Paleo Slow Cooker Carnitas
I swear I have been meaning to do something with a pork shoulder for six months, and I just now got around to it. Seriously. And I really shouldn’t have waited – this super simple dish couldn’t have been easier, and it was delish to boot! I love that it makes a ton of super versatile meat – you can throw it onto romaine leaves for some gluten-free tacos, toss it into a frittata, or just chow it with some fresh avocado. Check out the recipe after the jump!
Paleo Slow Cooker Carnitas
Quantity: 8-10 servings
Time: 10 minute prep, 6 hours cooking (slow cooker)
Paleo Grade: A
Vegetarian Adaptation: Sorry, guys… this one’s pretty meat-centric!
- 2.5 lb. boneless pork shoulder, some fat trimmed, and then cubed into 1.5″ pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper (several twists)
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 3-4 dried bay leaves
Cubed pork shoulder ready for some spices
- Add the pork, minced garlic, oregano, cumin, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker and stir to coat and distribute.
Minced garlic
- Add the onion quarters and bay leaves, distributing throughout the pork mixture.
Slower cooker goodness ready for the heat.
- Cover and cook on the “Low” setting of your slow cooker for six hours, stirring once during cooking if possible.
- Once the meat is all cooked (and deliciously tender!), use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a plate. Use two forks to shred the meat. All done!
Slow-cooked pork ready for shredding.
The final product... paleo slow cooker carnitas.
I served this with a few slices of fresh avocado and a squeeze of lime to give it some tang. Yum! Even better, I’ve got leftovers for days!
Some delicious carnitas with a couple of slices of avocado!
PaleoBetty 
Just pulled my carnitas out of the vitaclay…delicious! Thanks
Awesome!! 🙂 So glad!
Beautiful photos and great recipe, I can’t wait to try this!
Hope you enjoy them!!
No liquids?
Nope – just that splash of vinegar. The veggies and meat release a lot of liquid as they cook. Hope you like it!
I can’t wait to try this! How big is your slow cooker?
Thanks, Ashleigh! How did it turn out? 🙂 I honestly cannot for the life of me remember how big my slow cooker is. That said, it’s not an oversized one – I think it’s pretty standard. Hope it turned out great!