Crock pot pork carnitas are a healthy Tex Mex food you can feel good about enjoying! This recipe and your trusty slow cooker put restaurant style carnitas within your grasp at home.

Need a way to beat the winter blues?

Say hello to these zesty, bright crock pot pork carnitas packed with so much flavor.

The amazing taste of these carnitas in particular is the result of slow cooking and the perfect blend of ingredients.

They were literally made to be sandwiched inside soft corn tortillas and topped with your favorite veggies.

And not only do I love them, but so do each and every one of my boys.

What are carnitas?

Carnitas are basically Mexican style shredded pork.

It’s pretty much the most flavor-packed taco filling in existence.

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need:

Pork– Boneless pork loin
Seasoning– Salt, pepper, dried oregano, and ground cumin
Oil– Both olive oil and vegetable oil
Aromatics– Diced onion and minced garlic
Jalapeno– A seeded, chopped jalapeno with the ribs removed.
Orange– For brightness
For serving– Corn tortillas, pico de gallo and your favorite toppings

How to Make

These crock pot pork carnitas have such an easy prep!

Start by rinsing and drying the pork loin.

After you’ve patted it dry, liberally salt and pepper it.

Then, combine the oregano, cumin, and olive oil in a small bowl and generously rub the mixture all over the seasoned pork.

Put the pork in the crockpot and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno.

Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add in the two halves.

Put the cover on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Once the meat is tender, take it out of the slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork.

In a large sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat.

Press the corn tortillas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side.

Serve the shredded pork over the carnitas with your favorite toppings.

Topping Ideas

Part of the fun of taco night, including when you serve pork carnitas, is building your tacos with all your favorite toppings.

These pair well with:

cilantro
a squeeze of fresh lime
sour cream
shredded cabbage
avocado slices
guacamole

Use whatever combination makes you happy.

Feel free to mix it up and use other options as well!

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes!

These carnitas make a perfect make ahead meal!

You can make it a day ahead of time or even make it as a freezer meal.

And if I am serving them for a party, I often start the slow cooker at night before I go to bed so I wake up to the meat being cooked through.

How to Freeze Pork Carnitas

To freeze this, cook the pork in the slow cooker as directed above.

Let it cool and shred the pork.

Transfer it to airtight ziplocking freezer bags and freeze it for up to 3 months.

Defrost in the fridge overnight before heating and serving.

Storing Leftovers

You can also store leftovers right in your slow cooker in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Tips and Tricks

Not a fan of spicy food? Omit the jalapeno.
If you like things extra hot, add an extra jalapeno.
You could add the juice of two to three limes instead of the orange, but make sure you add the citrus for flavor.
Need to get dinner on the table in a hurry? You can skip frying the corn tortillas and just serve them plain. Steam them quickly in the microwave to prevent breaking, or double up and use two instead of one.

Other Crock Pot Pork Recipes

Crock pot pork carnitas are a delicious way to savor taco night!

Make them and enjoy!

Looking for other crock pot pork recipes?

Try these:

If you’ve tried these CROCKPOT PORK CARNITAS, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!