Slow Cooker Carnitas

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Slow Cooker Carnitas are a rich, juicy, and oh-so tender way to make taco nights easy. You’ll love this delicious Chipotle copycat recipe!

Pork Carnitas makes for a wonderful and delicious slow cooker dinner. Our recipe here yields a big batch- which means plenty of leftovers! Tastes great with some Easy Pico De Gallo or atop a bed of some Copycat Chipotle Lime Rice.

Slow Cooker Carnitas in a bowl

Slow Cooker Carnitas

My love for Chipotle is a bit of an open secret here on the site. It’s one of those places I always drive right past but I never regret stopping in for a quick bite to eat. My orders always seem to be changing, even though I do have a few constants like those delicious tortilla chips with some queso. My main is the one thing I’m always mixing up- all the meats at Chipotle are just too good to ignore! The carnitas pork, especially, is one of my favorites.

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CopyCat Chipotle Carnitas in shells

Chipotle just seems to have their recipe down- this stuff is so addicting! They struck the right balance of heat and juiciness and all those Mexican and Spanish flavors. Thankfully, with the slow cooker, you can easily replicate that tender pork you only seem to find at Chipotle locations. It’s well worth it too- this Homemade Carnitas recipe has helped spice up more than a few taco nights!

Slow Cooker Carnitas text on image

The real beauty of this recipe is how quickly you can have it ready and cooking. Yes, Slow Cooker Carnitas do need quite a few hours to cook but the prep time can be incredibly short if you need it to be. You can just toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it go to work. If you have the time, though, you’ll thank yourself for searing the pork and enriching your stock before cooking. Get that slow cooker ready- this is a dinner we know you’ll love!

Text on image Slow Cooker Carnitas

Other Favorite Mexican Recipes

  • You can’t pass up on our Slow Cooker Barbacoa! This is another delicious Chipotle copycat recipe with a short and simple ingredients list. Tasty, juicy, tender, and perfectly spiced!
  • White Queso Dip makes for a great side or appetizer- especially with some good tortilla chips! Using some white American cheese, some spices, and a few peppers, you can make this easy and delicious dip for yourself!
  • We can’t forget our Copycat Chipotle Guacamole while we’re here! This delicious recipe is simple to make and packed with flavor. Great for burritos, bowls, tacos, and chips!

Text on image Slow Cooker Carnitas

What is Carnitas? What’s in Carnitas?

Carnitas typically refers to a specific style of Mexican pork. The classic method usually involves simmering or braising pork for several hours. Nowadays, most people outside of Mexico think of the kind of pork that Chipotle serves when you mention carnitas. That’s the meat we’re looking to copy today. With that in mind, here’s what you need.
  • PorkIdeally, you’ll use a nice, marbled cut of pork for this recipe. Your best bets are going to be pork shoulder and pork butt.
  • Onion
  • Rotel Tomatoes & Chiles
  • Minced Garlic
  • Spices – We use a blend of dried chipotle pepper, cumin, oregano, and some ground cloves. Don’t forget the salt and pepper!
  • Bay Leaves
  • Beef Broth

Ingredients to make Carnitas a Chipotle CopyCat recipe

How to make Carnitas

Making Slow Cooker Carnitas is a very easy process. Here’s all you need to do:
  1. Prep and sear your pork before adding it to a slow cooker with all the other ingredients.
  2. Slow-cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.
  3. Shred your pork carnitas before serving and enjoying!

Trimming pork

While you could toss your pork into the slow cooker and get started, you’ll love the flavors you get from properly prepping your pork. First, trim any silver-skin leftover on your pork while a cast iron pan warms up on the stovetop. Once it’s hot enough that water flicked onto it sizzles, add a couple of tablespoons of oil, and put your pork into the pan.

Browned pork roast for carnita

Give each side of your pork a good sear- about a minute or two without moving it. You may have to hold your pork upright with some tongs while it sears on some sides.

