slow-cooked carnitas tacos

Y'ALL. I am so excited to be sharing this deliciousness with you today! These are tacos stuffed with meltingly tender slow-cooked carnitas, creamy guacamole, and fresh fruit salsa. Oh my goodness. They are basically the best thing I've ever eaten! I paired up with H-E-B for their Taco Revolution, and I'm thrilled to be sharing my creation. Let's get cooking!

To make these carnitas, I bought some boneless pork shoulder at H-E-B {and they actually have it conveniently labeled where it says "Carnitas" right on the package!} and marinated it with pineapple juice, lime juice, fresh garlic and onion, and Adam's Reserve Spicy Aloha Rub. After a couple of hours, I dumped the whole thing into my slow cooker, turned it on low, and let it cook for 10 hours. The smell was seriously out of this world by the time it was ready!

The low-and-slow cooking method, along with the acidic pineapple and lime juices, help break the meat down and turn it into a melt-in-your-mouth, super tender, juicy pot of goodness. I never knew making carnitas at home from scratch could be so easy! I was inspired by that one overpriced Mexican restaurant that charges extra for guacamole for this recipe... ya know, the one who's named like a pepper. Since carnitas are my favorite meat choice for burrito bowls, I figured I would try making them at home and sticking them in tacos! This recipe makes tons, so I'm sure the leftovers will be fantastic on nachos, in burritos, in enchiladas... you name it. Yum!

To build my epic tacos, I started with H-E-B's Mixla Tortillas. These babies are a mix of corn and flour tortillas, and they are seriously the best of both worlds. They have the flavor and heartiness of corn tortillas, but they're perfectly flexible just like flour tortillas. They're the perfect choice! I then added my carnitas, some of H-E-B's famous, freshly-made-in-store guacamole, and my homemade sweet and spicy fruit salsa. I'm not sure how H-E-B does it, but somehow they guacamole is creamier, tastier, and magically better than any guac I've ever tasted! It's basically the actual definition of creamy and dreamy.

If you want the exact recipe for my fruit salsa, you can find it HERE! But here is a quick and dirty breakdown: pineapple, mango, strawberries, jalapeno, garlic, onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Toss everything together, and scoop it on your tacos! It's also excellent with salty tortilla chips, but the combination of savory meat, creamy guacamole, and fresh, zesty fruit salsa is perfect!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

slow-cooked carnitas tacos

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 hours hrs

Total Time10 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Meat &amp, Seafood

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• *for the carnitas*
• 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• juice of 1 lime
• ¼ onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves smashed
• 2 tablespoon Adam's Reserve Spicy Aloha Rub
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• *for the tacos*
• 1 package Mixla tortillas
• 1 cup guacamole
• 1 cup sweet & spicy fruit salsa

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the pineapple juice, lime juice, onion, garlic, and spices. Mix everything together, then add the meat, and mix to coat evenly. Let the meat marinade for a few hours.
• When ready, add the meat and marinade to your slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. My slow-cooker has a setting for a lower, 10 hour cycle so that's what I did. The longer you let the meat cook, the better.
• When meat is cooked through and falls apart easily, it is ready. Add more seasoning if needed, then build your tacos!
• Warm up the Mixla tortillas, then top them with some carnitas meat, guacamole, and salsa. Enjoy!

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines, I am disclosing that I received compensation from H-E-B for my time and participation in the Primo Picks Program. Although I have material connection to H-E-B, any publicly stated opinions of H-E-B and their products remains my own. Recipe is an original creation of Valentina Celant at TheBakingFairy.net.