These low carb carnitas are made in the slow cooker! They're VERY nearly zero carb, plus dairy free, gluten free, and keto friendly!

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Yummmmm carnitas - the Mexican equivalent to pulled pork! Although traditionally prepared by braising the meat, it is the perfect dish for making in the slow cooker!

While looking at traditional recipes, I noticed several things - first - that my Mexican seasoning blend of oregano, cumin, and paprika would be perfect for this dish!

Secondly, that a running theme of every recipe was the addition of orange juice. Now, you could argue that only a little would be absorbed into the meat and therefore wouldn't have any significant effect on the carb count of the finished dish. I also saw recipes with orange zest - lower in carbs, but the same issue. I just don't want oranges or orange juice in the house when I can't actually enjoy them!

The answer was inspired by another Mexican recipe - my version of a low carb margarita! Instead of the high-carb orange liqueur that is required, I used orange extract. I figured it would work perfectly for this dish! You only need a little, and can just grab it from the pantry as needed.

How to Make Low Carb Carnitas

For this recipe you'll need a large chunk of pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) - about 3lbs.

Trim off any excess fat where possible, then cut it into large chunks. If your cut of pork has a bone, add that to the bowl of a slow cooker (or Instant Pot), together with the chunks of meat.

Next, add some chicken broth, garlic paste or minced garlic, dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, salt, and the orange extract.

Stir well, then close the lid and cook on high for about 4 hours or until the pork is tender. If using an Instant Pot, use the slow cooker function with the seal set to Venting.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the slow cooker, and place it on a board or plate. Use two forks to gently shred the meat, then transfer it to a serving platter.

Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime slices, and jalapeño wheels.

You can serve these pork carnitas in lettuce wraps, low carb tortillas, or perhaps replace the shredded chicken in my low carb nachos recipe!

I used some of the carnitas to make this yummy low carb Mexican pizza! Check it out!

📖 Recipe

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