Order Meals
Home > Recipes > Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Carnitas
Author:

Kevin Curry

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Carnitas

Want to save this recipe?

I got you! Just enter your email address, and I'll forward it to your inbox! Plus, you'll receive a bonus of healthful, "must-try" recipes each week!

Pork has been a favorite dish for our species since the dawn of time. Even cavemen appreciated the fatty, delicious rewards of hunting down a hog and roasting it over a campfire. That being said, there are many ways to prepare pork that you might not have considered.

Before using your pork to make yet another dish of traditional pork chops, maybe give our pulled pork carnitas recipe a try. You won’t regret giving this dish a go since it’s both delicious and nutritious thanks to the diverse ingredient list.

While a crockpot or instant pot would probably work for this recipe using a slow cooker is ideal to ensure that you really get all of the flavors out of your ingredients. We know that not many people are fond of slow cook recipes due to the prep time but it’s certainly worth it in the end.

Start by getting one and a half pounds of lean pork sirloin — or more if you want to cook for the entire family reunion. You’ll also need a tablespoon of olive oil, fresh lime to taste, and fresh cilantro to taste.

For the seasonings, grab a tablespoon of sea salt, pinches of pepper, a thinly sliced garlic clove, half a tablespoon of cumin, half a tablespoon of ground thyme, half a cup of chopped red onions, and the juice from one red grapefruit.

Some people also like to get their oranges juiced then add it into the recipe for a tangy sub taste but that all comes down to preference. Now that you have your ingredients, stick your pork sirloin into the slow cooker then add your fresh grapefruit juice and seasonings.

Set the cooker to low and leave it for six to eight hours. If you’re in a rush then set it on high for three to four hours but the taste may be a bit dulled if you do so. Once it’s done cooking, take your pork out of the slow cooker then put them in a bowl and shred with a fork.

Add olive oil to a nonstick skillet then set it to medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, toss in your pulled pork and wait for the edges to get crispy (but make sure it doesn’t burn.) Stir and flip the pork with a wooden spoon or spatula in your skillet for six to eight minutes in total.

When you see the edges get crispy, pour in all the leftover broth from your slow cooker then reduce the heat of the skillet as your stir your pork. Take your pork away from the heat and garnish with the fresh cilantro and lime.

Voila, you have pulled pork that you can enjoy with any dish, even tacos!

Show full recipe

Hide

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Carnitas

Ingredients

* Optional Substitution Note
  • 1 1/2 lb lean pork sirloin
  • Seasonings:
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt
    • pinches of pepper (to desired satisfaction)
    • 1 garlic clove (thinkly sliced)
    • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
    • 1/2 tablespoon fresh or ground thyme
    • juice from 1 red grapefruit
    • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • fresh lime to taste
  • fresh cilantro to taste

Steps

Step 1

Add lean pork sirloin to a slow cooker and add the seasonings and fresh grapefruit juice. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Step 2

Once the cooking cycle has ended, remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a bowl. Easily shred the pork using forks.

Step 3

Set a nonstick skillet on medium high heat and add olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, toss in the pulled pork and begin to cook. Allow the edges of the pork to get crispy but be careful not to let it burn. Stir and flip the pork in the skillet using a spatula or wooden spoon for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 4

Once the edges are crispy, pour in the leftover broth from the slow cooker and reduce the heat of the skillet and stir the pork.

Step 5

Remove the pork from the heat and garnish with fresh lime and cilantro to taste.

Step 6

Enjoy the pulled pork anyway you want, but again, you can never go wrong with tacos! I used corn tortillas, fresh purple cabbage, pico de gallo and goat cheese crumble for my tacos.

Approximate macros for one of six 4oz servings of pulled pork (meat ONLY)

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Carnitas

Kevin Curry



Category
Calories 159


  • 1 1/2 lb lean pork sirloin
  • Seasonings:
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt
    • pinches of pepper (to desired satisfaction)
    • 1 garlic clove (thinkly sliced)
    • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
    • 1/2 tablespoon fresh or ground thyme
    • juice from 1 red grapefruit
    • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • fresh lime to taste
  • fresh cilantro to taste

  1. Add lean pork sirloin to a slow cooker and add the seasonings and fresh grapefruit juice. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

  2. Once the cooking cycle has ended, remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a bowl. Easily shred the pork using forks.

  3. Set a nonstick skillet on medium high heat and add olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, toss in the pulled pork and begin to cook. Allow the edges of the pork to get crispy but be careful not to let it burn. Stir and flip the pork in the skillet using a spatula or wooden spoon for about 6 to 8 minutes.

  4. Once the edges are crispy, pour in the leftover broth from the slow cooker and reduce the heat of the skillet and stir the pork.

  5. Remove the pork from the heat and garnish with fresh lime and cilantro to taste.

  6. Enjoy the pulled pork anyway you want, but again, you can never go wrong with tacos! I used corn tortillas, fresh purple cabbage, pico de gallo and goat cheese crumble for my tacos.



Nutrition per serving

Calories159cal
Protein26g
Fats5g
Carbs1g
0
(Based on 0 reviews)

Reviews

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate the recipe:

Details

Nutrition per serving

Calories159cal
Protein26g
Fats5g
Carbs1g
About Kevin - author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hey, I'm Kevin

My name is Kevin. My life changed when I realized that healthy living is a lifelong journey, mainly won by having a well-balanced diet and maintaining an active lifestyle.

By experimenting in the kitchen and sharing my meals on Tumblr, I learned healthy eating is not boring! By making a few adjustments to my favorite foods, I could design a diet that could help me achieve my wellness goals while satisfying my desire for BANGIN food! 😅 Now I try to help people around the world realize that same level of freedom in eating regardless of budget. Welcome, let's #DemocratizeWellness together!