This is how to make our easy slow cooker pork carnitas recipe that is cheap and good for dinner! You can make tacos with it or serve over rice and it has TONS of flavor with simple ngredients.

A spoonful of slow cooker pork carnitas stew with vegetables being lifted from a crockpot.

These carnitas made with a jar of salsa verde are out of this world, almost better the next day. Using steaks, shoulder, or roast cubed, every bite is packed with flavor. Will become one of your favorite Crockpot recipes too.

So we bought half a pig this year and we've been working thru all the pieces. We first made this in our Instant Pot. There were all these other cuts we hadn't used before so we started experimenting with the best ways to cook pork shoulder and roast and eventually came up with this killer meal.

We used one of them, cut into large bite size pieces and made it on the weekend. It was so good this way and popular with our family that we have made it several times beyond that. Now that our “stash” is gone we buy pork when it's on sale at the store to make it with brown rice.

Let's talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off we have a few different varieties and we love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

This is our favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it's great for bringing to a potluck too.
We prefer not to use liners, but rather spray olive oil inside before adding our food for easier cleanups.

Let us give you a peek of our pretty thang we bought recently. It goes with our kitchen so we can leave it out on the countertop all the time.

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, solid for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

Ingredient notes

The best cuts of pork for carnitas are those with plenty of marbling and connective tissue, since they become tender and flavorful when slow cooked. Pork shoulder (also called Boston butt) is the top choice, it has the right balance of fat and meat for juicy, shreddable carnitas. Pork butt is another excellent option, as is Pork Picnic Roast if you prefer a slightly leaner cut. Thy break down for slow cooking, creating the rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

You can buy a jar of this or make your own homemade Salsa verde which adds a lot more flavor than pico de gallo and includes the liquid you need for cooking.

Onions are of course optional but add a lot of flavor and texture for little money. Garlic is something we add into almost every single recipe we make

As for seasonings we generally add salt and pepper but use your favorites if you have a family recipe for this. Oregano is a great add in, some like bay leaves as well Chili powder or red pepper flakes can be added for a bit of heat. This can be adjusted depending on how spicy you want it to be. What is listed below will make it mild/medium.

Corn tortillas are great to serve on the side so you can wrap up all your items and take a bite. You could use small rolls to make sliders of sorts as an appetizer or finger food for dinner which kids love. If you like a bit of tang to it you could add 1/4 cup of orange juice to the mix as well.

If you wanted a much faster version you could use a pressure cooker to make the same version but called Instant Pot carnitas. Any way you swing it comes out killer. Reason is the sauce is the key, the meat can be swapped out depending on what you have on hand really.

How Long To Cook Pork Carnitas in Slow Cooker

Total time depends on how large your piece is, in this case it is cut into cubes so it's a lot quicker. throw it all in and walk away. We normally don't recommend the high setting ever. The whole benefit to this pot is you can break down the connective tissues in thick meats if kept in for a long time. If you find yourself in a pinch some night you can use it and it would likely decrease the cooking time to 3 hours but 6 on low is better.

How Long to Cook Carnitas with Frozen Pork in Slow Cooker

You could in fact make a version of this right out of the freezer but the look and texture will be different. We would suggest using a Pork Sirloin Roast out of the freezer because it has more fat than Crockpot frozen pork loin which allows it to break down and shred easier.

Difference with frozen and fresh is you'll need to cook on high for 6-8 hours because it won't be cut into smaller pieces initially. Use the same sauce and seasonings though. Thawing beforehand is always best, but from frozen is possible, saying.

If you have had these at a street fair and fallen in love you'll love this recipe. Serving a crowd for game day? This slow cooker pork shoulder recipe is quite versatile and can easily be doubled if you have a pot that is large enough to hold it all. The timing would remain about the same, check for tenderness after hour 6.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe

By Tender slow cooker pork carnitas recipe that is easy and cheap too! Make tacos with it or serve over rice. TONS of flavor, a great dinner. Prep: 15 minutes minsCook: 3 hours hrsServings: 6 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

3-4 lbs pork, shoulder, butt or steaks – cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup salsa verde
3 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 3/4 tsp chili powder, for mild/medium heat

Instructions

Trim and cube pork into pieces about 1.5'x1.5" or so. Put into slow cooker.
Add all other ingredients and stir together so meat is well coated. If you're doubling the meat then double the sauce ingredients too.
Close lid and cook on high for 3 hours or low for about 6 hours until the meat is fork tender.
Serve over rice or inside small tortillas as tacos.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main CourseCuisine: Mexican Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

You could use the same seasonings on our Pork Roast in Oven until it is tender enough to shred for another option

Keeping leftovers

This saves quite well and can be warmed up for a second meal in the next few days. We always recommend enjoying leftovers within 48 hours but you can keep in the fridge for up to 4 days if needed. Keep all the sauce you have in with the meat so it stays nice and moist. Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes.

Other pork recipes you'll love

Looking for more easy pork recipes to try? Our baked pork chops get five stars from every single person who's tried them. Those are in the oven but you can make pork chops in a Crockpot too. Both will achieve a different texture so it is preference really.

Instant Pot pork stew with vegetables is a great change for the traditional recipe.
If you're forgetful, our frozen pork chops in Instant Pot recipe will be helpful so dinner is still a success.
For Traeger instructions, here is our killer smoked pulled pork recipe to try sometime.

We love it when we can find meat on sale. We usually will buy a pig from a local farmer at the beginning of the year but if we don't we are always on the lookout for a great deal. With out deep freezer we can buy a bunch, prep it however we like and keep for later. Saves a bunch of money, frustration and ensures we can always make dinner, even from frozen.