Pork Carnitas Street Tacos
If you're looking for a delicious and easy-to-make Mexican dish, look no further than carnitas tacos! These street tacos are made with crispy slow cooker pork carnitas, topped with onions and cilantro, and they're perfect for serving at parties or as a main course. Plus, they're really easy to make - anyone can do it!
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 556kcal
Ingredients
Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
- 4 lbs pork shoulder
- Juice of 3 oranges
- Juice of 2 limes
- Zest of one orange
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 yellow onion quartered
- 5 cloves garlic smashed (or one whole head, halved, if you love garlic)
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Taco Toppings
- Warmed corn tortillas
- Sliced or chopped red onion
- Fresh cilantro Coriander leaves
- Salsa verde
- Taquera salsa
- Cotija cheese or queso fresco
- Sour cream or lime crema
- Lime wedges for squeezing
Instructions
To Make Carnitas in the Slow Cooker
- Cut pork shoulder (also called boston butt or pork butt) into 6 large pieces for faster cooking. If you want it to cook for 8 hours, leave it whole.
- Place the pork into the slow cooker, then add all of the other ingredients in. Slow cook for 8 hours on low or 6 hours on high. The pork will be tender enough to shred with a fork when it's ready.
- Use tongs to remove the pork from the slow cooker, then shred the meat on a cutting board using two forks. Place all of the shredded pork onto a rimmed baking sheet in a thin layer.
- Set your broiler on high. Use a ladle to spoon out some of the liquid from the slow cooker and pour it over the pork. Toss the meat in the fat and juices until all the pork is covered, then place the baking sheet under the broiler for five minutes.
- After five minutes, carefully pull the baking sheet out, toss the shredded meat again to expose the non-crispy pork that was at the bottom to the top, and place in the oven for another 3-5 minutes until crispy yet again.
To Make Crispy Carnitas Street Tacos
- Place the hot, crispy pulled pork into two warmed corn tortillas. Top the tacos with an array of different delicious foods. The classic street taco is simple with onions and cilantro, and jazzed up with salsas.
Notes
HOW TO STORE, FREEZE, AND REHEAT LEFTOVER CARNITAS
This pork roast makes a LOT of meals. It's perfect for a big family get together, a festive party, or for freezer meal prep. Store the carnitas meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the oven at 325 degrees F or in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl or plate until hot. You can also freeze the pork in freezer-safe bag or sous vide bags (like the ones from Foodsaver). Freeze them as flat as you can, not only does this help freeze them more quickly and help them thaw quicker as well but you safe serious freezer space!Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 750mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g