Pork roast in pan

Once your pork has picked up some color, remove it from the pan and transfer it to your slow cooker. Pour off any excess fat in your pan and return it to the stovetop over medium heat.

Pork in CrockPot

Grab your beef stock and add it to the pan. We’re going to use the stock to deglaze the pan and pick up all that delicious fond searing our pork left behind. Something like a wooden spatula will lift that fond up real easy without scratching your pan.

Deglazed pan

Add the stock and all your remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Set your lid on and let everything cook on low for around 8-10 hours.

All CopyCat Chipotle Carnitas ingredients in slow cooker

Once your pork has finished its stint in the slow cooker, transfer it to a large bowl or a cutting board. Use a couple of forks to shred it and, if your pork had any bones in it, pull those out and get rid of them.

Shredded Carnita

Remove the bay leaves from the slow cooker and drain off about half the liquid- I’d recommend saving it! Add your shredded pork carnitas back to the liquids to keep them moist. Serve and enjoy!

Shredded Pork Carnita

Serving & Topping Ideas

  • Taco Night – The classic way to enjoy your carnitas is in taco form. Serve your pork up in some hard or soft taco shells and enjoy! Alternatively, serve up in a big, hearty burrito instead. Make your soft taco or burrito shells homemade with our Homemade Flour Tortillas recipe.
  • Carnita Bowl – Of course, you could also enjoy a nice bowl of pork! Mix it up with some Copycat Chipotle Lime Rice and some beans for an easy and filling lunch or dinner.
However you enjoy your Homemade Carnitas, we’d recommend topping them off with some rice, beans, pepper jack cheese, or simply with some cilantro and lime.

Bowl of shredded pork carnita

What to do with leftover Carnitas?

Unless you have a big family, you should have plenty of pork leftover when you’re done. To make your leftovers taste good for as long as possible, store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag with plenty of juices. When it comes time to reheat, reheat your pork with its juice on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. Your leftovers will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge and about 3 months in the freezer.

Plate with Carnita Tacos

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Slow Cooker Carnitas

By: Jen CIncyshopper
Slow Cooker Carnitas are a rich, juicy, and oh-so tender way to make taco nights easy. You’ll love this delicious Chipotle copycat recipe!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients 

  • 5 lb Whole Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 20 oz Rotel Tomatoes & Chiles, (2 cans)
  • 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Oregano
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
  • 2 tsp dried Chipotle Pepper
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 cup Beef Broth
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions 

  • Heat oil in a large pan and brown pork on all sides.
  • Transfer pork to slow cooker.
  • Add beef broth to skillet and bring to a boil to release fond from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Pour liquid into the slow cooker,
  • Add remaining ingredients on top of the pork.
  • Cook on low 8-10 hours.
  • Remove pork and shred (remove bones if it was not boneless).
  • Remove bay leaves.
  • Drain about half of the liquid.
  • Add shredded pork back to juices in the crock pot.

Notes

To make your leftovers taste good for as long as possible, store them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag with plenty of juices.
Reheat your pork with its juice on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. Your leftovers will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge and about 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 272mg, Potassium: 392mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 51IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Long pin collage with text Slow Cooker Carnitas A Chipotle CopyCat

Long pin collage with text Slow Cooker Carnitas A Chipotle CopyCat

 

Slow Cooker Copycat Chipotle Carnitas Recipe. If you are a fan of Chipotle Carnitas enjoy them at home and save $$'s with this Recipe.

About Jen Cincyshopper

A lover of food and frugal living. A wife to a wonderful hubby, momma to 5 fun kiddos. Welcome to my blog. You will find REAL TASTY RECIPES. Be sure to subscribe to my email list and follow me on social media, to never miss a recipe.

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26 Comments

  1. This is not Chipotle copy. So spicy hot its inedible. 2 tsp chipotle pepper in mix burns my mouth. Had to throw out liquid, add water and cook down for a “kinda” Chipotle copy