This Slow-Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas is a game-changer. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep time, you can enjoy the most incredible spicy, slightly sweet, fall-apart tender pork goodness. This recipe is sure to become a favorite in your household.
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
This Slow-Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas recipe is the easiest you will ever make—it takes less than 5 minutes to throw the ingredients into a slow cooker. You honestly can’t go wrong with this recipe. You only need to let this baby cook in all its glory for 8 hours for the most amazing fall-apart tender pork goodness!
What I Love About This Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Pork Shoulder: This cut of meat is perfect for slow cooking. It becomes incredibly tender and shreds easily.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Seasoning your pork before cooking is essential for flavor.
- Dried Oregano: Adds a hint of earthiness and depth to the dish.
- Pace® Picante Sauce: The salsa adds flavor and a bit of acidity to tenderize the meat.Pace® Picante sauce is made with tomatoes, onions, and their famous, hand-picked jalapeños- this sauce really kicked up the flavor! Pace® Picante Sauce comes in mild, medium, and hot. I used the medium level for this recipe because I didn’t want to make it too spicy for children to eat, but feel free to use any version that fits your taste.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Provides depth of flavor and a savory kick.
- Brown Sugar (optional): If you like a touch of sweetness, add brown sugar to balance the heat. If you prefer a spicier dish, you can omit it.
- Bay Leaf: Adds a subtle herbal note.
- Rosemary Sprigs (optional): These aromatic herbs infuse the pork with a lovely fragrance.
Food Allergy Swaps
- This recipe is naturally egg, dairy, gluten, nut, and peanut-free, making it suitable for most dietary needs with these minor adjustments.
- Gluten-Free: Ensure your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, or use a gluten-free alternative.
Process Overview: How To Make Spicy Pork Carnitas In The Slow Cooker Step-by-Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Season the Pork
Season the pork shoulder with salt, black pepper, and oregano, rubbing in thoroughly on all sides. Be generous.
- Throw everything in the slow cooker
Place the pork in the slow cooker. Add picante sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, bay leaf, and rosemary.
- Cook
Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. The pork should be so tender that it falls apart easily. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks, removing excess fat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Broil (Optional)
Heat the oven to broil. Line one baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil. Place the carnitas onto the baking sheet with half of the juices and broil until most of the pork looks golden, crisp, and crusted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Trim Excess Fat: While some fat adds flavor, too much can make the dish greasy. Trim any large pieces of fat from the pork before cooking.
- Use Fresh Herbs: If you have fresh rosemary on hand, it adds a wonderful fragrance to the dish. Simply tie the sprigs together with kitchen twine for easy removal before serving.
- Adjust Heat Level: You can tailor the spiciness of the dish to your preference by choosing your preferred level of Picante sauce.
- Shred with Ease: Once the pork is cooked, it should be so tender it practically falls apart. Use two forks to shred it effortlessly.
- Finish It In The Broil!: You can either eat the pork right out of the slow cooker or broil it in the oven to give it a crisp edge. I highly recommend finishing these carnitas under the broiler to get them nicely caramelized. Believe me, you need those crisp outside edges in your life.
Variations & Additions
Pork: While pork shoulder is the best choice for carnitas due to its tenderness and flavor, you can also use pork butt or pork loin. However, keep in mind that the texture may vary slightly.
Heat Level: You can tailor the spiciness of the dish to your preference by choosing your preferred level of Picante sauce, which comes in hot, medium, or mild heat levels.
Serving Suggestions
There are many ways to serve carnitas, but one of our favorites is tostadas. It’s like a taco but flat. It’s usually made with a fried corn tortilla and topped with whatever your heart desires! Today, it’s mashed avocado, mango salsa, and queso fresco. Here are other serving ideas:
- Tacos: Serve the Spicy Pork Carnitas in warm tortillas with your favorite taco toppings – shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
- Burrito Bowls: Create a delicious burrito bowl with a base of rice or quinoa, topped with shredded pork, black beans, corn, salsa, and guacamole.
- Quesadillas: Fill flour tortillas with the pork and your choice of cheese, then cook until golden and crispy for a tasty quesadilla.
- Nachos: Pile the shredded pork onto tortilla chips along with melted cheese, jalapeños, and sour cream for epic nachos.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the cooked pork in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat Pulled Pork Leftovers
1. Stovetop Method: Place a non-stick skillet or a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Add some of the reserved cooking juices to the skillet to help keep the pork moist. Once the liquid is warm, add the leftover pulled pork to the skillet. Stir occasionally to ensure even heating. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the pork is heated through.
2. Microwave Method: Place the leftover pulled pork in a microwave-safe dish—splash of some of the reserved cooking juices. Cover the pork with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Check the pork and stir it halfway through to ensure even heating. Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals until the pork is heated through. Carefully remove it from the microwave, as the dish may be hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to my testing, NORMAL = LOW mode in a traditional slow cooker. MORE = HIGH mode in a traditional slow cooker.
While pork shoulder is the best choice for carnitas due to its tenderness and flavor, you can also use pork butt or pork loin. However, keep in mind that the texture may vary slightly.
