Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Green Tomatillo Sauce

It is so easy to make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Green Tomatillo Sauce, that you'll want to make them over and over again. You can use as taco filling, as an entree alongside rice or potatoes, and even add veggies like carrots, chayote, or green beans into the slow cooker for a full meal.

The secret to make great carnitas is in the sauce and in browning the meat. Charring the veggies prior to blending them and browning the pork before placing it in the slow cooker adds great depth of flavor and gives the carnitas an authentic Mexican flavor.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

• Pork tenderloin or pork shoulder. I like leaner carnitas, so I use tenderloin. Pork shoulder makes for more flavorful carnitas though.
• Green tomatillos
• Onion: yellow or white onions are both fine.
• Garlic
• Serrano chiles, or jalapeños
• Fresh cilantro
• Chile pasilla, or any other dried chile you have on hand (you can skip it if not available).
• Olive oil
• Bay leaf, salt, and pepeper

How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Green Tomatillo Sauce

1. Heat one cup of water in the microwave or stovetop for 90 seconds or until almost boiling. Place the Guajillo chile in the water for 10 minutes to rehydrate.

2. Heat a griddle, comal, or large skillet over high heat and add the tomatillos, Serrano chile, onion, and garlic. Char them on all sides.

3. Place the charred veggies in a blender, add the rehydrated Guajillo, ½ a cup of the rehydrating water, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Blend until well combined.

4. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Brown the pork tenderloins on all sides.

5. Place the browned tenderloins into the slow cooker, pour the sauce over them, and add the bay leaf. Place the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4.

6. Remove the tenderloins from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks. They should be fork-tender. Try the sauce left in the slow cooker and add more salt if needed.

7. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and mix it with the sauce.

For crispy carnitas, spread the cooked pork in a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes in the oven until crispy and slightly charred.

Tips to Make the Best Pork Carnitas:

1. Brown the tenderloins on all sides prior to placing them in the slow cooker. This gives the carnitas a deeper, smoky flavor.
2. Charring the veggies adds another layer of flavor and makes them taste like restaurant-style carnitas.
3. Wait until the cooking time is over before you taste the sauce, and add more salt if needed.

How to Serve Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Green Tomatillo Sauce

• Use the meat as taco filling and top with your favorite taco toppings like sliced pickled onions, fresh cilantro, chopped avocado, and sour cream.
• Serve as a main entree with freshly cooked rice or baked potato.
• Add diced carrots, potatoes, chayote squash, and green beans to the slow cooker for a full meal. If doing this, add the whole cup of rehydrating water to make the sauce thinner.