Switch up the normal beef taco nights with these Pork Carnitas Tacos! They go perfect topped with tomatillo sauce and wrapped in homemade corn tortillas. I've adapted this recipe from Marcela Valladolid and it's a big hit every time we share it.
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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.
Try these Instant Pot Carnitas for a quick and easy recipe too!
Pork Carnitas Tacos
Switch up the normal beef taco nights with these Pork Carnitas Tacos! They go perfect topped with tomatillo sauce and wrapped in homemade corn tortillas. I've adapted this recipe from Marcela Valladolid and it's a big hit every time we share it.
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Servings: 8 tacos
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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
- Mix together oregano, pepper, salt, and cumin and rub on outside of pork pieces in bottom of slow cooker.
- Throw onion and garlic on top of pork.
- Slow cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or until meat is falling apart.
- When finished discard the onion and garlic. Drain meat and shred with a fork.
- Serve warm with tortillas, tomatillo salsa, avocados and cilantro.
Notes
Recipe – Tomatillo Salsa
Recipe – Whole-Grain Corn Tortillas
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Pork Carnitas Tacos
Amount Per Serving
Calories 194
Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 46mg15%
Sodium 349mg15%
Potassium 520mg15%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 85IU2%
Vitamin C 6.9mg8%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Made this tonight and really enjoyed it. Used a sirloin pork roast I had in the freezer. I am sure the other cuts would have shredded better, but I just sliced it small an put it back in the broth for about an hour. My jarred green salsa was so hot I had to cool it with a little sour cream and mango salsa. Delicious. Will be enjoying the leftovers.
Can I use pork chops?
Hi Yadida. While we haven’t tried this with pork chops, I think it might work with a boneless cut. Let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Made the tacos, salsa, and refried beans for Father’s Day (along with fresh blueberry margaritas), and was enjoyed by all! And with the leftovers, I made an awesome Mexican pizza. (home made whole wheat crust, refried beans, salsa, tomato, onion, cheddar, avacado, cilantro)
My slow cooker instructions read there should always be liquid in the recipe (like 2/3 the way up the sides, i think)? Do you add liquid to the pork or cook it dry in the slow cooker? Does it burn the sides of the crockpot? Looks delicious I just don’t want to wreck my pot. Thanks!
Hello Nancy. We do not add and liquid to this recipe. It creates its own. ~Amy
Can I use chicken instead ? I dont eat pork?
Hi Shyron. We’ve not tried this recipe with chicken. If you do, let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Just me, but I think you could use chicken if you cooked it (thawed) for a much shorter time. Like 3 hours on high. And add some butter if it’s breasts.
Just be sure to use a meat thermometer before you take the chicken out!
I wish I was eating this right now. Love your recipes. I’m a bit of a floundering mom, but I find when I do get a good dinner on the table and we can all sit and enjoy it together, it’s a really great feeling. Thanks for the inspiration.
Do you put any liquid in the slow cooker with this?
Hi Bryan. You do not need to add liquid. ~Amy
The photo of crock pot on today’s Facebook page looks like there are other liquid ingredients. When we made, it was super dry.
Hi Eileen. Maybe your crock pot cooks a bit hot? There is a lack of consistency in crock pot temperature controls. ~Amy
Made this the other day and they were FANTASTIC!!! I am making my own “chipotle” style bowl with quinoa and the left over carnitas, the tomatillo salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, cheese and guacamole. So looking forward to dinner tonight! :)
We’re not fans of Cilantro. Can it just be left out of the Salsa or, since there is so much of it in the recipe, should we substitute something else?
BTW: Love your site. The menus and recipes are fantastic!
Hi Cinda. I think I would just leave it out. Of course if there is another spice you like, you can always substitute that. Jill
how long will the tomatillo salsa keep?
Hi Star. I would say it should keep in the refrigerator for a week or so. Jill
I’d really love to make this as a freezer meal (I’m about to have a baby). Would it be better if I put if I did the rub on the pork and froze it to dump in the crockpot for later, or cooked it completely and then froze it? Or….neither?
Hi Nicole. I would probably cook it and then freeze it. Jill
Oh these are delicious! THANKS!
Help! Do I use a whole 16oz jar of tomatillo sauCe?
Hi Tamara. The salsa is used as a garnish for serving, so, you can use as much or little as you like. Jill
Just made the carnitas! I had to alter it slightly…used pork sirloin tip roast (that’s what was at costco, unless I wanted to buy 14 pounds of pork shoulder!). I didn’t cut it up, just put it in there whole. IT IS DELICIOUS!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Yum! Made it using pork shoulder from my meat CSA. Delicious!
These are absolutely the best! My family devoured them and I went back to the farmers market to get a larger Boston butt so I could make them again. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes and the great information (even the hard to hear stuff like Chick-fil-a is no better than any other fast food!) to help figure out the best foods to feed my family.
