Slow Cooker Carnitas

Simple and delicious, this healthier take on Slow Cooker Carnitas is sure to be a new addition to your dinner recipe rotation!

Lately, I’ve been getting back into using my slow cooker. It has been pretty hot in SoCal, so I’m just unmotivated to turn on the oven or stove.

I’m not sure why I don’t use my slow cooker more often! It’s such a time saver and pretty much fool proof. And though I do love a good soup in the slow cooker, I think my favorite use is to cook a large piece of meat to use in various recipes throughout the week.

This Slow Cooker Carnitas recipe is my new favorite recipe for this kind of prep! The meat comes out tender and packed full of smoky citrus flavor.

HOW DO YOU MAKE SLOW COOKER CARNITAS?

You guys, this might be one of the easiest recipes on my site! It’s the definition of a set-it-and-forget-it recipe.

The hardest part is chopping your vegetables and juicing the oranges. Other than that, you just throw everything into your slow cooker and let the magic happen.

I like to use a pork loin to cut back on the saturated fat of regular carnitas, with is usually made with a fattier cut of pork, like shoulder. This cuts back on the fat/calories/points by about half!

Pork loin is extra lean and tends to dry out, but since we’re cooking it in a flavorful liquid, this comes out perfectly tender.

Many traditional carnitas recipes also direct you to fry the meat after it has cooked, which gives it the signature crunchy bits. I’ve found that I can get a similar texture by just crisping the pork up in a skillet coated with cooking spray.

This step is totally optional. The meat has great texture without the crispy bits, so feel free to skip the skillet if you’re in a rush.

I do think it adds something special, though, especially if you want to mimic traditional carnitas tacos.

Don’t forget to mix in some of the cooking juices so the pork doesn’t dry out.

What can i do with the leftovers?

This makes A LOT of meat, so you’ll definitely have tons of leftovers, unless you’re making this for a crowd. Since I’m only cooking for me and Jeff, I get creative with how to serve this.

First of all, it freezes beautifully. I’ve kept leftovers in my freezer for up to three months. I freeze it in 4-serving portions so I can get two meals out of it when I reheat.

Of course, you can use the meat all throughout the week in many ways. Of course, you’ve gotta make tacos! We also like to eat it plain with a side of beans and rice pilaf. But here are some other ideas:

• Cubano Sandwiches
• Hawaiian Pizza
• Taquitos
• Nachos
• Add some leftovers to One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese
• Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The list goes on! Let me know in the comments how you use up the leftovers!

I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! Leaving a starred review and comment below helps my blog grow. I’m always grateful when you can take the time to do that!

It also makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!