Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos
480 min · serves 8
Per serving (est.): ~412 cal · 34g protein · 27g carbs · 20g fat
4g fiber · 4g sugar · 6g sat fat · 680mg sodium
estimated — not dietary or medical advice; check labels for exact values
Ingredients
/
serves
- 3 to 4 lb pork shoulder (boneless)3 1/2 lb pork shoulder, cut into chunks
- a couple big pinches of salt (about 2 tsp)2 tsp kosher salt
- a generous spoonful of cumin (1 tbsp)1 tbsp ground cumin
- a spoonful of dried oregano (2 tsp)2 tsp dried oregano
- a spoonful of smoked paprika (2 tsp)2 tsp smoked paprika
- a few grinds of black pepper (1 tsp)1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion, quartered1 yellow onion, quartered
- 5 cloves of garlic, smashed5 garlics, smashed
- 2 bay leaves2 bay leafs
- juice of 2 oranges (about 3/4 cup)3/4 cup orange juice
- juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)1/4 cup lime juice
- 16 small corn tortillas16 corn tortillas
- a big handful of cilantro, chopped1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 2 limes, cut into wedges2 limes, cut into wedges
Steps
- Trim the thick fat from the pork shoulder and cut it into large chunks. Toss the pieces with the salt, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and black pepper until coated.
- Add the pork to the slow cooker. Tuck the onion quarters, smashed garlic, and bay leaves around it, then pour in the orange juice and lime juice.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 to 5), until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Move the pork to a bowl and pull it into coarse shreds with two forks. Skim the fat off the cooking liquid and set aside about 1 cup of the liquid.
- Spread the shredded pork on a sheet pan and spoon a little of the reserved liquid over it. Broil 6 inches from high heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges crisp. Toss once and broil a few minutes more for extra crunch.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, until soft.
- Fill each tortilla with the crisped pork. Top with chopped onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve right away.
Get the ingredients on Instacart
Opens Instacart.