This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Acorn Influence, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
Yummy and Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos is a fun and festive recipe for Cinco de Mayo or the perfect everyday meal solution using TortillaLand® uncooked flour tortillas from @Costco! #ad #GoTortillaLand
I have always loved using my slow cooker for quick and easy family meals. Living in the south, it is HOT and HUMID most of the year, so it is very convenient to utilize the slow cooker for cooking dinner. That way I don’t have to either A. Stand in front of a hot stove or B. Heat up the whole house even more by cranking up the oven. Add to those reasons, I now have a three month old in the house which means sleep deprivation and utter exhaustion!! Now I absolutely NEED simple meals for my family to keep my sanity… cue my new love —> Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos 😉
Carnitas or “little meats” is a traditionally a Mexican dish made by braising or simmering large pieces of pork in lard until tender and juicy. Then the heat is turned up so the edges of the pork get a bit crispy and caramelized. These are the basis of a lot of the Mexican Street Tacos from food trucks that are so trendy right now. I wanted to try to recreate that taste at home but the total cooking time usually takes 3-4 hours on the stove and I certainly don’t have the time or patience for that. I thought why not try to achieve a similar but healthier and way easier result in my good buddy, Mr. Slow Cooker 🙂
To really achieve that authentic Mexican flavor in our Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos, you need a high quality and fresh tortilla. I have found tortillas that fit the bill with TortillaLand® uncooked flour tortillas! I picked up these gems at my last shopping trip to Costco in the refrigerated section. Click HERE to find a Costco club near you that carries TortillaLand® tortillas. You can also save some money and earn $3.50 when you purchase TortillaLand® corn and flour tortillas with the free Ibotta app.
A quick look at the label on these TortillaLand® uncooked flour tortillas and I found that they are made with only 5 simple ingredients – wheat flour, water, canola oil, salt and sugar – and they cook in only 60 seconds. I had never used uncooked tortillas but now I am a convert! It was so quick and easy to take the step of cooking the tortillas!! The freshness of the tortillas is unbeatable and I loved getting the little crispy edges taking my carnitas to the next level!
I made a double batch of these Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos because I was feeding a crowd! I actually had two slow cookers jammed packed with a HUGE pork shoulder that I picked up at Costco too! It was just a great value and I was able to feed everyone without cleaning out my wallet in the process. It was a busy weekend and I wanted to treat my family, my parents, my sister’s family and her in-laws that were in town to help them with some home renovations so that they can get there house on the market. My sister has 7 month old twin boys and they have outgrown their little house and need something bigger for their growing family.
One of the key components to get great flavor in my Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos is the sweet and spicy rub that I coated the pork shoulder with before cooking. It is a yummy combination of brown sugar, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ancho chili powder and chipotle chili powder.
And we are keeping our carnitas nice and juicy by letting them take a bath in a tasty combination of beer, orange juice, liquid smoke and tomato paste while slow cooking!
You will want to have a variety of fresh and yummy toppings for your crowd to choose from! I offered cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, tomatoes, black beans and fresh lime wedges (to squeeze on top). I also had some sour cream and shredded Mexican cheese for those that wanted those options as well.
I can’t wait to make these yummy and easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos again for our upcoming summer celebrations!! I know they will be a real crowd pleaser 🙂 And… I will be adding them to the everyday dinner rotations and game day line-ups as well!!
Here is your recipe for Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos:
- 4-5 lbs. pork shoulder/pork butt, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 large yellow or red onion, sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 red or green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, sliced
- ½ bottle (6 oz.) of your favorite beer (stock can be substituted if desired)
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tsp. liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 18 to 24 TortillaLand® Flour Tortillas, cooked according to package instructions
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp. ancho chili powder, or to taste
- 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder, or to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Avocado, pitted and chopped
- Fresh jalapeno
- Fresh tomatoes, chopped
- Fresh lime juice
- Black beans (I used canned to keep it easy and then rinsed and drained them)
- Sour cream
- Mexican shredded cheese
- Place a slow cooker liner in the bowl of the slow cooker or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add onion, garlic and bell pepper slices to the bottom of the bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the spice rub and mix to combine.
- Massage the spice rub evenly over all sides of the pork and then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add beer, orange juice, liquid smoke and tomato paste to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours or until the pork literally falls apart and easily shreds with a fork.
- Remove the lid of the slow cooker and shred the pork with a couple of forks, Stir to combine with the juices.
- Leaving the lid off of the slow cooker, turn it up to high and let cook for 20-30 minutes to let all the flavors come together.
- Serve warm wrapped up in freshly cooked TortillaLand® tortillas and the toppings you desire. Enjoy!!
