Fall can be a chaotic time with school in full swing along with everything else—sports, dance, church, business trips, back to school nights. You name it, it’s begun. What happened to my carefree summer when dinners were at dusk and kids lingered in their swimsuits with wet hair and popsicle stained faces?(sigh). Let this recipe and your slow-cooker become your new best friend during this busy season. I always try for some semblance of dinner even if the house is a revolving door. These carnitas tacos are big on flavor and low on effort. Your family can grab their favorite fixins’ and enjoy this tasty versatile meal. The best part—leftovers. You can use leftover carnitas to make chili, quesadillas, salads, or wraps. The possibilities are endless. Or simply freeze the leftovers for another meal.

Back To School—Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Author: Tonja Engen

Scale

Ingredients

For The Carnitas:
4–5 pound pork shoulder
2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbls. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbls. ground cumin
1 Tbls. dried oregano
2 Tbls. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 onion, chopped
For Assembly:
tortillas
red onion
queso fresco (shredded)
sour cream
guacamole
radishes, sliced
cilantro, minced

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine oil, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, red pepper, and garlic, to make a paste. Rub paste liberally over the pork shoulder.
Place, bay leaves, lime juice, orange juice, onion, and seasoned pork shoulder into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
Remove pork shoulder from the slow cooker and shred the meat before returning to the slow cooker with the juices. Season again with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
If you would like the carnitas crispy, preheat oven to broil. Place carnitas onto a baking sheet and broil until crisp and crusted, about 3-4 minutes.
Serve immediately.