One of my son’s favorite books is called Dragons Love Tacos. Tacos are now his favorite food and he requests them weekly for dinner. I like to find different types of tacos to serve, so we don’t get bored eating the same thing week after week. Slow-cooked pork is one of the best taco fillings, and this recipe uses sweet and savory spices and a last-minute broil to yield tender and juicy, slightly crispy, carnitas.
Table Of Contents
Ingredients for This Recipe
- pork loin roast, trimmed of visible fat
- onion
- garlic cloves
- ground cumin
- dried oregano
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- chili powder
- ground cinnamon
- lime juice
- lemon juice
- orange juice
- Flour tortillas, or corn tortillas
- Salsa
- Diced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Find the specific amount of each ingredient in the recipe card below.
Steps to Make
- In a slow cooker, combine the pork and onion.
- In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon. Rub the spice mixture onto the pork.
- Pour the lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice over the pork.
- Cover the cooker and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours.
- Using two forks, shred the pork in the slow cooker.
- Preheat the oven to broil. Line a sheet pan with foil.
- Transfer the shredded pork to the prepared sheet pan and spoon some of the juices over the top. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned and crisp, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Serve in tortillas with bowls of salsa, diced avocado, lime wedges, and cilantro on the side.
Slow-Cooked Carnitas for Tacos
Yield:
Serves 10 to 12
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
7 hours
Total Time:
7 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork loin roast, trimmed of visible fat
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Juice of 1 lime
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- Flour tortillas, or corn tortillas, for serving
- Salsa, for serving
- Diced avocado, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, combine the pork and onion.
- In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon. Rub the spice mixture onto the pork.
- Pour the lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice over the pork.
- Cover the cooker and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours, or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours.
- Using two forks, shred the pork in the slow cooker.
- Preheat the oven to broil. Line a sheet pan with foil.
- Transfer the shredded pork to the prepared sheet pan and spoon some of the juices over the top. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned and crisp, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
- Serve in tortillas with bowls of salsa, diced avocado, lime wedges, and cilantro on the side.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 715mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 26g
