Crockpot Carnitas from Pork Tenderloin (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, Keto)

Paleo Crockpot carnitas in a bowl with oranges, limes, and cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Using pork loin or tenderloin means no hard-to-find ingredients, and the result is super tender.

Fresh citrus tenderizes the carnitas while they cook in the Crockpot and leaves you with plenty of juices for browning and serving.

I was surprised, then, when I liked the carnitas bowl as much as I did, considering there was no, GASP, cheese, and no, ALSO GASP, steak, and no corn salsa and no crunchy chips and generally lots of saying no to lots of things. But what I got instead was crunchy and crisp, tender and juicy, bright and flavorful and garlicky and a little smoky. I left feeling satisfied but not grossly full, and I didn’t immediately need to take a nap or top off my steady caffeine drip.

Ingredients

Rub

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil

Crockpot Carnitas

2 pounds pork tenderloin or loin

1/2 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 jalapeño chopped

2 teaspoons salt

Juice of one lime

Juice of one navel orange

To Serve

avocado oil

Equipment Needed

slow cooker

Instructions

1. Pat dry pork tenderloin with paper towels. Combine rub ingredients and rub all over tenderloin then place in your Crockpot.

2. Top with remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. When done, the meat will be cooked through and very tender, easily separated with a fork.

3. Remove the tenderloin from the Crockpot and shred the meat with two forks. Do not discard juices.

To Serve

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add enough carnitas to cover the surface without crowding and ladle a little of the carnitas juice over. Cook until juice has evaporated and the bottom of carnitas is crispy and browned. Flip and cook briefly, but not until too brown.

2. Remove from skillet and drizzle with a little more juice. Serve.

get full recipe Crockpot Carnitas from Pork Tenderloin (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, Keto)

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