By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 12, 2026
Serves 6
933 cal · 495 min
Crockpot Carnitas
Recipe GLPR677195fbaa19d9
Tender, slow-cooked pork shoulder infused with warm spices, citrus, and a hint of salsa, finished under the broiler for a light crispy exterior. Serve with your favorite taco toppings and pan drippings for an authentic, flavorful meal.
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Ingredients
5 lbs pork shoulder (also called pork butt)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Place the pork shoulder into your slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until combined.
Rub the spice mixture evenly all over the surface of the pork shoulder, coating it thoroughly.
In another bowl, stir together the chicken broth, orange juice, and salsa until well combined.
Pour the broth mixture around (not over) the pork in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours, until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork. (Alternatively, cook on high heat for 4 hours.)
Carefully remove the cooked pork from the slow cooker and place it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any excess fat as you work.
Set your oven to broil on high. Place the shredded pork under the broiler for about 5 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and crispy at the edges.
While the pork broils, strain the liquid remaining in the slow cooker through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any solids, then transfer the strained pan drippings to a serving bowl.
Remove the pork from the broiler and serve alongside your favorite taco toppings and the pan drippings on the side.
Comments
Every ingredient is stocked at any Charlotte grocer—pork shoulder is a commodity at Harris Teeter and Food Lion, citrus and salsa are year-round, spices are standard pantry items—so no special trips needed. At current prices, pork shoulder runs $2-3 per pound, and six servings from a 3-4 pound shoulder puts the cost around $2.50-3.50 per serving, which is solid weeknight value. The stated 495 minutes (8+ hours) is honest: most is unattended crockpot time, but the initial trimming and spice-mixing adds fifteen minutes, and broiling the finished pork for texture adds another thirty, so real hands-on time is under an hour. This is a true set-and-forget family meal that reheats beautifully and works for tacos, rice bowls, or nachos across multiple nights, though the lack of an acid component (lime, vinegar) in the ingredient list suggests the recipe might undersell the final brightness against the listed orange juice.
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