This Slow Cooker Chipotle Carnitas are smoky, juicy, tasty and totally irresistible! Perfect for Family Style Taco Bar Night.
This recipe is sponsored by Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE).
Chipotle Carnitas Recipe
OH my goodness…These Slow Cooker Chipotle Carnitas are to die for!
Seasoned pork is slow-cooked until melt-in-your-mouth tender, then pulled apart with forks and finally crisp-up to golden perfection.
This Chipotle Carnitas recipe is extremely easy to make and perfect for many purposes, such as family-style Taco-Bar, freezer standby or meal prep.
Watch out…Thanks to my friends at Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) in this recipe I am including very valuable tips to help you improve food safety practices at home. It’s never too early to start teaching the kids about food safety. Children are disproportionately affected by serious foodborne illness, representing half of all hospitalizations for foodborne illness in the United States each year.
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE CHIPOTLE CARNITAS IN THE SLOW COOKER?
You will need:
- Pork shoulder
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- Garlic cloves
- Limes
- Orange
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Spices, such as oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh cilantro to garnish
FOOD SAFETY TIP:
- Wash hands with soap and water before you start to cook.
- Gently rub produce under cold running water.
WHAT KIND OF MEAT IS THE BEST TO MAKE PORK CARNITAS?
The best meat for carnitas is pork shoulder or pork butt. it is important to highlight that pork shoulder or butt are the same things, a cut of meat from the same section of the pig: the shoulder.
Food Safety Tip: Don’t rinse meat or poultry. It is not a safety step and can spread germs around your kitchen.
HOW YOU DO MAKE CHIPOTLE CARNITAS IN THE SLOW COOKER?
- Place garlic, lime juice, oil, salt, black pepper, oregano, onion powder, cumin, peppers, and adobo sauce in a small food processor. Pulse until well combined and a paste is formed.
- Pour the chipotle paste over the pork shoulder,
- Rub the pork shoulder with the chipotle paste, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides. Do not rinse raw poultry or meat. I used gloves to rub the pork but if you don’t have cloves available wash hands with soap and water after handling raw pork.
- Place orange juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and seasoned pork shoulder into a slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until internal temperature reaches 145 °F on a food thermometer. The pork should be so tender that meat falls apart easily.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE PORK IS DONE?
Use a food thermometer!
Food is safely cooked when it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause illness.
MEAT MINIMUM INTERNAL TEMPERATURES:
- Beef, pork, veal and lamb 145 ºF with a three-minute “rest time” (roast, steaks and chops) after removal from the heat source.
- Ground meats 160 ºF.
- Poultry (whole, parts or ground) 165 ºF.
HOW DO YOU CRISP UP CARNITAS?
You can crisp up carnitas in the oven or on the stove:
Oven: Preheat oven to 450 ºF and position one of the oven racks into the center of the oven. Line a baking pan with foil for easy cleanup later, if desired. Spread pork into an even layer. Add ¼ – ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the shredded pork to moisten. Bake pork for 5 – 10 minutes, or until it reaches the desired crispiness level.
Stove: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add pork in batches and sear until just crisp. Add about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and continue cooking until the liquid reduces down and the meat is nice and crispy.
Easy Family Style Taco Bar
It’s not a secret that tacos are one of our favorite foods. They are not only delicious, but they are adaptable to the tastes of all family members, including my picky eaters.
So, when it’s taco bar night I make sure to have everyone’s fave.
This time for my Family Style Taco Bar I used:
- Flour tortillas and/or corn tortillas
- Sliced avocado
- Finely sliced red onions
- Sliced jalapeño
- Diced pineapple
- Diced tomatoes
- Charred corn
- Crumbed queso fresco
- Sour cream
- Salsa verde
- Lime wedges
Looking for more Taco Bar Ideas?
- Slow Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas
- Easy Ground Beef for Tacos Recipe
- Easy Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Skewers
- Instant Pot Mojo Chicken
- Easy Sheet Pan Beef Fajitas
- Easy Honey Chipotle Grilled Shrimp
Slow Cooker Chipotle Carnitas
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 – 3 individual chipotle peppers from a can of Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
- 3 – 4 lbs. skinless boneless pork shoulder (excess fat trimmed)
- 1/4 cup orange juice (about 1 orange)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- Fresh cilantro, chopped to garnish
For the Taco Bar:
- Flour tortillas and/or corn tortillas
- Sliced avocado
- Finely sliced red onions
- Sliced jalapeño
- Diced pineapple
- Diced tomatoes
- Charred corn
- Crumbed queso fresco
- Sour cream
- Salsa verde
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Chipotle Carnitas:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Gently rub garlic and limes under cold running water.
- Place garlic, lime juice, oil, salt, black pepper, oregano, onion powder, cumin, peppers, and adobo sauce in a small food processor. Pulse until well combined and a paste is formed.
- Rub the pork shoulder with the chipotle paste, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides. Do not rinse raw poultry or meat. I used gloves to rub the pork but if you don't have cloves available wash hands with soap and water after handling raw pork.
- Gently rub orange under cold running water.
- Place orange juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and seasoned pork shoulder into a slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until internal temperature reaches 145 °F on a food thermometer. The pork should be so tender that meat falls apart easily.
- Remove pork from slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks, removing excess fat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Heat oven to broil. Line one baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.
- Place carnitas onto a baking sheet, with a cup, or so, of the juices, and broil until most of the pork looks golden, crisp and crusted, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Gently rinse cilantro, pat dry and chop.
- Garnish carnitas with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Taco Bar:
- Just before serving, heat your tortillas. Stack warm tortillas in a dish towel to keep them hot for longer.
- Place chipotle carnitas in a big serving plate.
- Rinse under running water all the fresh vegetables, before cutting. Arrange all toppings in various small bowls so that each person can make their own tacos. Serve.
Recipe Notes:
- Slow Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas
- Easy Ground Beef for Tacos Recipe
- Easy Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Skewers
- Instant Pot Mojo Chicken
- Easy Sheet Pan Beef Fajitas
- Easy Honey Chipotle Grilled Shrimp
Nutrition
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- Slow Cooker
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- Measuring Cup Set
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- Mini Food Processor
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- Instant Read Thermometer
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