Always a family favorite for dinner, these Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos are so easy to make in your Crock-Pot!
Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos
My family loves these tacos. We put them together with low carb tortillas, avocado, green chile salsa, light sour cream, cilantro and red bell pepper. Mango salsa is also a great combination with the pork. Add some juicy slices of watermelon and you’ve got yourself a nice, summery easy Mexican meal made in your slow cooker.
🛒 Ingredients Needed:
- boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder (Boston butt)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- dried oregano
- onion
- avocado
- fresh cilantro
- red bell pepper
- corn or flour tortillas
- green chile salsa
✏️ How to make Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos:
*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Toss the pork in the slow cooker insert with salt, pepper, and oregano to coat. Place the onion pieces on top of the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook the pork on the low setting until the meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a cutting board. Discard the onion pieces. Using your (clean) fingers (or two forks), shred the pork; transfer the carnitas to a platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside.
- Wrap corn or flour tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and green salsa.
➡️ Tips and Substitutions:
- I’ve left the pork in the slow cooker for up to 10 hours, and it’s been perfect (so don’t worry too much about perfect timing).
- I don’t really notice a difference between making these with the boneless pork country ribs vs. the pork shoulder. The result is the same!
- You can certainly serve these slow cooked carnitas tacos with any condiments that you like. We love to serve them with pico de gallo and guacamole.
✔️ Make Ahead Tip:
You can definitely cook the pork, shred it, and save it to make tacos later. If the pork seems dried out at all, just add a little water to it before re-heating. Re-heat in the microwave, or put the pork under the broiler for a bit to create some crusty pieces!
❤️ What I Love About This Recipe:
- It’s a fix-it-and-forget-it kind of recipe that can cook all day while you’re doing other things.
- I love that you can set out the fixings and let everyone make their own tacos.
- It’s a family-friendly meal.
If you’re looking for more great recipes for tacos, you might also enjoy Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Tacos, Pineapple Chipotle Chicken Tacos and Broiled Fish Tacos.
Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless country style pork ribs or pork shoulder (Boston Butt), cut into 1½ inch pieces and trim some of the fat off and discard
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
- ½ large onion, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 large avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
- fresh cilantro
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 8 medium tortillas (corn or flour)
- 1 cup green chile salsa
Instructions
- Toss the pork in the bowl of a slow cooker with salt, pepper, and oregano to coat. Place the onion pieces on top of the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook the pork on a low setting until the meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours (I've left it up to 10 hours, and it's been perfect either way).
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a cutting board. Discard the onion pieces. Using clean fingers (or two forks), shred the pork; transfer the carnitas to a platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside.
- Wrap corn or flour tortillas in a damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve the carnitas with warm tortillas and green salsa.
Notes
- If you need to prepare this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, just be sure to use a GF corn tortilla instead of flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family and I decided to try carnitas tacos for the first time and we were pleasantly surprised! I will definitely be making these tacos again
The meat doesn’t burn with no liquid in the crock pot?! I wanted to make this tomorrow and my husband doesn’t believe me when I tell him it doesn’t call for any sort of liquid in with the meat. Help?!
Recipe is just fine, as is!
Just and FYI – this is posted on doctoroz.com and you weren’t given credit.
Hi Judy- thank you so much, but this is a recipe that I shared from Bon Appetit so it is definitely not one of my originals!
Made this tonight – awesome! I served it with steamed and shredded green cabbage – yummy! Thanks for the recipe
Don’t you need to add liquid to the crock pot?
No liquid is needed.
DO YOU ADD ANY WATER OR SAUCE TO THE CROCKPOT? WILL THE MEAT BURN IF YOU DON’T? I’VE NEVER USED ONE BEFORE.
No, no water is needed… -Lori
I was so happy to see this recipe on line. I do not know where I placed the Bon Appetit magazine and I have been craving this dinner for weeks. It really is a great recipe and so easy to perfect!