Wow – Thanks for the reminder. I have “taco meat” and tomatillo salsa in my freezer right now! At another time, I’ll do the pork one, but thanks for the recipe and giving me the opportunity to eat something from my freezer!
So glad you added the “FRESH” tomatillo salsa recipe. After almost of year of clean eating the any market brand store bought green sauce is horribly salty and ruins the meal. We made the home made salsa but also added peppers when making chicken enchilada’s a few weeks back. Here is the downside it was the first meal I made after being on a fresh veggie juice and green smoothie week long de tox…not the best choice for the first supper, thought it was going to be the last supper. /sarcasm
These. Were. Awesome!
These were really good! I added a little apple cider vinegar in the bottom for moisture but otherwise followed the recipe. My kids wanted more!
I make a larger amount of pork without any seasoning. When it’s falling apart, I shred it with two forks and divide it into meal-sized portions. Most gets frozen, and when it comes out of the freezer some of it gets Mexican seasoning for dishes like this, and some gets BBQ sauce. Some just gets frazzled around in a skillet, maybe with a bit of red pepper flakes, and served with fried eggs.
hi lisa,
oh my goodness, this is AWESOME!! made it for dinner this weekend. Followed directions exactly but cooked on high for 4 hours (that’s all the time i had). the flavor was absolutely divine. we made soft tacos with a little salsa verde, avocado, cherry tomatoes and mont. jack cheese. i served with an arugula & tomato salad. simple yet perfect for perfect for entertaining. i can’t tell you how delicious it was.
thank you so much!
Your post mentions “The Best Whole Chicken in a Crockpot” but the link is broken, which makes me want it all the more. Can you help? Thanks.
Not sure what happened…is working for me. Try this one: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/25/recipe-the-best-whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot/
I LOVE tomatilla sauce and can’t wait to make this.
I took 10 minutes this morning to prep this and throw it in the crockpot. Yum! I didn’t make the salsa b/c I had a ton of pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. in the fridge, but the meat came out perfectly! I didn’t add water, and it was definitely juicy enough on its own. Thanks for another great recipe!
Lisa,
I wanted you to know that my husband made this recipe for dinner tonight. Not only was it simple, but it was delicious. We made a large amount and are already discussing how we are going to use the leftovers. I made guacamole and refried beans to go with the carnitas, and the meal was a hit.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
So glad it was a hit! We used our leftovers in quesadillas for the next two days and it was awesome!
This looks great! We are huge Mexican lovers. I have never tried pork in my taco’s before, so I am excited to try it!
Oh my gosh, this just finished in the crockpot after 6 hours on low (my crockpot is a little aggressive, so it only took 6 hours) and it is AMAZING. The only thing I did different was added the juice of one orange and then put the whole orange in to cook, then discarded. I just saw that on a cooking show, something about the acid of the orange with pork. Might be too spicy for my 3 and 5 year old, but we’ll give it a try. Anyway, thank you so much! I am new to the whole foods thing and am absolutely loving your website!
Marcela,
When I saw this I almost fell off my chair!!! I live in Los Angeles, and it made me want to run out & get some tacos. All I can say is way to go!!! Keep the recipes going it’s tough to find good authentic!!! Are you going to put up anymore???
P.S.
I’ve already bookmarked your post.
Thanks,
Ben
Do you peel the skins off the tomatillos after you broil them or leave the skin on?
Nope you can leave the skins on.
I have a recipe similar to this I use as well but would love to find one that uses beef rather then pork….. have you tried beef instead of pork and what cut would be best?
thanks!
I did made a beef fajita recipe in the slow cooker recently using flank steak and it was awesome!
Looks great! I recently made my first batch of pulled chicken tacos in the slow cooker, and they were a huge hit as well.
What do you do with the leftovers?
We made quesadillas with the leftovers and they were awesome!!
Can I ask which brand slow cooker you use?
My husband and I are in the market to buy a new one, but I’ve been reading that most brands leak lead and other chemicals into the food. I would love to find a safe brand to purchase, but will likely go with a cast iron dutch oven as an alternative.
Thank you for another delicious recipe! I can’t wait to try this one.
1/2 Cup.
I find that adding 1/2 water makes the carnitas more moist. Other than that follow exactly! :)
We dearly LOVE carnitas & I can’t wait to try out this recipe. Thanks!
Thank you, I have been looking for a good pork roast crock pot recipe for tacos. This is awesome.
Yummy- I am always looking for slow cooker recipes, especially in the summer! We have Mexican every Thurs. or Sat. depending on our schedule. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks!
You don’t add any liquid to the crock pot at all?
Nope…no liquid!