My kids are in school now, which means I have quiet, productive mornings and crazy busy evenings. Getting meals cooked and ready in the midst of all that craziness can be tricky. Enter my trusty crockpot. I can put all the ingredients in the pot in the morning, and be ready for family dinners in the evening. This is my newest experiment with crockpot dinners, and I think it was a huge success. These crockpot carnitas are a fun spin on taco Tuesday, and you won’t have to put in any extra effort cooking. The ingredients are affordable too, which is always a bonus in my book.
Jump to RecipeEASY CROCKPOT CARNITAS
LOCATING THE SMITHFIELD PORK TENDERLOINS AT THE STORE
Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.
You can use any pork tenderloin for this recipe, but I like getting the Smithfield marinated tenderloins because they have additional flavor and spices built right in. That saves me time when I am prepping the pork to go into the crockpot. You can find the Smithfield pork products in the meat case with the other cuts of pork — they come in roasts, loin filets, and tenderloins. Check your areas for local stores, but you can find them at most Kroger stores.
SERVING THE CARNITAS
I served my carnitas in blackened tortillas that are so simple to make. If you have an electric stove, heat the tortillas, one at a time, in a non-stick pan. If you have a gas stove, hold them with tongs and place them over the fire from your burner. Place them in a tortilla warmer or on a plate covered with a pot lid until it is time to eat. If you have leftovers, the carnita meat is also good on top of nacho chips, mixed in soups, or served over rice.
I also made a quick fresh pico de gallo using onion, tomato, jalapeno, lime juice, garlic, and salt. You could add some cilantro into your pico, but I am one of those weirdos who think cilantro tastes like soap. The tacos don’t really need anything other than the pico, but you can add your favorite taco toppings if you would like.
My husband and daughter really loved this recipe, but it was a bit too spicy for my son. If you or your family are sensitive to spiciness, you can cut down on the amount of chipotle in adobo you add in. Just don’t eliminate it completely because it adds such delicious flavor to the pork.
HOW TO MAKE CARNITAS IN YOUR CROCKPOT
Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.
Watch this short video to see how I cooked up the delicious carnitas using Smithfield Slow Roasted Golden Rotisserie Marinated Fresh Pork Tenderloin. Don’t forget to pop over and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos like this! I have an entire playlist of delicious and easy recipes that I am sure you will love.
Crock Pot Carnitas
Print PinIngredients
- Smithfield Marinated Slow Roasted Golden Rotisserie Pork Tenderloin
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 1/2 cup chipotle in adobo chopped
- 2 T. garlic powder
- 1/2 T. cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of one lime
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours.
- Shred the pork and return to the crockpot for another hour.
- Spread the meat on a baking sheet, leaving the juices in the crockpot. Bake in a 500-degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Return the crockpot to keep warm.Serve in tortillas, over chips, or over rice.
Laura / Pet Scribbles says
Love that you can make this in a crock pot! Thanks for the recipe, as your pictures make it look SOOOOO goood!
Maryann @ Domestically Speaking says
My family would love this!
linda smith says
We love Smithfield…and we also love anything in the crockpot! So this is a winner!
Amy Anderson says
I’m in! Looks like such an easy and tasty recipe!
Melanie says
I am always looking for new slow cooker recipes!
Mary Beth says
This looks delicious! I love to make crockpot meals and I know my family would really enjoy this.
Heather Luckhurst says
My boys will love this – yum!