Slow Cooker Carnitas (Loin Roast or Shoulder)
This 7-ingredient slow cooker carnitas recipe is so easy to make with deliciously succulent pork loin roast (or shoulder) seasoned with cumin, chili, and garlic, balanced by a zing of citrus from orange and lime juices. And a quick broil in the oven adds the perfect crispy texture!
5 star review
“Great recipe! I made this for dinner last night and served it with your Mexican Slaw and Easy Guacamole. Everything was absolutely delicious and enjoyed by all. ”
– Elizabeth
Juicy Slow Cooker Carnitas for Tacos, Bowls, and More!
If you’re looking to try something a little different in the kitchen this week, you’re going to love this simple slow cooker pork loin. With just 5 minutes of prep, it’s an easy hands-off way to make a mouthwatering filling for tacos, burritos, bowls, and salads. And while chicken is usually my go-to when it comes to easy slower cooker recipes, sometimes it’s fun to shake things up!
In fact, my family is always requesting that I make my slow cooker BBQ pulled pork and my slow-cooked Greek-style pork tenderloin. So when I served this tender, crispy pork to my family, they hardly even said a word during dinner – they were way too busy digging in!
By far the best part of this pulled pork loin in the slow cooker is the flavor – cooking it low & slow gives you consistent, crave-worthy results every single time. And everything comes together in your crockpot, without any searing or pre-cooking required. Trust me, you can’t mess this one up! It’s a great option for a make-ahead weeknight dinner, while working just as well for feeding a crowd. Just don’t forget the toppings!
You’ll find cook times in the recipe card for high vs. low heat. And I promise that it’’s so well-seasoned, it’ll come out great either way you choose.
The Secret to Get Crispy Crockpot Carnitas
Wanna know my secret to getting those delightful crispy edges? Instead of spending time searing the pork before adding it to your slow cooker, you can add that extra caramelized flavor with an easy trick.
The pork loin gets braised in the slow cooker until tender enough to shred easily between two forks. Then you can run your shredded pork under a hot broiler to crisp it up. Doing this on a sheet pan helps you crisp up a lot at once – such a time saver!
Why Use Pork Loin
Most carnitas recipes use pork butt, however I prefer to use pork loin roast or pork shoulder since those cuts are a little leaner while still providing tons of flavor.
Pulled Pork, Your Way
This is such a tasty recipe, and I love that there’s pretty much endless options for how you can serve it. I usually make slow cooker carnitas tacos by adding the broiled shredded meat to warm corn or flour tortillas along with my fave toppings.
You can also create your own carnitas burrito bowl by serving it alongside cooked rice, black or pinto beans, 4-ingredient guacamole, and taco slaw. Or make a carnitas taco salad by loading your shredded pork loin with shredded romaine, crushed corn chips, corn, tomatoes, shredded cheese, beans and this chipotle honey vinaigrette. YUM!
Easy Pork Carnitas Ingredients & Subs
- Pork loin roast: Use pork loin roast if you prefer a leaner option, or use pork shoulder for a more traditional version.
- Fresh citrus juice: I used fresh lime juice for this recipe, but you could also use lemon juice in its place. Fresh orange juice also adds tons of bright flavor and a bit of natural sweetness, but you could swap in a good-quality, store-bought orange juice if you don’t have fresh on hand.
- Ground cumin: The cumin, together with the garlic powder and chili powder, adds so much delicious, savory flavor to this dish.
- Mild chili powder: Mild chili powder doesn’t add much heat to your recipe but does add lots of flavor and depth to the dish. For a spicier take on carnitas, spicy chili powder or even smoked chili powder would be a lovely addition.
- Garlic powder: I like the convenience and ease of using garlic powder in this recipe, especially if you’re looking to keep your prep steps to a minimum. But you can also use freshly minced garlic in its place if you like!
Slow Cooker Carnitas (Loin Roast or Shoulder)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds pork loin roast (or pork shoulder)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
Optional Toppings
- Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Easy Guacamole
- Tortillas, avocado, queso fresco, pickled jalapeno, lime wedges, thinly sliced cabbage
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt.
- Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the pork. Place the pork in a 6-quart slow cooker, then pour in the lime and orange juice, turning the pork to coat.
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours, or until the pork shreds very easily with a fork.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker. Shred with two forks, then add back to the slow cooker, stirring to combine with any remaining juices.
- Place the shredded pork on a foil lined, rimmed baking sheet. Broil on high for 10-15 minutes, stirring once, or until the edges of the pork begin to crisp and brown. Keep a close eye to avoid burning.
- Serve warm as a filling for tacos, burritos or in bowls.
Notes
- Cook Time: All slow cookers are different, so you may need to adjust the time up or down depending on your particular model.
- Crispy Carnitas from the Slow Cooker: Whatever you do, do not skip the broiling step! Trust me, it’s worth the extra few minutes. It’s how you get that nice crispy texture & extra flavor.
- Nutrition Information: I calculated the nutrition using pork loin roast without additional toppings.
This was delicious and hubby approved!
Yay, that’s the best kind of recipe. So glad you all enjoyed. 🙂
These were amazing. My family loved them. Placing the meat under the broiler took it over the top!
Paige, yay, so glad you enjoyed this one. And I agree, the broiler step is worth it. 🙂
Hi I’ve made this before and it was great. I need to cook for a larger group this weekend. If I double the recipe should I adjust the cooking time?
Laura, yes, you may need to add a bit more time. Start with an extra hour, and allow time in case you need to a more. Hope it’s a hit!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this simple but amazing recipe! My daughter and husband request it frequently. The broiling you mention makes a huge difference! We find it tastes great without it (sometimes we’re in a hurry), but the broiling is worth the extra few minutes.
Meredith, so happy to hear you and your crew are enjoying this simple recipe! My daughter is the exact same about the broiling. It’s an extra step (and an extra dirty pan) but makes a pretty yummy difference!
We make this recipe monthly because it is so flavorful and comes together so easily!
Jill, yay, so happy to hear you’re enjoying this one! Cheers!
This came out delicious! Another winning recipe from you, thank you! I wanted to ask – is it possible to make more sauce to pour over it? I used the remaining sauce from the crockpot, but could use more.
Linda, yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one! If you want more sauce try adding 1/2 cup chicken stock along with the other ingredients prior to cooking. This should give you extra to pour over at the end. Cheers!
Cooked this for our supper club group last week and it was amazing! So so yummy and easy….definitely putting into our family dinner rotation. Thank you!!
Julie, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for leaving a reveiw.
Great recipe! I made this for dinner last night and served it with your Mexican Slaw and Easy Guacamole. Everything was absolutely delicious and enjoyed by all.
So glad you enjoyed this one, Elizabeth — love those serving ideas, too! Thanks so much for leaving a review!