Mexican Pork Roast or Crockpot Carnitas
Bring authentic Mexican flavors to your table with this tender, juicy, and irresistibly crispy Mexican Pork Roast, also known as Crockpot Carnitas! Slow-cooked to perfection, this recipe transforms a pork shoulder into melt-in-your-mouth shredded meat infused with aromatic spices like cumin, oregano, and cinnamon, along with refreshing hints of orange and lime juice. The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility—serve it in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, or piled onto nachos for a crowd-pleasing meal. A final crisping step in a hot skillet adds delightful texture, making every bite a balance of soft, succulent pork and golden-brown edges. Perfect for meal prep or feeding a hungry gathering, these carnitas are effortless to make and bursting with bold, citrusy flavors that will transport your taste buds straight to Mexico!
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Pork shoulder (also called pork butt)
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Dried oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 0.5 cup Orange juice
- 0.25 cup Lime juice
- 1 cup Chicken broth or water
- 1 medium White onion, diced
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil (for crisping)
Instructions
Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder. Cut the pork into large chunks (about 4 inches wide).
Season the pork with salt, black pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano, and ground cinnamon. Rub the spices evenly over all the pieces.
Place the pork chunks in the crockpot. Add minced garlic, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, diced onion, and bay leaves.
Cover the crockpot with a lid and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours, until the pork is tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
Once cooked, remove the pork from the crockpot and place it on a large cutting board. Shred the pork using two forks.
Strain the cooking liquid and reserve about 1 cup for later use. Discard the onions and bay leaves.
To crisp the shredded pork (optional, but recommended), heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a portion of the shredded pork in a single layer and pour about 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid over it. Let it sizzle and crisp for 3-5 minutes without stirring. Flip the pork to crisp the other side.
Repeat the crisping process with the remaining pork in batches.
Serve the carnitas warm in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, or with your favorite Mexican sides like guacamole and salsa.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
4968 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 391.6 g | 502% | |
| Saturated Fat | 131.2 g | 656% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 1270 mg | 423% | |
| Sodium | 6778 mg | 295% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 42.9 g | 16% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.1 g | 22% | |
| Total Sugars | 18.0 g | ||
| Protein | 315.0 g | 630% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 380 mg | 29% | |
| Iron | 25.4 mg | 141% | |
| Potassium | 5650 mg | 120% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
