Life without Mexican food is the equivalent to a soul crushing void around our house. Slow cooker pork carnitas are a staple around our house. Not only is this recipe easy to make, it freezes well and is really versatile. It may be used on a salad, inside a taco, plastered all over a delightful stack of nachos or wrapped in a lettuce leaf for a super low carb meal. However you choose to use it, you'll be happy you made it.
This Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe is: Low Carb, Gluten Free, Paleo & super delicious.
SLOW COOKER PORK CARNITAS
I wasn't joking earlier saying that having no Mexican food around is the equivalent of a soul crushing void. I can't even begin to explain how difficult it was to source ingredients in the South of France. Let me just say that it was really hard so our love of Mexican just intensified over 13 months.
Enter the recipe for slow cooker pork carnitas. There are a lot of reasons I love this recipe. Here they are:
- It's incredibly tender, tasty and versatile.
- The cut of pork is ridiculously inexpensive.
- The recipe is very easy... foolproof as some people call it.
- It is set and forget. After 10 minutes of work, all you have to do is show up ready to eat later in the day.
The best part? There is so much flavor. The chipotle powder (available in most grocery stores or through the Amazon link) adds a smokey heat which is just fantastic.
STORE BOUGHT INGREDIENTS
Yes, for this recipe we are going to use some store bought ingredients. Could we make our own Tomatillo Salsa? Sure. Could we grind up our own chipotle peppers to make a powder? Absolutely.
But the store bought versions are so good... why would we go to the effort? I love the Frontera brand (no promotions or sponsorships, I just like the brand!) of Tomatillo Salsa. It has a really nice smoked flavor. It's also really balanced, delicious and has a nice spice. To keep the spice in check, I also use a smaller can of mild diced chiles. These small cans typically don't have a smoky flavor and are not hot. It really balances the whole dish.
If you can't find these brands online you will find them through the links above. They are affiliate links through Amazon and any support of the blog helps!
RECIPES FOR PORK CARNITAS
Looking for some additional inspiration? Here are some great recipes to try with your slow cooker pork carnitas.
Southwestern Power Bowl (Find the recipe for pickled onions here too!)
Fajita Nachos
Pulled Pork Tacos
Low Carb Fajitas
Easy Guacamole Recipe
Need to figure out how to use all your leftover pork? Here's a great guide to 15 Recipes specializing in Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes!
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Love having the house smell incredibly delicious? Then this recipe is for you. Make this foolproof slow cooker pork carnitas recipe today to experience the most delicious, tender pork imaginable.
Ingredients
For the Pork Carnitas
- 4.5 Lbs Boneless Country Pork Ribs
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Spanish Onion, Sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Jar Frontera Tomatillo Salsa, 16 oz
- 1 Can Mild Diced Chilis, 7 oz
- 2 Tablespoons Chipotle Powder
- 2 Jalapeno Peppers, Sliced
- 2 Anaheim Chili Peppers, Sliced
For the Salad
- 1 Box Arugula
- ½ Red Onion, Pickled
- ½ Cup Crumbled Feta
- 1 Tomato, Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro
For the Salad Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Chipotle Tabasco
- 1 Pinch Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Instructions
- Add the sliced onions and peppers to the slow cooker.
- Using a heavy bottom skillet large enough to fit the boneless country pork ribs, heat the olive oil until it shimmers in the pan.
- While the pan is heating, coat the pork with the salt and pepper. If it looks scant, add more salt and pepper.
- Brown the pork on both sides and place on the peppers and onions. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup water and pour over the pork.
- Pour the Tomatillo Salsa over the top of the pork. Add the chipotle powder next and top with the small can of salsa verde.
- Cover the slow cooker, turn on and set the timer for six hours.
- After six hours, it should look and smell delicious.
- Remove the pork with tongs and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, simply pull the pork apart against the grain.
For the Chipotle Lime Salad Dressing
- Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together. If you would like to emulsify with an immersion blender, that works too.
For the Salad
- In individual bowls, add the arugula and about a tablespoon of the dressing. Mix well.
- Add on some shredded pork and the other toppings as you would like. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
Please keep in mind that the calorie count and other nutrition information for this recipe is simply for the slow cooker pork carnitas, not the whole salad.
There are a lot of other wonderful toppings for this salad:
- Sliced black olives
- Mashed or sliced avocados
- Guacamole
- Sauteed Bell Peppers
- Sauteed Onions
- Grilled Corn cut off the cob
If you are adding the pork directly from the slow cooker on the salad, you should expect the arugula to wilt a little. Although it is a hearty green, it doesn't like heat. I let the pork cool on the cutting board for a bit.
Looking for something to do with the stuff left in the slow cooker? Perfect. Go ahead and strain out the cooking liquids from the solids. Pour some of the cooking liquid over the shredded pork to keep it nice and juicy. Add the solids to a blender or immersion blender. Blend. Add in some sour cream, salt and pepper. Taste and enjoy. It's gonna be good!
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 786
PLEASE NOTE: The nutritional data is provided by NutriFox and may not be 100% accurate.
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