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Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas

July 6, 2010 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 21 Comments

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slow cooker mexican carnitas

Simple. Fuss-free. Tasty.

(The only thing I wish I’d done before serving these was toast the tortillas in a hot skillet…just 30 seconds per side…give them a little flavor boost.)

I have been waiting to make these since the beginning of March! Rather, these have been waiting for me to make them since the beginning of March!!!

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Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas

Simple. Fuss-free. Tasty.
Prep Time10 minutes minutes
Cook Time8 hours hours
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp 1 teaspoon ground cumin ($.05)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • Salsa, diced avocado, or sour cream garnish
  • corn cobs side dish

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, toss the pork cubes in the oil and ground cumin. Season with a few dashes of salt and pepper.
  • Place in the base of the slow cooker. Add the garlic, lime juice, and water.
  • Set on low and cook for 8 hours.
  • Remove, let cool slightly, then shred with 2 forks.
  • (Toast the corn tortillas in a warm skillet.)
  • Boil corn cobs and serve as a side item.
  • Spoon the carnitas meat over the corn tortilla and top with salsa, diced avocado, and/or sour cream.
  • Devour.
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Filed Under: Budget Friendly Recipes, Dairy Free Meal Ideas, Gluten Free Recipes, Pork Recipes, Slow Cooker Recipes Tagged With: avocado

Comments

  1. Sarah D says

    July 6, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    In your recipe you list corn cobs (.80) but then I don’t see where you use it in the recipe. Am I missing something?

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      July 6, 2010 at 5:51 pm

      @Sarah D,

      Sorry! They were a side item. 🙂

      Reply
      • Shannat says

        January 29, 2013 at 5:18 am

        I doubt people would rmebmeer the exact date they served a Mexican Food that’s not really eaten in Mexico. It’s a good ploy to get a buzz around your restaurant though.I love Wikipedia and trust it for most subjects. Burritos are not one of them. The fact that nearly all important events on the Burrito Timeline entry take place in SF and not anywhere near the border hints towards the inaccuracy.It’s unlikely that folks who were chomping down on burritos before 9/26/61 would write a Wikipedia entry about it. Wikipedia’s source for El Faro being the first SF Super/burrito is a 1993 SF Weekly article. Not exactly an infoulable bible. The author probably just read the sign posted outside the restaurant.

        Reply
  2. LisaE says

    July 6, 2010 at 9:17 pm

    These look great. I use cumin a lot in my cooking and lately we have been eatng tortillas and such….this recipe will fit right in with my family!

    Reply
  3. Heather says

    July 7, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to make it.

    Reply
  4. Katie says

    July 7, 2010 at 5:13 pm

    This looks really easy and delicious. I’m printing it now!

    Reply
  5. Mandy says

    July 7, 2010 at 11:50 pm

    My daughter loves Mexican food and I might even get my son to try this. It looks great and I love recipes that cook themselves.

    Looking forward to meeting you at Savvy Blogging Summit. Like the option of entering my Twitter name – is that a plugin?

    Reply
  6. Rachel says

    July 8, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    I make similar but more traditional Carnita recipe. Its just pork butt or a shoulder roast, a little garlic and a little oregano. I leave the fat on and cook it in my slow cooker all day. Its so easy and so good!

    I love your site by the way!!

    Reply
  7. Camille says

    July 9, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    Looks delicious! I love cumin! Especially in these types of meals.

    I wanted to add that frying the tortillas in a pan/skillet seems to help keep them from breaking apart as you eat them, I’ve noticed, something about heating them up makes them less fragile. 🙂

    Reply
  8. cheryl says

    July 11, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    LOVE carnitas; while in San Diego I was given a similar recipe but was also told to put in 1/4c of orange juice which helps add a kick. Then limes were served on the side.

    Reply
  9. april says

    November 8, 2010 at 9:55 am

    sounds great I need recipes that I can plug and go.

    Reply
  10. Lauren says

    August 12, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    Just threw this in the crock pot! Excited to see how they turn out. I got pork carnitas from Winco for $1.68 a pound. They were the same price as the pork loin.

    Reply
  11. Christine says

    January 10, 2012 at 9:03 am

    Would pork strips (like for fajitas) work ok? I have those in the freezer and need to use them up.

    Reply
  12. david carlson says

    March 11, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    50 cents for avocado, sour cream and salsa? On sale an Avocado here costs a dollar by itself

    Reply
    • jessica mccloud says

      March 12, 2012 at 1:59 pm

      david, i was thinking the same thing as I read this! cheapest i ever find avocados is .99, and since it’s not an item you can only use some of and save the rest, like the sour cream and salsa, seems very unfair to price it out at anything less than the cost of the entire avocado.

      Reply
  13. david carlson says

    March 11, 2012 at 8:04 pm

    Traditionally you use pork butt for this meal – good amounts of fat. I also like to broil the carnitas after they are done cooking — mix with a little oil, then put on a foil lined pan and crisp under the broiler.

    Reply
  14. DavetteB says

    April 9, 2012 at 12:35 am

    Wish I could find pork for your price; the best deal I can get is when Carr’s/Safeway them buy-one-get-one-free.
    Carnitas is my favorite Mexican food :o)

    Reply
  15. Barbara says

    March 10, 2013 at 8:41 pm

    After it cooked in the Slow Cooker, Take it out and put it in a large Dutch Oven… and cook the Meat till it crisps up.. Perfect Carnita’s.

    Reply
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Trackbacks

  1. Trying Out A Meal Plan… | Preserving Pennies says:
    March 5, 2012 at 5:19 am

    […] Monday- Mexican Carnitas […]

    Reply
  2. 6 Simple Ways to Save Money with a Slow Cooker | MoneyFeed says:
    May 19, 2016 at 6:23 am

    […] of my favorites from her site are Mexican carnitas (which makes four servings — can you say leftovers?), slow cooker beef and vegetable soup and […]

    Reply

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