Before jumping to the recipe, don't miss the HELPFUL RECIPE TIPS in the post! I hope you'll find them useful and will love this fantastic recipe.
Easy Keto Crock Pot Carnitas
( 0 Carbs & Gluten Free)
Who doesn't love taco night? These are modified carnitas to keep the carbs low and the flavor high. The bonus is that most of the work is done by the crock pot and you will have a hot dinner that even the most finicky eaters will enjoy...
You can make this in an Instapot but I always use my trusty crock pot because I like the meat to cook low and slow for this dish. Slow cooked meat is always so tender. Even the novice can pull this one off without a hitch.
We recommend using lettuce leaves in place of the tortillas but you can always make the low carb tortillas or buy the carb smart variety at you local store.
You can also serve up regular tortillas to your non Keto family member's because this is one of those "cross over" recipes that needs very little modification to keep you in Ketosis.
Our family loves this recipe and Thom had to include it on our site because it's soooooo easy. Yes, it needs to simmer for a long time but the prep is super simple and quick.
We always get the tween to help when getting these out on the table and she loves them on low carb tortillas.
Or, serve them on Keto Gorditas...
And you can use this meat in tamales too!!!!!!
Tips:
- If you want the traditional carnitas taste you can use squeezed orange juice from one orange but remember to add the extra carbs to your daily count. We use lime juice instead.
Or you could just add a teaspoon or two of erythritol to the broth in the finished product to mimic the original version. This is what we do and it's very close to the real thing...trust me, tacos are my favorite food and I wouldn't blow smoke about something as important as tacos.
- Traditional carnitas recipes are also simmered in beer but chicken broth does a nice job of keeping your meat tender and juicy.
Honestly it tastes the same to me and I consider myself a taco aficionado. Use the beer if you have to but it doesn't make a big enough difference for me to add it.
- Shred the pork with two forks while it is still in the the crock pot. This will keep all of the spices juices on your meat before you broil it on high heat.
- You don't have to broil the shredded meat if you don't want to but it makes it extra special and I swear it's worth the little bit of extra work.
- Adda ½ cup of broth from the crock pot to the meat before you broil it to keep it juicy
- Make sure you use a broiler pan so you don't ruin a baking sheet.
- Add salt and pepper to your own liking.
- You can use either a pork shoulder or a pork butt in this recipe. See which one is on sale and make your decision that way...it will taste and handle the same.
- Regular or spicy chili powders won't make a difference in the nutritional information so use whatever your family likes.
- Serve with shredded cheese, green onion, cilantro, avocados, sour cream and your favorite hot sauce.
- If you’re planning this to cook while you’re at work, you can put all the stuff in the crock pot the night before and then put the whole crock pot in the fridge overnight ( not the base of course).
Then you will just have to plug it in and turn it on in the morning before work.
- The leftover meat meat will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and can be used for salads or make more tacos for lunch. For the nutrition information I used a two pound roast.
*Traditional carnitas are made with orange juice and beer. In the interest of omitting carbs from he meat you can add a bit of erythritol to the broth that you are going to use to broil the meat to give it a more traditional flavor and the sweetness that the orange juice provides.
Your meat should look like this when you shred it up...
You can make Guacamole if you want or just serve with sliced avocados.
We do whatever we are in the mood for at the time but if you are having company you could dress up the table and make bacon guacamole...
Looking for a low carb dessert to go with these Crock Pot Carnitas?
Check out this Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse from lowcarbsosimple.com. YUM!
Or these simply superb chocolate dipped strawberries. These are company and date night worthy but won't take you half as long as your date thinks they did....so easy.
Ok, enough chit chat lets get on to the main event...
Adding additional items like cheese, sour cream, and avocados will change the nutritional values and caloric intake (of course).
Now that the weather has turned cold for most of you it'll be nice to come home to a nice hot dinner without a lot of fuss...
Cheers everyone!
Brenna
📖 Recipe
Easy Pork Carnitas Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Crockpot/Roast
- 2 lbs pork shoulder roast
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp lime juice juice of 2 limes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp Italian Spice optional
Instructions
- Put the pork roast, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder and lime juice in a crockpot on low in the morning so that it can cook for 6 to 8 hours. If it's frozen you will need 8-10 hours for it to get really tender.
- When you are ready take the lid off of the crock pot and turn it off. Let it cool so that you can handle it, and then shred it with two forks in the crock pot. Save the broth from the crockpot in case you need to add more to the finished product. See notes.
- Spoon the meat out on a broiler pan. Broil until crispy brown. (About 4 minutes in my oven)
- Enjoy. This should make about 16 tacos with 2 oz of meat in each.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information in this post is provided as a courtesy. I work really hard to make sure everything is correct but feel free to do your own calculations if you like.
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