Although it takes a few hours to make, this is an easy, hands-off recipe where the slow cooker does (almost) all the work. There’s nothing quite like slow-cooked meat. Whether pot roast, goulash, oxtails, or these slow cooker carnitas, the experience of eating tender, savory, well-cooked meat is pure comfort. Tossing a few ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and coming back in the evening to a home-cooked meal is priceless. Another advantage of this recipe is that unless you’re feeding a crowd, it generates lots of delicious leftovers!
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Card
Boneless pork shoulder: I usually get a 3-pound roast. It’s the perfect size for a family meal, plus some yummy leftovers! To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Fresh orange juice: Definitely use fresh-squeezed orange juice here, not juice from a carton. Oil spray: Avocado oil is a neutral-tasting oil. It has a high smoke point, making it ideal for high-heat cooking methods such as broiling.
Mix the spices and rub them all over the pork. Place the seasoned pork in your slow cooker. Squeeze the fresh orange juice on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Spread the meat on a greased, rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet. Spray it with oil and broil until crisp. Drizzle the meat with the remaining cooking juices and serve. To achieve this, traditionally, you would fry the cooked, shredded meat in several batches. But to make life easier, I spread the meat on a rimmed pan, spray it with oil, and broil until about half of the meat is browned and crispy. You could also layer the meat on a bed of shredded lettuce (or baby spinach leaves) and top it with your favorite condiments. Tasty options include sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and shredded cheese. Sometimes, I serve this dish on a bed of cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower. The cauliflower works well to soak up the yummy juices. Sides that go well with carnitas include coleslaw, pickled red onions, creamy cucumber salad, and arugula salad. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. This is one of those recipes where the leftovers are just as good as the freshly made dish.
