Crispy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork) is a winner! The closest recipe to authentic Mexican Carnitas WITHOUT using lard!
Crispy Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork) is SO tender and juicy on the inside, while deliciously crisp and golden on the edges! Giving you TWO options to get that perfect crisp finish, and PERFECT for your Cinco De Mayo parties!
CARNITAS
Carnitas are so versatile, you can fill any burrito, taco, quesadilla OR use them as a topping for Nachos! Include them in a salad like this Chipotle Carnitas Salad! Serve them with the typical onion/cilantro topping typically seen served on Mexican food trucks OR a good Guacamole or Pico De Gallo!
This recipe is a NO FAIL recipe, and extremely forgiving! Set it…forget it….and your lunch or dinner is ready in minutes! Because WHO doesn’t love crispy pulled pork?!
HOW TO MAKE CRISPY PORK CARNITAS
I have to admit, it has taken me so many failed attempts and trying a huge variety of different recipes before finally setting on this one. I read, researched, tested, failed, tested again, failed, researched AGAIN, tested and failed THREEÂ more times. Pulled pork coming out of our ears!
The ingredient we use in this carnitas recipe is Coca Cola. If you can find a cane sugar based coke (coke in ‘original’ glass bottles, for example), well, EVEN BETTER. It’s the closest to Mexican Coke, which is what many Mexicans cook their Carnitas in when not cooking in lard (the authentic recipe), and really lifts these carnitas to bolder and better flavours!
The orange juice and lime juice combo tenderises them to incredible fall apart tenderness, while the natural sugars in the juices and the coke combined turn what would be just another pulled pork recipe, into crispy heaven with every mouthful.
SOME TIPS:
- We used 4 teaspoons of salt. Use less if desired.
- Coke with cane sugar instead of corn syrup (check the ingredients list) is ideal, however you can use any coke. Alternatively, substitute with chicken broth (chicken stock).
- If you don’t like the sound of this particular carnitas recipe, try my tomato based crispy pulled pork!
PORK CARNITAS TACOS
To make them into tacos, simply stuff the crisped meet into a corn or flour tortilla (fresh homemade tortillas right here), and add in chopped onion, cilantro, salsa, avocado and top with sour cream or crema fresca!
WATCH HOW WE MAKE CARNITAS RIGHT HERE! TURN UP YOUR VOLUME TO HEAR THAT CRISPY CRACKLE IN THE PAN!
Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
Ingredients
Carnitas
- 4 pounds (or 2 kg) skinless, boneless pork butt (or shoulder)
- 3-4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (or Mexican oregano)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 large brown or white onion , cut into wedges
- 8 cloves garlic , smashed
- 2 limes , juiced
- 2 large oranges , juiced (or 3/4 cup natural orange juice)
- 3/4 cup coke (Original or Mexican coke is ideal)*
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry pork with a paper towel.
- In the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, add pork, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, coke, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high heat for 5-6 hours (until the meat falls apart).
- Remove pork and shred with two forks (DO NOT DISCARD THE LIQUID!)
TO CRISP IN THE OVEN:
- Transfer the pork to a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking oil spray (or lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper).
- Pour 1 ladle full (about 1 cup) of the liquid from the slow cooker over the pork to season. Broil for 5-10 minutes on high heat until the meat becomes golden browned and crispy on the edges.
TO CRISP ON STOVE:
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add pork in batches of two or three, and sear until just beginning to crisp. Ladle over about 1/2 cup of left over liquid, and continue cooking until the juices begin to reduce down and the meat is nice and crispy!
TO SERVE:
- Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Pour over more of the slow cooker juices once the meat has crisped for added flavour, just before serving! Serve in Tacos, Burritos, or in a salad!
