OK, I’ve been gradually adding the Chipotle copycat recipes that we used for my daughter’s 16th birthday party, and THIS ONE…is my favorite. Prepare to be blown away by it’s awesomeness.
Chipotle’s carnitas (shredded pork) is extremely flavorful, and perfect in a salad, burrito, rice bowl…you name it.
Chipotle's Pork Carnitas Copycat Recipe {Crock Pot}
Cook time
Total time
Recipe type: crock pot
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 (5-6 lb) boneless pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 4 -6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 -4 sprigs fresh oregano
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 tsp dried chipotle flakes or 1-2 dried chipotle peppers (depending on how hot you like it)
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tsp chicken or beef bouillon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown all sides.
- Let rest 10- 15 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
- Chop tomatoes, garlic and oregano. Place pork in slow cooker and add all ingredients on top of pork
- Cook on low 6-9 hours.
- Remove bay leaves and whole cloves (and chipotle peppers if you used whole peppers). Remove pork to cutting board, leaving juices in crock pot. Shred meat and return to juices in the crock pot.
- Serve your pork carnitas in a burrito, atop rice, in a salad, or any other way you can come up with. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, fresh corn salsa, guacamole, salsa, etc.
The best part? This is so easy to make! Just set it in the crock pot at breakfast time, smell the goodness all day long, and have a flavorful dinner at night.
Be sure to check out the rest of my Chipotle Copycat recipes to eat with this dish (more are coming soon!).
© 2013 – 2014, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
Here’s what I was taught about searing meat: https://www.thekitchn.com/is-searing-meat-before-cooking-worth-the-extra-effort-47332 Yes, it dirties up an extra pan, but it enhances the flavor of the meat (a lot, in my opinion) and so I think it’s a step worth taking. :)
Thanks for the quick reply. I will start small. I like flavor, just not too much heat. BTW, I need to make this as lean as possible and found some diet sites that have subbed pork loin roast for shoulder and had success so I’m going to give it a try, That being said, why do some recipes call to brown the pork before placing in crock pot and others just throw it in? Does it depend on whether its a shoulder or loin? I’d like to skip the extra mess and I’m not super picky as long as it still tastes good enough. Do you know what doing this is supposed to add? Thanks again!
I would think that the flakes are a little less spicy than the chipotle peppers, but I would think you’d be fine using either…just cut the amount that you use down. Start with a tiny bit of pepper (flakes or dried chipotle pepper) and you can always add more if it is tolerable to you. :)
Thanks but I was wondering which to use if I don’t want it very spicy. The flakes or whole peppers? To me, mild salsa is hot so the carnitas is the only meat I can tolerate at chipotle the restaurant. The problem there is that I don’t like all the black pepper they put on the outside and always seem to get those outside pieces in my bowl.
This sounds wonderful! And a slow cooker recipe too – great!
This looks delicious. I have got to get a crock pot.
I just tried it. O…my…goodness! I wanted to hug my crock pot insert to my chest and dive in with a spoon (and growl if anyone came too close). It was that good!
I think I may have to make this again for dinner this week. It’s one of those recipes that I will never get tired of! Hope you enjoy!!
O…M…G. The answer to my prayers. I found this tonight after commenting on your corn salsa copycat. I’m trying out recipes this summer that don’t heat up the kitchen, and crock pot recipes truly fit the bill. I made a copycat of the barbacoa tonight to serve with the corn salsa…but I will be making this (the carnitas)…my absolute Chipotle favorite soon!
I just leave the tomatoes, onions, and garlic in as part of the sauce. After they’ve cooked for so long, you hardly notice that they’re in there. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Great recipe, wonderful flavor. Reducing the liquid in a frying pan works really well. Lolli, what do you do with the tomatoes, onions, and garlic when done, mix it in or toss it? I tossed it but am curious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Shawna, I’m not sure. Mine is very mild to our tastes, so I’m not sure if it could be a difference in the chipotle flakes. I hope it still goes over well with the family!
Made this today, and I’m not sure if I did it right? It seems really spicy? I think next time I would eliminate the chipotle, I put in 2 tsp but that seems to be too much. Hoping it’ll still be a hit with all my boys :)
Made this last night, fed it to a 16 year old chipotle addict! She said it was pretty good. Also my 10 and 5 year old boys loved it! As did I
Love this recipe, we make it at least once a month!!! I
Definitely chopped! :) I’ll clarify that in the recipe. Thanks!
I’m trying this for dinner tomorrow, one question though…Do I chop the onion or put it in whole?
Thank you!
That’s an awesome suggestion! I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks!
I’ve made this a couple times and love it! My only suggestion is after shredding the pork, put it in a big skillet, pour the crock pot juices over it, set the heat on med-low and reduce the liquid till the meat just
starts to brown on the bottom. It cooks all that flavor into the meat and concentrates it!
Much better than other chipotle carnitas copy cats I have tried!
Thanks from Moneyneany ;)
Oh boy this looks Yummo!! Cant wait to try it!
This recipe looks great, I can’t wait to try this for dinner this week!