Pork carnitas – Slow cooker pulled pork tacos

Crispy pulled pork with Mexican flavours in a soft tortilla with guac and topping of your choice – sound good? It’s called pork carnitas, and it’s absolutely delicious. These slow cooker pulled pork tacos are easy to make and taste oh so good. A great way to use pulled pork, and a great alternative to the typical minced beef tacos.

Jump to:

• Here is what you need
• How to make slow cooker pulled pork tacos
• What are carnitas?
• How to serve pork carnitas
• The best toppings
• More tasty pork dinners:
• Recipe

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Here is what you need

Great pork tacos require few ingredients and few tools. Sometimes the simple things are the best. Here is everything you need to make pork carnitas:

• A good slow cooker – my favourite kitchen tool!
• A pork joint – I use a leg joint or a shoulder joint
• Taco seasoning. Use a seasoning packet, or homemade seasoning.
• A baking tray.
• Meat thermometer to make sure the pork is safe to eat.

How to make slow cooker pulled pork tacos

Start by making pulled pork. You can find detailed instructions here. Remove the rind and large pieces of fat from your pork joint. Add a splash of water to cover the bottom of your slow cooker, and place te pork on top. Slow cook for 2-8 hours on high, or 4-12 hours on low setting. Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the meat has cooked through. Pork is only safe to eat after it has reached an internal temperature of 70°C / 160°F. Life the pork out of the slow cooker, then use two forks or pulled pork claws to shred the meat into pieces.

Place the slow cooker pulled pork on a baking tray, and cover with taco seasoning. Stir to coat the pork evenly with the spices.

Classic pork carnitas are crispy on the edges. If you want to achieve this, place the pork in the oven at 210°C / 200°C fan oven / 410°F for about 5 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden and crispy. Be careful not to leave the pork for too long, or it might dry out and burn.

You can skip the step of oven baking the pulled pork,and just serve it immediately after coating with spices. Your pork will then be soft and tender instead of crispy.

What are carnitas?

Carnitas is Spanish, and means “small meats”. In general terms it’s small pieces of meat, and it’s traditionally made by cooking meat in lard until it’s fall apart tender. It’s a common Mexican food, and can be used in many ways. This method of frying pulled pork results in crispy and tender meat with a greasy exterior.

This version of carnitas is a lot healthier as we use a slow cooker and no lard, and the result is just as tasty.

How to serve pork carnitas

In this recipe we serve carnitas in wraps as tacos topped with guacamole. You can also eat them as a main dish served with rice, salad or other sides of your preference. Alternatively, add carnitas to quesedillas, in enchiladas, or serve them at a potluck or summer garden party as one of many dishes of meat.

Love tacos? Check out these buffalo chicken tacos!

The best toppings

I love a variety of toppings for my tacos. In Norway tacos usually involve a variety of fresh vegetables, including lettuce, onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, pineapple, sweetcorn, peppers and avocado topped with guacamole, sour cream, tomato salsa and cheese.

Traditional Mexican tacos are very different; they are mainly just meat in wraps with some salsa, onions and avocados, topped with salsa, lime juice and fresh coriander.

With such a variety of items that are considered acceptable to put on a taco, you can choose whatever you prefer. Here are some common toppings you could try:

• Leafy greens: rocket, fresh herbs, lettuce, kale or spinach. It’s refreshing and nice, and a great way to add more veg to your diet.
• Raw vegetables: peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, red or white onions, sweetcorn, olives, avocado, or other veggies you think would taste good.
• Sauces: salsa, soured cream, cheese dip, guacamole, creme fraiche or other tasty sauces.
• Refried beans – tastes great even on top of the pork.
• Mexican rice – or rice in general. This is great if you want a more filling topping.

More tasty pork dinners:

• Beef and pork meatballs
• Perfect pan seared pork loin steaks
• Pork with apple cream sauce

Recipe