Recipe

You Can Make These Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas in Your Dorm Room

By Cassandra Bauer at Drake University

What are carnitas? It's kind of like a taco, but better (especially when you add pickled red onions). This slow cooker pork carnitas recipe has been tweaked a bit to make it easier to make in your dorm, so you can just chop up some ingredients and stick it in your slow cooker to sit while you're in class, and then come home to your room filled with the smells of citrus and pork. It's only been a week since I made these and I'm still drooling just thinking about them. 

Pork Carnitas with Pickled Red Onion

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 4 hrs
  • Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins
  • Servings: 6
Ingredients
  • 1/2 large red onion
  • 1 1/3 cups orange juice divided
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 lbs boneless pork loin
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cumin

Cassandra Bauer

Step 1

Cut pork into small chunks, discarding any big pieces of fat or connective tissue. Coat the pork in cumin, salt, and pepper

Step 2

Drop all chopped pork into a slow cooker.

Step 3

Pour the orange juice, chicken broth, and vegetable oil into the slow cooker as well.

Step 4

Let the pork cook while 2/3 submerged under the liquids for 2 hours on high.

Step 5

Chop red onions in thin slices.

Step 6

Drop chopped red onions into a mason jar, pour the remaining orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice over top. Also add sugar and salt.

Step 7

Replace the cover of the mason jar and tighten it, then shake up the jar.

Step 8

Chill the red onion mixture in the fridge while you wait for the pork to cook.

Step 9

Uncover your slow cooker and add in chopped yellow onion and garlic, stirring between each. Recover the pork in the crock pot and cook for another 1-2 hours.

Step 10

Serve your pork carnitas in corn or flour tortillas topped with pickled red onions.