Good on its own, this healthy pork carnitas from your slow cooker is also the basis for many many other recipes. This healthy slow cooker pork carnitas also make a great freezer meal! Tuck this one away in your freezer for a time when you just don’t feel like cooking, but you really, really feel like eating really really good food!
This recipe was adapted from gimmesomeoven.com.
Servings : 10
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp chipotle chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 2 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin cut into chunks
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil optional, for searing
- 12 oz beer or chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen diced onions
- 1 Tbsp bottled minced garlic
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Instructions
Optional First Step
- Mix first 5 ingredients and rub onto pork. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add pork and sear on all sides.
To Freeze
- To freeze, cut pork into chunks and add to a large freezer bag. Add beer, onion, and garlic. Freeze.
To Cook After Freezing: Slow Cooker
- Add frozen meal to slow cooker. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 6 hours.
- Preheat broiler to high. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. While broiler is preheating, shred meat with two forks. Transfer meat to baking sheets. Arrange half the meat in an even layer on each baking sheet. Reserve juices.
- Broil one pan of meat for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin to brown and turn crispy. Remove the sheet from the oven; ladle about 1/4 cup of the juices over the pork. Toss to coat. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove pan and ladle an additional 1/4 cup juices over meat. Set aside. Repeat with remaining pork.
To Cook Immediately: Slow Cooker
- Add pork to slow cooker along with beer, onion, and garlic. Cook on low 6 hours or on high 4 hours.
- Preheat broiler to high. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. While broiler is preheating, shred meat with two forks. Transfer meat to baking sheets. Arrange half the meat in an even layer on each baking sheet. Reserve juices.
- Broil one pan of meat for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin to brown and turn crispy. Remove the sheet from the oven; ladle about 1/4 cup of the juices over the pork. Toss to coat. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove pan and ladle an additional 1/4 cup juices over meat. Set aside. Repeat with remaining pork.
To Cook Immediately: Instant Pot
- Add pork to instant pot along with beer, onion, and garlic. Lock lid; set valve to sealing. Program for manual-high and 40 min. Allow for natural pressure release.
- Preheat broiler to high. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. While broiler is preheating, shred meat with two forks. Transfer meat to baking sheets. Arrange half the meat in an even layer on each baking sheet. Reserve juices.
- Broil one pan of meat for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin to brown and turn crispy. Remove the sheet from the oven; ladle about 1/4 cup of the juices over the pork. Toss to coat. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove pan and ladle an additional 1/4 cup juices over meat. Set aside. Repeat with remaining pork.
To Cook After Freezing: Instant Pot
- Add frozen meal to Instant Pot. Press sauté. Allow IP to heat long enough for at least 1/2 cup liquid to accumulate in the bottom. Press cancel. Lock lid; set valve to sealing. Program for manual-high and 40 min. Allow for natural pressure release.
- Preheat broiler to high. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. While broiler is preheating, shred meat with two forks. Transfer meat to baking sheets. Arrange half the meat in an even layer on each baking sheet. Reserve juices.
- Broil one pan of meat for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin to brown and turn crispy. Remove the sheet from the oven; ladle about 1/4 cup of the juices over the pork. Toss to coat. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove pan and ladle an additional 1/4 cup juices over meat. Set aside. Repeat with remaining pork.
Notes
Try these on top of homemade tortilla chips for nachos, in tortillas as tacos, with homemade enchilada sauce in enchiladas, in baked sweet potatoes, in eggs, or any other way you can think of! So versatile!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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