Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas
These mouthwatering Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas are absolutely amazing and rival any restaurant carnitas.
Looking for an easy recipe that can be cooking all day while you’re at work or out and about running errands? These crock pot carnitas are not only delicious, they are a life saver on those busy nights when you need something to feed your family!

My husband and son absolutely love carnitas and orders them typically when we go out to Mexican – which is a weekly event for us. So when I came across a slow cooker Mexican style meet in Allrecipes magazine I knew I had to make them stat!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.

I love slow cooker recipes because they allow me to feel more prepared for dinner.
It’s inevitable, I get home from picking my kids up from school, get busy unloading bookbags, lunch boxes, signing planners and more and then before you know it, it’s dinner and I try to rush to get something tasty put together.
And with three kids, that’s not an easy task! Finding something that everyone will eat!

When I make these carnitas, I start them in the morning after I get home from dropping my kids off at school. Then I allow them to cook all day in the crock pot, making my house smell amazing!
By the time dinner time rolls around, I’m ready to rock and roll serving up an extra delicious dinner that even my kiddos love!

Ingredients
- chuck roast
- boneless beef chuck roast
- onions
- poblano peppers
- hot sauce
- spices – cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper
- water
I prefer to use a Slow Cooker for this recipe, however, if you get a late start on making these Mexican carnitas, then you can use a dutch oven like this one that I use.
How To Make Crock Pot Carnitas

I served my carnitas on a flour tortilla shell fried in just a little bit of oil in a skillet to make it a tad crispy. Then I loaded them up with the shredded beef, diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, cotija cheese and sliced radishes. Yes, radishes!!! They added such a great flavor to the carnitas!
These carnitas taste wonderful with Cilantro Lime Rice.
Video Tutorial
Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas Recipe

Slow Cooker Mexican Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast or English roast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 c sweet onions chopped
- 2 poblano peppers seeded and chopped
- 1/8 c Cholula hot sauce
- 1 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 c water
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat, sear roast on both sides. Transfer roast to slow cooker
- Chop onions and poblano peppers into large pieces (similar to the size of vegetables served with fajitas). Place on top of roast in crock pot
- In a large measuring cup, combine water with all of the seasonings. Pour on top of the roast, onion and peppers
- Close lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours, until beef is tender and easy falls apart
- Serve on a corn or flour tortilla with Queso Fresco cheese, radish slices and fresh cilantro and lime
Video


If you’re a fan of crock pot recipes using chuck roast, then you will also love these crock-pot beef sandwiches that I make! – another killer recipe!


Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).
One Comment