Absolutely! Cook on high pressure for about 60-70 minutes, then allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
The spiciness level depends on the type of Picante sauce you use. Adjust the heat by choosing mild, medium, or hot sauce according to your taste preference.
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Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Spicy Pork Carnitas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 lb (1.3 – 1.8 kg) pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoons salt or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper or more, to taste
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 16 oz (1 jar – 680 g) Pace® Picante Sauce
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar (optional – see notes)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)
Important
You can find step-by-step photos above in the post and/or right here on the recipe card. They’ll walk you through the process and make everything super clear! Just click the camera icon button below on the right to show or hide them. Turn them off before printing if you prefer a cleaner copy!
Instructions
- Season the pork shoulder with salt, black pepper, and oregano rubbing in thoroughly on all sides. Be generous.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker. Add Picante sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, bay leaf, and rosemary (if using); mix to combine.
- Cook for 8 to 12 hours on LOW. The pork should be so tender that the meat falls apart easily. Remove and discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs (if used). Then, remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks, removing excess fat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Heat oven's broil. Line one baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.
- Place the carnitas on a baking sheet with half of the juices, and broil until most of the pork looks golden, crisp, and crusted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve while warm with whatever your heart desires.Tip: Reserve the other half of the cooking juices to reheat leftovers.
- Stovetop Method: Place a non-stick skillet or a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Add some of the reserved cooking juices to the skillet to help keep the pork moist. Once the liquid is warm, add the leftover pulled pork to the skillet. Stir occasionally to ensure even heating. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the pork is heated through.
- Microwave Method: Place the leftover pulled pork in a microwave-safe dish—a splash of some of the reserved cooking juices. Cover the pork with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Check the pork and stir it halfway through to ensure even heating. Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals until the pork is heated through. Carefully remove it from the microwave, as the dish may be hot.
- Trim Excess Fat: While some fat adds flavor, too much can make the dish greasy. Trim any large pieces of fat from the pork before cooking.
- Use Fresh Herbs: If you have fresh rosemary on hand, it adds a wonderful fragrance to the dish. Simply tie the sprigs together with kitchen twine for easy removal before serving.
- Adjust Heat Level: You can tailor the spiciness of the dish to your preference by choosing your preferred level of Picante sauce.
- Shred with Ease: Once the pork is cooked, it should be so tender it practically falls apart. Use two forks to shred it effortlessly.
- Finish It In The Broil!: You can either eat the pork right out of the slow cooker or broil it in the oven to give it a crisp edge. I highly recommend finishing these carnitas under the broiler to get them nicely caramelized. Believe me, you need those crisp outside edges in your life.
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
We just made this today and it was delicious! My husband said it was better than any restaurant version he’s ever had. We used the Hot pace picante sauce and the brown sugar. It was spicy with a hint of sweet. Just perfect!
Hello Jennifer! Wow, what a compliment! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know.
This looks so delicious and simple!! Beautiful photos. Pinning!
Thank you Natasha!!
Just finished making this recipe. It is delicious and my family are devouring it!
I am so glad Marisol!! I hope everybody enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by ?
So, the directions say to serve with fennel and mango salsa, which I don’t see listed in the ingredients or any link to how to make the salsa. Please explain, thanks!
Hello Jess! The fennel and Mango salsa is just a suggestion so feel free to top the tostadas with whatever you like. For the fennel and mango salsa I just diced a fennel bulb and a ripe mango. Then mix and added lime juice, salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil and chopped cilantro. Hope that helps. If you try it let me know how you like it. Thanks for stopping by =)
I just made this tonight – it came out great! I added cumin to the dry rub and corn tortillas. I topped it with Wegmans organic black bean dip, corn, and Mex-blend cheese. I still have had the pork shoulder in the freezer so im hoping to try the fennel-mango salsa next time!
I’m so glad you liked it, Jess! Thanks for your comment =)
What a great, simple recipe. I’d love to feature it on my site’s weekly MONDAYS ARE A CROCK recipe share. Please contact me if you’d be interested. 🙂
Thanks Angela!!
That seems like a LOT of Worcestershire…
Hello Anna, for our taste it was perfect! But feel free to reduce the amount of Worcestershire sauce to your liking.
These look so yummy!
Thanks Ariana!
Looks very delicious! We are in the midst of slow cooker weather here in New England, for sure! These pork carnitas looks perfectly moist and tasty!
Thanks Cristine, They were SO good!! I might need to do another batch for this week {wink}
I’ve just started using my slow cooker more — definitely adding this one to the list of must makes. Looks delicious 🙂
I love my slow cooker – It’s so convenient!! Hope you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for stopping by April =)
Wow, your photos are gorgeous! This slowcooker pork carnitas is perfect! Weekdays are so hectic so something easy is great!
Yes, it’s a great make ahead recipe! Thanks for stopping by, Shelby =)
Wow! I’ve printed off the delicious looking recipe. My father-in-law loves to cook pork shoulder.
Thanks Tina! I hope he likes the recipe =)
These look amazing! Love all the colors and flavors – I’m sure they are better than any restaurant. #client
Thanks Carolyn!!
I’m excited to try your recipe. I’m a big Picante fan.
You’re going to love it, Jeannie!! Thanks for stopping by =)