Notes
**If you don't like the sound of this particular carnitas recipe, try my tomato based crispy pulled pork!
Seanita says
I have a very similar recipe from my Mexican house mom, but this one is much easier to execute with the slow cooker. I really do think it’s worth cutting the pork into 4-6 chunks, seasoning with a bit of cumin and salt and pepper, and browning on all sides before going into the pot, but this is close enough! . Yolanda also sometimes adds a pinch of cinnamon. She does this in her le Crueset Dutch oven in her oven on 275-300 for 6-7 hours (cover with tinfoil or an over safe lid cracked). One ah-making trick I got from a Chef friend of mine is to take the braising liquid after you’ve cooked the pork and reduce it on medium low heat until the liquid is reduced by 1/2. . It turns into the best sauce of your entire life! Can’t beat the toppings you listed, but sometimes I grill fresh pineapple rings, then chop as a topping.
Amazing recipe for sure!
Seanita
Thanks for posting this.
Vi says
I made this for the first time. I didn’t have enough time for the slow cooker so I put it all in a dutch oven, brought it to a boil on the stove, then into the oven with the lid on at 300 degrees F for 2 hours. Thank you!
Kat says
Hi,
I love your recipes. Just thought you should know that your videos get cut off early by commercials (before all of the recipe steps are shown) and then after the commercial, it switches to a new recipe. then the process of the next recipe getting cut short happens, and the cycle continues, so that I can’t watch any of your videos in full.
Michelle says
Made this for Xmas lunch and they were so good!!!
Jessica says
Seriously so good! I make these all the time, and they’re always such a hit! They’re also amazing for leftovers since you just reheat and crisp them in a skillet before serving anyhow. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jessica says
This has been my go to recipe for a while now – I’ve made it dozens of times and it’s consistently delicious. The imported Mexican coke and fresh squeezed orange juice are key. I also recommend using a bone in pork butt or shoulder as the bone itself adds incredible flavor. We always top these tacos with a squeeze of fresh lime, diced onion, freshly chopped cilantro, and a drizzle of Trader Joe’s jalapeño sauce.
This freezes spectacularly. I store any excess meat (not yet crisped) submerged in the leftover juices in the freezer. Some people say storing like that can change the texture, but I’ve never noticed or had an issue with that since it gets crisped up after being reheated anyways.
HOT TIP for some over the top, magazine worthy tacos (stole this method from a taco shop here in San Diego): grease a 400* griddle with avocado oil. Place a few handfuls of shredded cheese into separate mounds on the griddle. Wait until the top of the cheese mound just starts to melt (this shouldn’t take longer than 20 seconds) and place your corn tortillas (yes, you better be using corn torts with this incredible meat!!!) onto those mounds of cheese. Press the torts down with a spatula and wait a few more seconds to ensure the cheese sticks, then flip them over. The cheese should be nice and browned when it’s flipped (but trust me, it’s still melty under that golden crust as long as you used enough cheese!). Then just the continue to warm the back sides of the torts for about 10-15 seconds longer and VOILA. A gorgeous, delicious carnitas blanket. Just be sure to add more oil to the griddle before starting another batch, and don’t leave them on too long. You want them warm and soft, not crispy and tough.
Wanda says
I have made this recipe several times and every time it turns out amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is spot on with flavor and crisping the meat at the end is the topper to a great pork carnitas meal!
Keylee says
I have never gone back and left a recipe review but this was too good not to. Seriously just perfect, and I used just regular coke and I cooked it on high instead of low for a longer time. Finally found the right real sugar coke and will be cooking low for 10 hours this time.
mj says
I was invited to a “game night” (playing Family Feud and other silly games) and brought a board of tacos already filled with meat and cotija cheese, and then warmed up and set out with fillings. I made this recipe and increased the sauce and marinated the pork for 24 hours, then slow cooked. I stayed pretty true to the recipe but added a bit a “hoff’s wake up call” hot sauce (which is not really that hot) as the pork seemed a bit tame. Whoa, I was not prepared for how much these people loved this pork! I made 35 tacos for 7 people and they were gone. The next morning I got a text from someone who was there that they wanted to down 5 more tacos. You nailed it with this recipe!
Lisa Temple says
This is the best pork carnitas recipe I’ve ever made. I think the winning combo is the orange juice, lime juice, and coca cola! And, couldn’t be easier cooking all day in the crock. I so talked up this recipe, I have other friends who are making too, and agree it’s the best!