Best 3 Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas Recipes

**Slow-Cooker Chicken Carnitas: A Flavorful and Versatile Mexican Dish**

Slow-cooker chicken carnitas is a delectable Mexican dish that combines tender, juicy chicken with a symphony of spices and zesty flavors. This popular recipe uses a slow cooker to effortlessly create succulent shredded chicken infused with an aromatic blend of Mexican spices, citrus, and herbs. As the chicken simmers in the slow cooker, it absorbs the rich flavors of the marinade, resulting in a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or simply as a main course with your favorite sides. With minimal preparation and cooking time, this recipe offers an easy and flavorful meal that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Additionally, our article includes a collection of delightful recipes featuring chicken carnitas, including tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, providing a variety of options to tantalize your taste buds and cater to different preferences.

Let's cook with our recipes!

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CARNITAS

Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas image

Chicken variation on the classic pork carnitas. Serve in tortillas with whatever toppings you want. Enjoy.

Provided by Chef Dan J

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 4h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 (4 ounce) can fire-roasted diced green chiles
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon Mexican-style seasoning blend
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon garlic and herb seasoning blend
¼ teaspoon chile powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 cloves garlic

Steps:

Dissolve chicken bouillon in boiling water.
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent and browned, about 5 minutes. Add jalapenos and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green chiles; cook for 3 minutes more.
Mix salt, cilantro, Mexican seasoning, cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, seasoning blend, chile powder, paprika, mustard powder, and black pepper together in a bowl.
Trim chicken as needed. Coat all sides with the seasoning blend.
Place onion mixture in a slow cooker. Add chicken broth, juice and zest from the limes and orange, and garlic cloves. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on Low until chicken is no longer pink inside and very tender, 4 to 6 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 177.9 calories, Carbohydrate 8.1 g, Cholesterol 66.1 mg, Fat 4.6 g, Fiber 1.7 g, Protein 25.9 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 824.7 mg, Sugar 3.7 g

THE BEST EVER SLOW COOKER CARNITAS

The BEST EVER Slow Cooker Carnitas image

What makes these carnitas different? They are crisped and browned on the stove after low and slow cooking in the crock pot. These are incredibly easy to make and have replaced traditional taco filling at our house. These carnitas or "little meats" are great in Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, Tamales or Nachos. When served with corn tortillas, they are also gluten free!

Provided by sellingsavannah

Categories Mexican

Time 7h40m

Yield 8-10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder or 4 lbs boston butt
1 large onion, cut into large pieces
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth or 2 cups water
2 tablespoons canola oil or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Steps:

Mix cumin, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, kosher salt and ground black pepper together in a small bowl to make a dry rub. Pat the pork shoulder roast or boston butt dry with paper towels, and then cover roast with dry rub.
Place the pieces of onion and the bay leaf in the bottom of your slower cooker, lay the roast on top. Carefully pour the chicken stock or the water around the roast, taking care not to wash away the dry rub. Cook on low for 6 hours or until the pork easily falls apart.
Once the pork is easily falling apart, remove from slow cooker to cool. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the excess fat, shred the remaining pork.
Place the reserved cooking liquid in a large non-stick skillet with shredded pork. Cook over medium high heat until the liquid is absorbed, tossing the pork occasional to coat.
Once the cooking liquid is absorbed, add the oil and crisp up the carnitas to your desired doneness. We like our extra crispy, usually about 14-18 minutes.
Serve with your favorite taco fixings, like corn or flour tortillas, cilantro, lime, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese.

SLOW COOKER CARNITAS

Slow Cooker Carnitas image

Carnitas means 'little meats' and is traditionally fried then braised. This recipe is made much easier using the slow cooker but the results are just as tasty. This makes a great filling for tamales, enchiladas, tacos and burritos. This filling is also great combined with your favorite barbecue sauce and served on buns.

Provided by Erin Parker

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 10h10m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) boneless pork shoulder roast
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth

Steps:

Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, and cinnamon in a bowl. Coat pork with the spice mixture. Place the bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker and place the pork on top. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the pork, being careful not to rinse off the spice mixture.
Cover and cook on Low until the pork shreds easily with a fork, about 10 hours. Turn the meat after it has cooked for 5 hours. When the pork is tender, remove from slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use cooking liquid as needed to moisten the meat.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 222.7 calories, Carbohydrate 0.7 g, Cholesterol 73.3 mg, Fat 13.8 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 22.2 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 474.3 mg, Sugar 0.3 g

Tips:

Use a slow cooker with a 4-quart capacity or larger for this recipe.
For the best results, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
Be sure to trim any excess fat from the chicken before cooking.
Season the chicken generously with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Add the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth to the slow cooker along with the chicken.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks.
Serve the chicken carnitas with your favorite toppings, such as tortillas, rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Conclusion:

This slow cooker chicken carnitas recipe is an easy and delicious way to make a flavorful Mexican dish. The chicken is cooked until it is fall-apart tender and then shredded and served with your favorite toppings. This recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal or a party.