Beef Carnitas in the Slow Cooker Recipe
With only 15 minutes of prep time, beef carnitas are perfect for a weeknight meal or if you need to feed a crowd. Cooked in a slow cooker for the most tender delicious beef. Try it alone or make shredded beef tacos topped with pineapple mango salsa.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 small onion (or 1 cup diced onion)
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- corn or flour tortillas
Instructions
- For the sauce, add garlic, peppers, onions, adobo sauce, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, oregano and cloves in the food processor and blend until combined. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add oil. Once hot, add meat and sear on each side for about 2 minutes.
- Place seared meat over sauce in slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until beef falls apart.
- Remove and shred with a fork. Place in tortillas and add toppings.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- If you want your carnitas to have a crispy top to them, you can place the shredded beef onto a jelly roll pan, scoop up a cup of juice left in the slow cooker and pour it over the carnitas and turn your broiler onto high for 5 minutes or so while the carnitas get a nice crunchy top from the juice.
- Corn tortillas are a traditional way to enjoy the carnitas but no one will be the wiser if you prefer flour.
- Shredded beef freezes well and can be enjoyed another time.
Nutrition
Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 1681mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 5mg