Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos
Slow roasted, slow cooker pork carnitas served with corn tortillas, fresh cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and a creamy lime sauce for a simple and delicious street taco.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
Pork Carnitas
- 4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt (bone-in OK too)
- 3/4 cup Coke
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice or orange juice
- 1 white onion cubed
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Tacos
- corn tortillas
- 1/2 white onion diced
- Fresh cilantro for serving
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- Hot sauce optional
- chopped avocado or guacamole for topping
Simple creamy lime sauce (optional)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 lime juice squeezed
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Prep the pork: Pat the pork dry and remove the fat cap (optional). You can also leave it on or remove some. Cut into 4-inch cubes. If using a bone-in cut, cut around the bone.
- Add pork to a slow cooker/crock pot. Season all over with dry spices. Top with orange juice/pineapple (toss orange in), coke, onions, and garlic. Stir, cover, and cook for 4-5 hours on high heat or 7-8 hours on low heat. Shoot for an internal temp of 200°F. Meat should easily pull apart with your hands.
Broiling/crisping the pork
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pulled pork from the slow cooker. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little extra juice from the slow cooker. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes until the meat starts to brown/crisp. This lends a little caramelization and crispy texture. You can also crisp in a hot pan with butter or oil.
- Serve warm with toasted corn tortillas, lime wedges, diced onions, hot sauce, avocado/guac, and creamy lime sauce.
Creamy Lime Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and slightly runny. Add more water if too thick. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Notes
Fat cap: I would recommend using a serrated knife to shave the fat cap off. Pork shoulder contains enough fat to render juicy tender meat. You don't have to completely remove all fat, but it allows the spices to penetrate the meat.
Large pork: I've cooked as large as a 9-pound bone-in pork shoulder for this recipe. This will take around 10-12 hours on low heat to cook.
Internal temp: Shoot for an internal temp of around 200 °F. Pork will be very tender and easily shred at 200 °F. Anything less, 145 °F for example, will be very tough pork.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.6g | Protein: 25.8g | Fat: 31.8g | Saturated Fat: 11.1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 118mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 4.5g