I know, weird name huh? I bet many of you are thinking “What the heck kind of recipe is twice-baked crockpot carnitas!?” Well, you’re going to have to trust me on this one and just keep reading because I promise it will be well worth it!
I don’t know why I have such a fascination with my crockpot lately, but I do! Whenever I see a recipe with “crockpot” in the title…I’m instantly intrigued, and when you add the word “carnitas” you’ve got me – hook, line, and sinker! So when I saw this recipe for Crockpot Carnitas from Lindsay at Pinch Of Yum I was a goner. But it gets better! They are EASY Crockpot Carnitas! I don’t think it’s possible to get any better than that right there.
Carnitas means “little meats” and is a type of roasted pork in Mexican cuisine. It can be eaten by itself, but we like it as the main ingredient in tacos, and burritos.
It all starts with a good-sized pork butt. Don’t make the mistake (like I did the first time I made this!) and buy a pork ROAST. While it will still TASTE good, it will not be the nice, tender, carnitas-type meat you’re looking for. Once again, trust me on this one.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Twice-Baked Crockpot Carnitas
adapted from Pinch Of Yum
- 6-8 pound pork butt
- 5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 12 ounces cola
- 1/2 cup salsa
Like I said, start with a 6-8 pound pork butt and place it in your crockpot with a generous amount of finely-chopped garlic on top. You could also use the minced stuff in the jar in a pinch.
Then you’re going to make a lovely seasoning combination to put on top of the meat.
You can just sprinkle each spice on separately, or you could mix them all together like I did.
It may seem like a lot of seasoning, but that is one of the signatures of good carnitas, highly seasoned meat.
After you have covered the meat with this wonderful seasoning mixture, then it’s time to add the liquid. Start with the lime juice, then add orange juice, cola (I used Dr. Pepper because that’s what I had on hand), and salsa (jarred or homemade, your call.)
Now it’s time to cover this baby up and let the crockpot do its thing for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. (If you are in a time crunch you can do 3-4 hours on high, but it won’t be as “fall-off-the-bone tender”).
When the 6-8 hours are up you should be able to shred the pork without hardly even touching it! It quite literally will fall off the bone when you start prodding at it with two forks.
After you have shredded the meat, transfer it to a baking sheet and spread it out in an even layer. You might want to foil your pan first for easier clean-up, but I didn’t and clean-up was not a problem. Spoon some of the juice from the crockpot on top of the meat.
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Preheat the broiler in your oven and put the pan in for 5 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the meat start to brown. Remove the pan from the oven.
Here’s where this recipe gets its crazy name! When I took the meat out of the oven the first time I thought it looked great, but as I started taking it out of the pan and putting it onto a platter I noticed that only a small percentage of the meat in the pan had that nice browning on it. So I decided to stir and turn the meat with some tongs and put it BACK in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Thus the name “Twice-Baked Crockpot Carnitas”.
When it came out….perfection! LOTS of nice brown edges on the meat. I also spooned a little more of the juice on the meat at this point to moisten it up a bit.
Like I said earlier, you can eat this just like it is…
….or you can put it in tortillas and fashion it into whatever you please. We used corn tortillas and garnished it with cheese, tomato, cilantro, sour cream, etc.
I’m telling you, this is SO delicious!! The flavor is amazing to begin with, but when you add the “twice-baked” method, it is out-of-this-world good!
I hope you will give it a try and let me know how you like my “twice-baked” carnitas!
Twice-Baked Crockpot Carnitas
Ingredients
- 6-8 pound pork butt
- 5-6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 12 ounces cola
- 1/2 cup salsa
Instructions
- Place a 6-8 pound pork butt in your crockpot with a generous amount of finely-chopped garlic on top. You could also used the minced stuff in the jar in a pinch.
- Mix garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and apply liberally to the pork butt.
- After you have covered the meat with this wonderful seasoning mixture, then it’s time to add the liquid. Start with the lime juice, then add orange juice, cola (I used Dr. Pepper because that’s what I had on hand), and salsa (jarred or homemade, your call.)
- Cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. (If you are in a time crunch you can do 3-4 hours on high, but it won’t be as “fall-off-the-bone tender”).
- Shred meat
- Transfer it to a baking sheet and spread it out in an even layer.
- Spoon some of the juice from the crockpot on top of the meat.
- Preheat the broiler in your oven and put the pan in for 5 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the meat start to brown. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Stir and turn the meat with some tongs and put it BACK in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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Hello dear! Thank you for this recipe! I made it last night and it turned out AMAZING today for lunch! I had these small 7.5oz cans of coke, so I used one of those and then apple cider for the other 4 oz of liquid. Also, instead of red salsa I used Pace garlic and lime verde (green) salsa and it is so yummy! For a side dish I found this black beans and rice recipe that also called for cumin so I thought it would be complimentary and it was! Here’s the link for that, they are really easy too although I had to add more liquid than it called for as the rice cooked: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-beans-and-rice/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Peace & Love -Meg
Oh P.S. I meant to mention that I did not bake it at all, I love carnitas but the “crunchy” parts are my least favorite part! So I did not bake it, I simply pulled it off the bone and served it that way, it was sooooo tender! <3
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The green sauce was outstanding and I used the apple juice also. FANTASTIC!k
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks so much for sharing your tips.
Looks amazing but I’m also wondering if it is still good after freezing? Or does that dry it out?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It sounds amazing! My mouth is watering and I don’t even eat pork!
