September 17, 2021 at 9:17 pm

        Thank you, Makhaya! I'm thrilled you liked them!

        Reply
    3. Lillian

      September 16, 2021 at 7:53 am

      5 stars
      These tacos are so flavorful! Thank you for your recipe.

      Reply
      • Jeri

        September 17, 2021 at 9:17 pm

        Glad you enjoyed them, Lillian!

        Reply
    4. Priya Maha

      September 16, 2021 at 7:18 am

      5 stars
      I love the make-your-own-tacos idea! Great for parties.

      Reply
    5. Kayla DiMaggio

      September 16, 2021 at 6:28 am

      5 stars
      These carnitas tacos were so delicious! They were so easy to make too! We are keeping them in our dinner rotation for sure!

      Reply
    6. Addie

      September 15, 2021 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      Truly the best tacos ever!

      Reply
    7. Megan Ellam

      September 15, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      My favourite! Tacos for dinner tomorrow night! Thanks again for the great recipes Jeri.

      Reply
    8. Alexandra

      September 15, 2021 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    9. Julia

      September 15, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      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.

      Reply
    10. Amy

      September 15, 2021 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply

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