Our friends at TortillaLand® are giving away (15) $25 Costco Gift Cards! Enter using the widget below and good luck!! My fingers are crossed for you 🙂
TortillaLand $25 Costco Cash Card Giveaway
This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Acorn Influence, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
Giveaways
These look absolutely delicious. GREAT weeknight meal. May have to try this recipe this week when we have extracurricular activities. Thank you for sharing!
I have made Carnitas before but never the slow cooker. That would be so much easier than what I do right now. I have to try doing it. This looks so good.
I just made this last week. So easy to make and the taste is out of this world especially when you add all the fresh ingredients. Plus it will feed a crowd.
Those look so tasty! I love cooking meat in the slow cooker because it gets so tender. Tacos are one of my favorite foods too.
yummy! my family would love this! i use my slow cooker all year long
These are perfect for taco tuesday! We love Mexican food in our house, so I know these will be a big hit!!
This recipe looks fantastic, one of my favorites is carnitas . Will definitely try this one .
any meat in the slow cooker makes it so moist and tasty. I know this recipe will be wonderful and also keep warm for a long time.
This is great and so simple! This is definitely going to be a weekly or bi-weekly staple for me. It should be very good for a slow cooker weeknight meal.
Love using my slow cooker but never have for tacos! Great looking tacos I will be trying!
We eat tacos at least once a week. I have never used uncooked flour tortillas before though.
Oh yum how delicious does this sound, I have to admit Pork is most definitely one of my favourite meats and I totally to it this way.
Those tacos are definitely something I want in my belly right now. Love how loaded they are and those tortilla flats look delicious!
Haha I was just at Chipotle explaining to a friend what carnitas is! This recipe is easy but looks oh so tasty. I love using my slow cooker, can’t wait to try this recipe!
Great twist on tacos
WOULD LIKE TO TRY A VEGGIE VERSION OF THIS…MAYBE SLOW COOKED BLACK BEANS?
These look AMAZING! Seriously, I never met a taco I didn’t love – I am definitely making these!
We love having tacos regularly. This recipe sounds so delicious. I would love to try this version.
Tortilla land tortillas are seriously the best! I could eat an embarrassing number of them. The pork carnitas tacos look delicious!
We love this Pork Carnitas Tacos recipe…the only thing we will change is to use whole wheat tortillas instead !!!
These look delicious. Tacos are a staple for dinner in my house.
I love Costco. I shop there a few times a month. The tacos look delicious!
This sounds like a delicious dish. I have a friend who would surely love this.
I love Costco and will be going there tomorrow and pick up the fixins for this recipe.
Thanks for the contest.
These carnitas look great I never made this
Awesome giveaway!
I’m not a huge fan of pork but this sounds great! Your ingredients are a combo I wouldn’t think to try.
These look delicious. I would love to make it and freeze portions for quick meals.
We love shredded pork so this recipe is right up our alley. Sounds delicious and can’t wait to try it. Yes, I agree, those tortillas are hands down the best!
These tacos look so delicious and easy! Love that!
Thanks for the great recipe. My husband loves Carnitas but I have never tried cooking them. I will definitely try making this.
I love slow cooker meals and these look delicious!
It looks tasty!
Yum i can’t wait to try these yummy tacos!
I have never made Carnitas but they look really good and like the idea of using the slow cooker!
This looks yummy! My favorite food is Mexican, especially anything with homemade verde sauce which would be great on this!
Your recipe sounds so good!! I haven’t ever had the opportunity to eat from one of those truck vendors, but would hope to have the chance someday. My husband cannot have too much spice, so I would have to adapt your recipe, but I plan to try it. I like to use my crockpot year round and it’s so wonderful during the hot summer months.
What a great idea for a party food. Can’t wait to try it.
This recipe looks so good. I am going to have to try it!
I love pork carnitas! Will be trying this recipe!
The slow cooker pork tacos look amazing. I’m looking for something I can make for tomorrow, this will be on the menu.
This recipe sounds great
This looks amazing and it is definitely a dish that everyone in my family would love! I can’t wait to try this for my upcoming Memorial Day family party!
This recipe looks great. I always enjoy shopping at Costco.
Yummy recipe. Would love to try!
I love most everything cooked in a slow cooker, but especially pork. So tender.
I am also a convert to the uncooked tortillas. Nothing beats fresh and hot. Just two weeks ago purchased 4 pork loins at Costco and slow cooked them for my Niece and Family. They have started a new business and are so busy. I spent a day cooking various items to fill their freezer with easy meals.
I love carnitas but never tried to make it myself. I will definitely use this recipe
It looks delicious I will definitely have to try this recipe I’m always looking for a great recipe.
That looks amazing. I am going to have to give that a try.
The Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos look absolutely delicious!! I’m going to try them out this weekend!!
Those look delicious. I think I’m going to have to make them this week.
Those pork carnitas look amazing! I wish I could chow them down right this second! Definitely picking up everything I need at Costco today though! Can’t wait. 🙂 (And those are the only tortillas I ever use now! Hands down, so much better than anything else!)
The recipe looks so easy to do. Your photos are so great, the dish looks really delicious! I would want to try it soon!
Sounds delicious! I’m always looking for great slow cooker recipes.
I love using the crockpot for this recipe. I have made it but not in a crockpot.So much better recipe than mine
Wow, I will be saving this link for reference. Soon I will make this too. For the meantime, I will let myself drool over the pictures.
It all looks so good!
This would be great to win! I would like to make this for dinner.
I think the best thing is that it is easy to do and everyone would love it and call me their hero!
That would be a great dinner!
Recipe looks great!
These pork carnitas look delicious! Perfect for a summer dinner party!
I love using tortillas for tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. I haven’t seen the uncooked kind yet, but I’d love to try them out!
I’m a big “FOODIE” and this looks absolutely amazing!
Opening Costco in few months near me. Can not wait
I have never tried pork carnitas before but have seen them on various menus
Mmmm, looks delicious! Everything but the cilantro. 🙂 I’m one of those people who cannot stand the taste.
thanks for sharing!
Mmmm, looks delicious! Everything except the cilantro, I’m one of those people who cannot stand the taste. 🙂
thanks for sharing!
will have to try this this weekend when I have company!
Yum! I love using my slow cooker for meals and trying out new recipes
I love using the slow cooker to have my meals prepared for the family. This looks so delicious.
OOH! These look so yummy 🙂
I’m going to try this. We are big taco eaters in our home. We usually have traditional beef tacos of salmon tacos. This would be a nice change for an old favorite.
Looks awesome!!
I use my slow cooker even more when it gets warm out so I can cook without heating up the house.
Your pictures of the tacos are amazing. It makes me want to cook this recipe tonight! Thanks for the detail instructions.
THESE CROCK POT MEALS ARE EASY AND GOOD TO EAT. THANK YOU FOR THESE GREAT RECIEPES.
This sounds delish. A great idea for another taco
This recipe sounds really good.
This looks tasty–will see if my kids will eat it!
This looks absolutely wonderful!
love tacos!
I love tortilla land fresh tortillas! I can eat them plain, just warmed up on the stove
Hope I win!
Wow. These photos are making me hungry. Need to try this recipe for our Mexican nights.
My family loves carnitas for dinner. Its an easy meal to prepare and it goes a long way to feeding my crew. Tortilla Land are a brand I have not yet tried, so I will give them a shot. Slower cookers are the best, easiest invention for busy moms!
I LOVE COSTCO I LOVE THIER PRICES AND FRESH FRUIT!!
I love shopping at Costco.
Looks good.
This recipe looks delicious. And you never go wrong with TortillaLand tortillas. It tastes so much better than the pre-cooked ones.
Pork Carnitas are my favorite! I throw my oranges in with the meat while it cooks after I squeeze the juice. I like to think it adds more flavor.
I love carnitas tacos and this looks like a really easy and tasty way to make them in the slow cooker. Hoping to try your recipe soon!
My paternal grandparents were from Mexico so I’ve had a lot of Mexican food growing up! Authentic food is the best!
I have never made these but I must say they look delicious! I will be making soon!
The slow cooker pork carnitas recipe looks good. We shop at Costco once a month.
Love these recipes!!! Can’t wait to try!
I have never tried this before, but it looks amazing!! Thank you for sharing.
Looks delicious and easy! Great summer recipe!
I have made pulled pork in the slow cooker and it is delicious.
Awesome recipe. Can’t wait to try.
Good golly these look amazing. I love my slow cooker and can’t wait to try these the next time I make a pork shoulder.
This looks soo good! I love using the slow cooker for everything possible, it makes life so much easier! These look amazing, I can’t wait to try them!
Yummy, I love carnitas!!
Is it taco tuesday yet!?!?! I’m already so ready to take down some carnitas!
Sooooo… when can BB go over for dinner? jehe Living in Florida Babushka can sympathize with the hot and humid statement and look forward to making this. Que Rico!! Gracias & BB2u
This looks delicious! I love Mexican food, can’t wait to try this recipe
Pork carnitas has to be one of my favorite tacos, if not my favorite! These look mouth-watering delicious.
would be nice to see quantity of calories, sugar content for those counting calories and diabetic, thanks.
I understand, Monika. Here is an online calculator that I have used and find to be helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076. Maybe that could work for you? Thanks for reaching out and I hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