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shredded pork carnitas freezer meal

Stupid Easy Crockpot Carnitas Freezer Meals

A stupid easy recipe that makes a HUGE batch of slow cooker carnitas. Great for stocking your freezer!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 lbs pork shoulder (also called pork butt) Don't trim the fat layer as this provides tons of flavor and keeps the pork juicy as it cooks. We will skim the fat later.
  • 2 tsp salt, divided
  • 2 tbl olive oil, optional
  • 2 tbl chili powder
  • 1 tbl garlic powder
  • 1 tbl cumin
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
  • 1 14 oz can peeled, diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can diced chilis or jalapeno (optional)
  • 1 large onion, quartered

Instructions

  1. **This step is totally optional. I think it adds a nice layer of flavor but I've also skipped this step before when I've been feeling lazy**

    Heat oil in stainless steel pan. Pat pork shoulder dry, sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and rub into the meat. Brown on all sides, about 1 min each side, and set aside to cool slightly. Add a small splash of water to deglaze pan and scrape up all the browned bits to add into the slow cooker. MMMMM flavor.

  2. Once pork has slightly cooled, or if you've skipped the browning step - add dry spices to a small bowl and mix. (Use 2 tsp of salt if you did not brown meat, or 1 tsp if you've already salted and browned the meat) Rub spice mixture into the pork on all sides.

  3. Add quartered onion, can of peeled tomatoes and jalapeños (if using). Stir in one can of water, and place pork should on top, fat layer facing you.

  4. Cook on slow for 8-10 hours. I honestly tuck the pork into the slow cooker right before I go to bed. It cooks while I sleep. The ultimate comfort food.

  5. Once it's done cooking, I let the meat rest and cool. Separate out the cooking liquid and refrigerate so you can easily skim off the layer of fat that raises to the top.

  6. When I'm ready to portion, I shred the carnitas using two forks, while I cook down the broth for about 10 minutes. You should be left with about 3 cups of liquid.

  7. I portioned the pork into 6 bags. This is right amount for a dinner for my family of 3, with some leftovers. You may want to portion more or less, depending on the size of your family.

    Add about 1/2 cup liquid to each portion and vacuum seal.