These Authentic Slow Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas are not only healthier than your typical carnitas, they are gluten-free! If you love pulled pork, you’ll love carnitas (the Mexican version of Pulled Pork)!
Loaded with grilled pineapple, red onion and cilantro, they are a little spicy, fresh and delicious! This Pork Carnitas recipe is healthy, make at home street food at its finest! And they are Weight Watchers friendly @ 11 WW points on blue, per serving.
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🥘 Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need:
- pork shoulder pork butt
- gluten-free chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- gluten-free cumin powder
- garlic chopped (or use jarred minced garlic)
- lime
- gluten-free BBQ Sauce
- pineapple, diced
- red onion
- Pineapple rings
- fresh cilantro chopped
- olive oil
- gluten-free tortillas warm, if desired
💭 Top Tip
You will have leftover chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, so why not make these Chipotle Mashed Potatoes?
💭 Pork Carnitas vs. Pulled Pork
If you're wondering what the difference is between pulled pork and pork carnitas, well, it's all in the frying. Authentic pork carnitas are fried after they are cooked (unlike pulled pork), creating that distinctive crispiness. Frying it up only takes a few minutes but it will make a HUGE difference in your authentic Mexican food experience!
📖 Variations
If you want to lighten these up and make them more WW friendly, use a sugar free BBQ sauce. You can also lighten these up even further by using chicken instead of pork. Simply substitute chicken breasts or thighs for the pork and cook for 4-5 hours on low or until tender (the chicken should shred easily). Then pan fry to crisp, as per instructions. You can bring the recipe down to 4 WW points on blue by making these 2 changes!
👪 Serving Pork Carnitas
I love serving these pork carnitas with cilantro and extra lime wedges, in addition to the grilled red onion and pineapple. They go great in:
- tacos
- quesadillas
- as a nacho topping
- over rice
🎥VIDEO
How to pull pork * I shred mine a little more than he does in this video
If you are looking for slow cooker pork shoulder recipes you can make in your own home, then these pork carnitas in the crockpot are your answer! Authentic carnitas in the slow cooker are a great way to enjoy Cinco de Mayo!
⭐ REVIEWS
📋 Healthy Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 kg (4 lb) pork shoulder pork butt, skinless, boneless (5lb/2.5kg bone in
- ½ - 212ml can of gluten-free chipotle pepper in adobo sauce *Roland's and La Costena brands are gluten-free and can be ordered from Amazon (if you can't find it in stores)
- ½ teaspoon gluten-free cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic chopped (or use jarred minced garlic)
- lime (the juice from 1 lime)
- 1 cup gluten-free BBQ Sauce * I used Amazing Dad's BBQ sauce- found it at Superstore
- 1 cup pineapple, diced * if using can, drain liquid
Filling
- 8 pineapple rings half inch thick, if using canned (drained and patted dry) or fresh
- 1 red onion, chopped peeled and cut into rings
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 gluten-free tortillas warm, if desired
Instructions
- Combine chipotle with adobo sauce, cumin, garlic, lime juice and the pineapple cubes (diced pineapple) in a blender. Blend until smooth - about 30 seconds. Mix with the BBQ sauce.
- Spray slow cooker/crockpot with non-stick cooking spray and place the pork in a slow cooker and pour the sauce over the meat.
- Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. * I use low, as I prefer the results of a really long, slow cook.
- Remove pork from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Remove any fat or bone (you will also be removing a little when you shred the pork, but most of it just falls off during the cooking process. Then shred using two forks. If you have never shredded pork before, SEE VIDEO IN RECIPE NOTES FOR INSTRUCTIONS!
- Skim any visible fat off the top , then drain sauce from slow cooker through a sieve and set aside. Discard the remnants.
To Crisp:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. * You will need at least 2 frying pans to spread it out evenly - don't overcrowd the pan.
- Mix 2 tablespoon of the sauce to pork and mix until combined.
- In the pan, drizzle over some sauce from the slow cooker and freshly squeezed lime or a little pineapple juice (about a tbsp).
- Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side - you don't want to make it brown all over because then it's too crispy, need tender juicy bits.
- Remove pork from skillet and add in at least 2 more tbsp's of the sauce. If you like it really spicy, add more. *You can discard any remaining sauce or use it for whatever you like.
Topping/filling:
- Meanwhile, coat the onion and pineapple rings with olive oil and grill in frying pan and set aside.
- Divide the meat evenly between the tortillas and add add the grilled pineapple and onion (whole or chopped) and chopped cilantro on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
🍲More Gluten free Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipe (with whiskey)
Slow Cooker Swiss Steak Recipe
Sue Slaght
I would love to go to the music festival and now my stomach is growling over the delicious looking recipe! I'm definitely going to enter. Wish me luck!
Terri Gilson
Good luck, Sue! I know you would really enjoy the festival (and the festival food) 🙂
Monique
I have family in town so this recipe is going to come in very handy. Thanks for another great meal suggestion Terri (and the opportunity to attend a local music festival).
Terri Gilson
Hi Monique! Yes, slow cooker recipes are perfect for feeding a crowd in the summer. Have fun with your family and good luck in the contest! 🙂
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices
As soon as my husband saw the picture, he was drooling in delight. They look fantastic and what a perfect festival food. We're going to be there, hope to see you!
Terri Gilson
Hi Nicoletta! Thanks so much 🙂 That is a high compliment coming from Loreto! I so wish I could be there, but we can't make it to the festival 🙁
But I just know we're destined to meet one day...
Angela Rosenow
My favourite music memory is from my trip to Japan last year with my daughter. We had tickets to see her favourite Japanese singer and I fell in love with her too! The concert was small, only about 200 people, and it was so intimate and beautiful. The artist has an amazing voice and she interacted with the audience in a way I have never experienced. The Japanese culture is so respectful too, everyone just stayed in their spot and swayed to her music, there was none of the clamoring for the front that you get here in Canada! And her digital display behind her was all beautiful flowers with flowers on the stage, I have never seen such a beautiful concert 🙂
Terri Gilson
Angela, that is an incredibly beautiful memory - thank you so much for sharing it! I had no idea that a concert in Japan would be so different. I would love to travel to Japan one day- it's truly an amazing culture! I'm so glad that you had that opportunity to share such a special memory with your daughter 🙂
Lisa Barrett
I love me some Mexican food! This is by far the best one I have tried. Plus the music festival is the best family weekend with live music. They make you feel like your a local even if your not. Such great food and family fun!
Terri Gilson
Thank you, Lisa! I second you on the Mexican food love (especially when it's healthy)! And carnitas are just so magically delicious... And I'm so happy to hear you had such a positive experience at the Wild Mountain Music Festival:) Great food and family fun are paramount in my books. Good luck in the giveaway!
Raj @ www.ThePrimalDesire.com
What gluten free tortillas do you use and where do you find them?
Terri Gilson
Hi Raj,
There are several brands and it depends where you live - I got some at Superstore in Calgary (in gluten-free freezer section) I'm sorry, I can't recall the brand. But Amazon has the following brands: Del Campo, Mission, New Grains, La Tortilla Factory and one by Green Leaf foods listed.