Description
Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Beef) is a flavorful and satisfying dish that brings the essence of Mexican cuisine straight to your table. This recipe transforms a beef shoulder into tender, juicy meat through slow cooking, allowing spices and citrus to infuse deep flavors. With its versatility, you can serve these carnitas in tacos, burritos, or even as a hearty topping for nachos. To elevate the experience, pan-frying the shredded beef adds a delightful crispiness that contrasts beautifully with the tender texture. Perfect for gatherings or casual family dinners, this dish is sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 kg beef shoulder (skinless, boneless)
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 jalapeño (deseeded and chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3/4 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the beef shoulder, then rub all over with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl, mix dried oregano and ground cumin. Rub this seasoning over the beef.
- Place the seasoned beef in a slow cooker with the fat cap facing up. Top with onion, jalapeño, garlic, and squeeze orange juice over it.
- Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 7 hours until tender enough to shred.
- Remove the beef from the slow cooker, let cool slightly, then shred with forks.
- Optionally skim off excess fat from cooking juices.
- If needed, reduce remaining liquid to about 2 cups to use as seasoning.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Category: Main
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe (approximately 250g)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 120mg