I was wondering if you could use a beef roast to make this?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I know the flavor would be different as pork has a special flavor all it’s own.
regarding carnitas – does it freeze well?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just throwing this out there in case anyone is interested and wasn’t aware it existed…..there is a soda company called Zevia that makes zero calorie soda using stevia. They have some like mountain zevia, dr. zevia, etc, to sort of kinda be like the big names. It does not taste exactly like the brand it mimics, but it is also not as bad for you, so I think it’s a good trade-off. You can go to zevia’s website and print out coupons if you have a store locally that carries it. I don’t, so I buy mine online from amazon, which carries variety packs as well as the individual flavors.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For all of you pig trivia enthusiasts out there, the pork butt (a.k.a. Boston butt) is really the pork shoulder and is often labelled that. An actual pork butt is called a ham:) Both are delish!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi jillee…you really deserve an award. Of all the blogs i read yours has given me the best ideas. I hope you win.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.carnitas recipe for someone with no crockpot…..please :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here is a link that shows a method that does not use a crockpot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx6svS1oxDE Basically cooking it low and slow in your oven. But I am defininitely gonna give Jillee’s a try. I never use my crock pot and I’d like to start. This sounds amazing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I want to make it, and I want to make it just the way you wrote the recipe. I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks! After I make the carnitas, I’m going to lightly fry some nice fresh corn tortillas so they are still soft but have some body, too (about 20 sconds per side in hot oil), drain them well, and roll them around nice big chunks of carnita. Maybe I’ll add some home made salsa, but probably not. I probably will sprinkle on a little chipotle tabasco because it is addictive and so, so good.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Amazing! My husband absolutely loves Carnitas. His family is English and they immigrated to the States when he was 10, to San Diego, CA. They had wonderful Mexico born neighbors and my mother-in-law took cooking lessons from her to learn how to make all the great Mexican recipes. When I showed him the pictures of your recipe, Jillee, his mouth immediately began to water…lol! So you know what we are going to be buying today…all the ingredients to make this delicious and so easy recipe. A big thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I saw the recipe this morning, stopped by the grocery store at noon, and am looking forward to this for dinner tonight – looks amazing! Though I wish I’d seen the comments about substitutions for soda before I dumped in a pepsi ….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks–looks tasty–good for crowd too or take along “pot luck”. I’ll probably use chicken breasts. The broth with brown sugar sounds like a good replacement too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this great recipe, Jillee. I’ve been preparing carnitas for ages and never thought about the slow cooker. As I’m aging, my 8 quart Le Creuset is getting heavier and heavier and used less and less! LOL Nothing beats braising in a good heavy Dutch oven but the slow cooker will fit the bill for my next carnita craving. Thanks again!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Looks like pulled pork. My husband loves the stuff. I’ll have to give this a try. Though I have to say, that’s a lot of meat. I’ll need to buy more freezer storage containers for the leftovers. Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s not all that much meat when you have a 13 (almost 14) year old, 17 year old, and a “hubster” in the house. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow! This sounds wonderful….I think I will give it a try with a small piece of meat…there are only two of us!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mmm
And I have pork in the freezer!
Jillee…….don’t you have a diabetic in the home? How do you figure the carbs from the soda or isn’t it an issue.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.mdoe37….my 17 year old son has Type 1 diabetes and wears an insulin pump. He counts carbs and then boluses the amount of insulin he needs to cover them. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was wondering if this would work to make a pork barbecue as well. That would be amazing!!! Plus I also don’t want to use soda. This is a soda free house!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have used root beer with the pork butt/shoulder for pulled pork and it is awesome. Same directions as the carnitas but no need to bake/broil after. Drain the root beer and add your favorite BBQ sauce. Doesn’t help with your non-soda but you might be able to find a replacement for the root beer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I LOVE my crockpot too! Nothing beats an easy meal to give us more time to clean, organize or go out for the day! I make pork roasts in mine, pork and beans and boil chicken for chicken and rice plus other dinners! It’s an awesome tool and doesn’t heat up the kitchen either!
I will try this! Definitely!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have learned the secret to an amazingly tender end product is that the internal temperature of the meat must reach 190 degrees. That is when the collagen of the meat breaks down resulting in tender, juicy meat for shredding.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Note this is for pork butt and not pork loin or roasts as they don’t usually have the needed fat content to become tender shredded pork.
I think this is going to be our go to meal for Monday. The kids don’t have school, and it’s the start of baseball season too for us. The crockpot is going to be my go-to for all many many meals in the coming weeks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Apple juice sounds like a wonderful substitute for the soda.. don’t want the HFCS in my diet. Any large chunk of meat should do, the one in the pictures was not a ‘butt’ at all, the bone shows it was a shoulder roast.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s terminology and “Hog Anatomy 101”. If you investigate a diagram of a hog, you would see that the pork “butt” isn’t from the rump area but from the shoulder.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mmmm carnitas are so yummy! I am most definitely trying this recipe.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Do you think you could use ribs for this recipe? Thanks
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You probably could, but you wouldn’t need to cook them twice since I’m assuming you don’t want to shred the ribs.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In place of the cola, you could probably add apple juice You’re going for sweetness and carmalization when you start baking so that should be a good substitute. I like the cola in mine, but I get why some would prefer it without. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Stephanie S!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, this recipe looks WONDERFUL and I’m definitely going to make this soon — perhaps this weekend since we’re expecting company *AND* Monday is a holiday (yeah! no school! I love being a teacher!).
I love anything that’s pork-related and I make shredded pork all the time using bone-in Boston (pork) butts. The meat is incredibly tender and juicy and the cooking method (whether in a Crock Pot or Dutch oven) couldn’t be more simple.
One shredding technique I’ve learned and use always came from Pinterest: using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, add HOT meat chunks into the mixing bowl and turn on low for 20-30 seconds. The meat will shred perfectly and it’s a whole lot easier than the fork method. Transfer meat to a baking dish and repeat. Clean-up is a breeze too. Easy-peasy!
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