Made with an inexpensive pork roast and a flavorful braising liquid, Crockpot Carnitas are an incredibly easy crockpot recipe that is full of flavor!

No time to slow-cook your pork roast? Try out my recipe for Instant Pot Carnitas. It works great if your pork is frozen as well.

Tortilla filled with slow cooker carnitas and topped with Mexican slaw and queso freso.

When I want a flavorful family recipe that feeds a crowd, I love turning to this recipe for Crockpot Pork Carnitas.

Just like my recipes for Crockpot Salsa Chicken and Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, this easy recipe for Slow Cooker Carnitas produces a meal that is relatively inexpensive, full of flavor, and always a crowd-pleaser.

While this recipe may not produce authentic carnitas meat, it is every bit as delicious. Not to mention lower in fat and much easier to make!

why you'll love this recipe

Easy. No searing, no sauteeing, simply dump and cook! Crockpot Carnitas is one of the easiest dinner recipes to prepare.
Outrageously Delicious. These Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are braised in a flavorful combination of spices, beef, and orange juice and then crisped up in the oven, to create the most tender, flavorful shredded pork.
Endless Serving Options. While I love serving Crockpot Carnitas on tortillas with fresh Mexican slaw, it is also delicious served over rice, in the filling of burritos or enchiladas, or even used to create a delicious Taco Salad.
Feeds a Crowd. This recipe makes a ton of shredded Mexican pork that can be stretched out to serve a lot of people--especially if you serve the carnitas as part of a taco or burrito bar.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for pork carnita on counter with labels.

Pork Roast: You can use a pork shoulder, pork butt, or pork loin. For the best flavor and results, I recommend using a pork shoulder or pork butt. However, pork loin is a great substitute if you need the recipe to be lower in fat.
Beer: Use a mild lager-style beef like Corona or Coors Light. If you do care to use alcohol or need this recipe to be gluten-free, use chicken stock in place of the beer.
Orange Juice: Orange juice can not be substituted. It adds flavor, depth, and acidity that help to flavor and tenderize the pork. Be sure to use pulp-free orange juice.
Spices: The meat is flavored with garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Feel free to omit the cayenne for less spice if desired.
Slaw (optional): The Mexican-flavored slaw is completely optional but adds insanely delicious flavor and texture to the pork tacos. It is made with fresh limes (zest & juice), cilantro, red onion, cumin, salt, olive oil, and cabbage. Use red or green cabbage and feel free to omit the cilantro if you don't care for its flavor.

How to Make Crockpot Carnitas

Cut the pork roast into 3 to 4-inch chunks. This will help the pork to absorb more flavor and break down easier as it cooks.
Season the pork liberally on all sides with salt and pepper.
In a large crockpot, mix together the beer, orange juice, and seasonings.
Place the seasoned pork into the liquid inside the crockpot.

Pork shoulder in slow cooker with orange juice, beer, and seasonings.

Set the crockpot to low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-7 hours.

Pork shoulder cooked in slow cooker in braising liquid.

Once the meat has cooked, remove the pork to a large mixing bowl and shred the pork with 2 forks.
Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker to the mixing bowl with the pork, to keep the meat moist and flavorful.

To achieve a crispy texture on the carnitas meat, place the slow-cooked shredded pork onto a rimmed sheet pan.
Broil for 3-5 minutes and then remove the sheet pan, flip the pork, and broil for 2-3 more additional minutes until slightly charred.

Crispy shredded pork on rimmed sheet pan.

Mexican Slaw

When serving this carnitas meat as a base for tacos, adding a Mexican slaw that is made with lime juice, cumin, cilantro, and red onion adds such a tangy, crisp, fresh element that is a perfect contrast to the richness of the carnitas.

To prepare this slaw, mix together lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, minced red onion, minced cilantro, cumin, and salt together in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Fold in shredded red or green cabbage.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving to allow the cabbage time to absorb the flavor of the dressing.

Side by side bowl with ingredients for Mexican Slaw before and after adding shredded red cabbage.

Serving Suggestions

While Crockpot Carnitas makes the perfect base for tacos, the options on how to use this spiced shredded pork are endless. It is an easy set-it-and-forget-it crockpot recipe that makes a great family meal.

Strain off the cooking juices and serve in flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or taco shells topped with slaw or cabbage, queso fresco, and cilantro.
Use the carnitas meat in place of taco meat in Taco Pizza or Taco Salad.
Serve the shredded pork over a baked sweet potato or baked potato.
Swap out the shredded chicken for carnitas in Enchiladas or Enchilada Casserole.

Three flour tortillas topped with mexican shredded beef and mexican slaw.

Storage

Store the leftover shredded pork in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost the pork in the refrigerator overnight before reheating and serving.

The slaw can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

recipe modifications

Gluten-Free Crockpot Carnitas: If you need a recipe for Gluten-Free Carnitas, omit beer and use chicken stock and serve on corn tortillas. You can even use these homemade corn tortillas from Foolproof Living.
Use Chicken: This recipe works well with an equal amount of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs in place of the pork roast. Simply put the cooking time down to just 5-6 hours on low and 2-3 hours on high.

Side Dishes to Serve with Crockpot Carnitas

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If you tried these Slow Cooker Carnitas, I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below.

This recipe was originally shared in 2016 but has been updated in 2021 with new tips and photos.

Slow Cooker Carnitas