If you don’t have a slow cooker I think this recipe alone is worth the $25 or $30 investment (we use this basic, inexpensive slow cooker). We have tested these pork tacos on quite a lot of people (including our dinner club guests), and it gets rave reviews every time!
I’ve also already shared another slow cooker favorite of ours “The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot,” which can easily be turned into overnight homemade chicken stock. There is no better way than a slow cooker to make inexpensive cuts of meat delish.
Pork Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder, (or Boston butt roast) cut into 5 or 6 small pieces (in Charlotte we use pork from Grateful Growers Farm, which is sold at the Matthews Farmers’ Market and Hillbilly Produce)
- 3 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 onion, cut into 6 or 8 chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, whole
- 1 recipe salsa, Tomatillo (Link in notes. Use this recipe or can be purchased at Trader Joe’s, though theirs is a bit salty)
- 1 ½ recipe corn tortillas, See recipe link in notes
- 2 avocados, sliced
- cilantro
Instructions
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Mix together oregano, pepper, salt, and cumin and rub on outside of pork pieces in bottom of slow cooker.
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Throw onion and garlic on top of pork.
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Slow cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or until meat is falling apart.
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When finished discard the onion and garlic. Drain meat and shred with a fork.
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Serve warm with tortillas, tomatillo salsa, avocados and cilantro.
Recipe Notes
Recipe - Tomatillo Salsa
Recipe - Whole-Grain Corn Tortillas
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Paulina
December 23, 2014 at 4:26 pmYummy! I make a Mexican Soup very similar to this. BUT, I recently took a food safety certification course, and you should never put frozen meat into a crock pot. With the low heat, the bacteria can build up during the slow thawing to cooking time. Just thought I’d share that info!
Sarah
January 3, 2015 at 11:47 amHi! I have never cooked pork shoulder before. Do you trim fat off of pork shoulder or leave for moisture? Thank you. I
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
January 5, 2015 at 12:30 pmHi Sarah. Lisa does not trim the fat.
Kim
January 3, 2015 at 11:15 pmCan you freeze this meal and eat again later?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
January 5, 2015 at 1:39 pmHi Kim. You can absolutely freeze the pork.
PLV
February 17, 2015 at 7:50 pmThis recipe was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Instead of throwing the onions away I ate them. I would have like to save the flavorful grease to do something with later, but didn’t know whether to refrigerate it or not, so I threw it out.
I am definitely going to put this on my monthly meal plan. Yum!!
janet
March 15, 2015 at 9:22 amMy husband looked at me after a couple of bites and said ‘I could eat this ALL the time!’ Great, easy recipe! I’ve never made carnitas before, and this couldn’t be more simple and flavorful! I used Frontera tomatillo salsa – local company in Chicago, no crazy chems and salt is one of the last ingredients so not as salty as others. I also used Whole Foods corn tortillas. This is going into our permanent meal rotation, thanks Lisa!
Michelle
March 19, 2015 at 5:39 pmI saw that a few people have used pork tenderloin. I have a pork tenderloin tip, and was wondering if this would work for this recipe?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 1, 2015 at 12:24 pmHi Michelle. It is the higher fat content of the shoulder/butt that makes this recipe moist and juicy. A tenderloin is a very lean cut.
Jeska
April 4, 2015 at 4:32 amDo you add water or something?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 8, 2015 at 12:17 pmHello Jesko. No, it makes plenty of its own liquid.
Piper
May 5, 2015 at 7:54 amI’m making this today for Cinco de Mayo dinner with friends tonight! Can’t wait.
Kirsten
June 3, 2015 at 10:37 amHow much tomatillo sauce do you need for the recipe? I like that you suggest using store bought if you don’t have time to make fresh, but I seldom see what the quantity should be.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
June 8, 2015 at 8:54 amHi Kirsten. It completely depends on how much you wish to use. :)
delmara
June 3, 2015 at 3:04 pmive made this before and love it! i slacked today and started it a little late. id rather not eat at 9pm, can it be cooked on high? or maybe high part of the time? or do you think that would dry it out too much?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
June 8, 2015 at 9:00 amHi Delmara. So sorry that we are not able to answer recipe questions in real time. How did it turn out?
Lauren
August 23, 2015 at 12:41 pmHi. I’m planning to make this on Friday (today is Sunday). Can I make the salsa early and freeze? Or how long will it keep in the fridge? I’ll do the pork the day of.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
August 26, 2015 at 12:22 pmHi there. You could freeze it although it does change the texture a bit. .
Tina
September 22, 2015 at 3:56 pmCan you use any other cuts of pork for this dish? I’m wondering if pork boneless country ribs would work
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
September 28, 2015 at 10:31 amHi. I think most fatty cuts should work.
Jen
November 12, 2015 at 8:15 pmI am just curious why you discard the garlic and onion? I minced the garlic so didn’t take it out. I sliced the onions but took them out, but thought about adding them back to the leftovers I am going to freeze.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 16, 2015 at 4:55 pmHi Jen. It is just personal preference. You can leave them in.
Stephanie
January 21, 2016 at 11:27 amMade these last night. Sooooo easy and yummy! My 3 year old came home from school and said “What’s that smell? It smells good! I’ll eat lots!” And she did! I kept the onion and put it on the tortilla along with the home made tomatillo salsa, avocado slice, and some sour cream. My husband also put his rice on his. Yum!
Dana
February 10, 2016 at 3:23 pmI make mine with the juice of 4 oranges and 4 limes, garlic, cumin, and oregano … served the same way. So yummy!
Cindy
September 20, 2016 at 1:07 pmNo liquid or browning?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
September 26, 2016 at 1:42 pmHi. Nope and it makes its own juices.
Roxie
January 7, 2017 at 8:50 pmI made this today, along with the whole-grain corn tortillas and the tomatillo sauce. Wow!!! We loved it! My husband and son requested that I make this again! It is a definite keeper!
Dianae Weeks
May 1, 2017 at 9:41 amMakes a great pulled pork. Very tender and easy to shred! I did add some cayenne and ancho chili powders for some heat.
Good to snack on cold too.
Julia B
June 24, 2017 at 1:28 amDoes anyone have recommendations on what to substitute for the avocado? I love it, but I have a severe avocado allergy.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
June 26, 2017 at 12:35 pmWhile the avocado is admittedly hard to replace :) , I’d say any other of your favorite taco-style toppings would do.
Genevieve Rodrigue
August 8, 2017 at 11:49 amThese carnitas were simply amazing!!! Made them for a birthday fiesta and everyone was raving about their goodness!!! Thank you for such a simple yet delicious recipe!
Megan
August 18, 2017 at 9:35 amDo you think I could substituted chicken thighs? I’m making one batch pork and then looking for an alternative for a few non pork eaters.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
August 28, 2017 at 3:45 pmWe have not made this recipe with chicken. If you give it a try, let us know.
Irlanda Partida
January 24, 2019 at 5:43 pmHello there!!!
I have made this carnitas recipe several times, A family and friends favorite pork Carnitas. I just do it slightly diferent. I add orange juice from the fruit and a laurel leave. It add the flavor that I remember from my childhood in México.
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food
January 29, 2019 at 8:40 amSounds delicious! I’ll have to try that next time. – Jason