Slow Cooker Carnitas from Old El Paso®

Recipe By Old El Paso
Rating
Published Aug 28th
Prep 15m Cook - Additional 4h 15m Ready In 4h 30m
Servings 16 tortillas Calories 554

Using a slow cooker will create a delicious, authentic dish with very little hands-on time.

Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 (1 ounce) package Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (3 pound) boneless pork shoulder
  • 1 (10 ounce) can Old El Paso® red enchilada sauce
  • 1 (4.5 ounce) can Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
  • 16 (6 inch) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream

Cooking Directions

  1. 1 Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray; add onion slices.
  2. 2 In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Sprinkle taco seasoning mix over pork shoulder, pressing to coat. Brown pork in oil on all sides; remove from skillet to slow cooker. Pour enchilada sauce on top of pork.
  3. 3 Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 to 5 hours or until tender. Remove pork from slow cooker; shred meat with fork. Place shredded pork in large bowl. Add chiles, 2 cups of the sauce from slow cooker and the onions; stir well.
  4. 4 Spoon pork mixture onto tortillas. Add toppings. Roll up tortillas.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories 554
  • Carbohydrate 34.1 g
  • Cholesterol 94.5 mg
  • Fat 33.5 g
  • Fiber 2.3 g
  • Protein 26.9 g
  • Saturated Fat 13.9 g
  • Sodium 1075.1 mg
  • Sugar 3.4 g

Chef's Notes

Any leftover carnitas filling is just as delicious the next day on tacos, in enchiladas, or even on pasta!; Play around with different topping to create your favorite carnita!

Reviews

  1. gtyyup Feb 18, 2015 03:55 PM
    I give this 5 stars for flavor and ease of preparation but I didn't like using the juice from the pot; it was too runny. Next time I'd try a fresh can of enchilada sauce or maybe try mixing the juice with some tomato paste...something to give it body so there isn't juice running out - Read more ...
  2. Kim Walcher Giera Feb 10, 2015 05:24 PM
    This recipe is a favorite in our house. I cook it just as the recipe states but once I shred it I put in a 9" x 13" pan add another can of enchilada sauce (not the sauce from the crock pot because it's greasy), a can of drained black beans, a can of drained - Read more ...
  3. Kelly Jernigan Aug 31, 2013 05:02 PM
    Use a pork loin instead of the shoulder to cut down the greasiness. Opened my enchilada sauce to find out it wasn't red. I had accidentally bought the green chili enchilada sauce. I added a can of rotel to the recipe. It was wonderful. Thinking this meat may be good to use in flautas. Never - Read more ...
  4. scdsister Jan 29, 2013 01:34 AM
    Absolutely devine!!! I added double the amount of onion and green/red bell peppers and Oh my word. The fam has requested this to be on the monthly if not weekly rotation!!
  5. HB Sue Jan 14, 2013 01:12 AM
    Why are these cooks rating a recipe they haven't cooked??????? This isn't a "comment" site.. it is for ratings so we can make an informed decision about making it or not. drives me crazy..... Anyway -- this is very good as is. I made one in the slow cooker a few weeks ago with not - Read more ...
  6. GRAYCE Jan 12, 2013 05:44 PM
    Used a 2 lb pork butt. Cut into 1/2 in. slices. Browned meat added onions for a minute or 2. Put in my electric pressure cooker. Added remaining ingredients. Cooked 45 minutes. Removed from PC Spooned into tortillas. Rolled up. Placed in baking dish. Sprinkled with cheese. Put in 350 degree oven til cheese melts - Read more ...
  7. BENSGROI Jan 10, 2013 04:09 AM
    Not a fan of this recipe. We thought it was kind of bland and greasy. As another reviewer recommended using another can of enchilada sauce instead of the greasy sauce from the slow cooker probably would have improved it. I used a 3.6 lb. pork shoulder that bone and skin but still ended up with - Read more ...
  8. Carol Webb-Dewar Dec 17, 2012 03:27 AM
    Terrific! Very easy & tasty. Only change I would make for next time would be to use hot Enchilada sauce instead of medium. We tend to like things a little spicier around here!
  9. Tina Witt Nov 17, 2012 11:37 PM
    This was excellent! The only thing I did different was add the green chiles in the crock pot a couple of hours before the pork was done cooking. Great taste!
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