Description
Delicious and tender Crockpot Carnitas, perfect for tacos, burritos, or over rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 – 4 lbs lamb shoulder or beef roast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Prep the Meat: Pat your meat dry and rub it all over with olive oil. This helps the spices adhere and boosts the browning later on.
- Mix the Seasonings: In a small bowl, combine the cumin, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Rub this spice blend generously over the entire roast.
- Set Up the Crockpot: Place the chopped onion and garlic at the bottom of the Crockpot. Lay the seasoned meat on top. Squeeze in the fresh orange and lime juice, pour in the chicken broth, and tuck in the bay leaves.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 8–10 hours or on high for 5–6 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and falling apart.
- Shred and Broil: Remove the meat and shred it with two forks. Preheat your broiler. Spread the shredded carnitas on a baking sheet and ladle a bit of the cooking juice over the top. Broil for 5–8 minutes, turning once, until the edges crisp up and turn golden.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve your Crockpot Carnitas on warm tortillas with diced onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and maybe a little salsa verde. Or pile it over rice, tuck it into burritos, or even stuff it into lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
Notes
- This recipe works well with both lamb and beef.
- Adjust cooking times based on the size of the roast.
- Use leftover carnitas in various dishes to minimize waste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 100mg