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–+ servings
Carnitas made so full of flavor and so simple to make in a slow cooker or crock pot. Coca cola, orange juice, onion and spices flavor our pork shoulder or butt. YUM!
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4.67 from 6 votes

Carnitas

Juicy and crispy pulled pork goes perfect in so many meals!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Course: Main Course
Servings: 8 people
Calories:

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb pork shoulder or butt
  • 1 can Coca Cola or similar soda (equivalent to 1 ½ Cups)
  • ¼ C orange juice
  • 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoon canola oil

Instructions

  • Place pork shoulder/butt in crockpot. You can remove the fat if you'd like, but I like to keep it on to add extra flavor and then remove after cooking. It's also easier this way. (See instructions above for searing meat before using the slow cooker.)
  • Pour Coca Cola and orange juice over pork. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add onion.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
  • When finished cooking, remove from crockpot and shred with 2 forks, removing bones and large pieces of fat. Do not return meat to crockpot.
  • Heat a skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium heat and add 2 tablespoon canola oil. Working in batches, fry the meat in the skillet until edges begin to get slightly crisp. You just want a bit of crisp edges to intensify the flavors, don't over cook.