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    The BEST Chipotle Carnitas Copycat Recipe (5 Minutes To Prep)

    by Joe Duff Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    This slow cooker copycat Chipotle carnitas recipe is absolutely loaded with flavor! It combines the perfect balance of herbs with pork that gets slow-cooked until it's incredibly tender, juicy, and savory. Plus, in addition to tasting delicious, these pork carnitas are also so, so easy to make. In fact, just 5 minutes of prep time and a handful of basic ingredients are all that you'll need to whip up 'em up!

    Shredded carnitas in a white bowl atop a white plate, with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers. A fork is on the plate.

    Table of Contents

    • The Best Chipotle Carnitas
      • Ingredients
        • Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions
          • Use Other Cuts of Pork
          • Swap Water For Broth
      • How To Make Chipotle Carnitas
        • Step 1: Cook The Pork
        • Step 2: Shred The Pork
        • Step 3: Crisp The Carnitas
        • Step 4: Serve The Carnitas
      • How To Store Chipotle Carnitas
        • How To Reheat Chipotle Carnitas
      • Wrapping It Up
    • More Pork Recipes
    • The BEST Chipotle Carnitas Copycat Recipe (5 Minutes To Prep)
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition
      • Did you make this recipe?

    The Best Chipotle Carnitas

    If you've been looking for an easy copycat Chipotle carnitas recipe, you won't find a better one than this! 

    In fact, this may just be my favorite Chipotle copycat recipe I've made yet. I mean, these tender pork carnitas are so flavorful and juicy and go terrific in a tortilla shell to make a burrito or tossed in a bowl with some rice and veggies to make a burrito bowl.

    Anyway, this recipe is not only delicious, but it's super simple to make too. Nearly all of the work gets done in the slow cooker, which means you can set it and forget it. That also means that cleanup is a breeze too. And you know I'm a fan of that!

    Honestly, it's a really great recipe for busy weekdays when you don't want to have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen! 

    By the way, since most of the cooking for this carnitas recipe is super passive, you'll have plenty of time to make some tasty sides to go with it. A couple of my favorites to make with it are these air fryer tortilla chips and this Chipotle guac.

    Shredded carnitas in a white bowl atop a white plate, with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers. A fork is on the plate.

    Ingredients

    The ingredient list for this Chipotle carnitas recipe is super short. In fact, just one quick trip to any grocery store will get you everything you need to make this recipe! 

    Anyway, here's what you'll need to make these pork carnitas:

    • 2 lb. pork shoulder, fat trimmed (or pork butt)
    • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1-2 small bay leaves
    • 1 tsp dried thyme
    • 1 tsp whole juniper berries

    And here are some ideas for sides to serve with your carnitas:

    • Rice
    • Lime
    • Sliced chilies

    Super simple stuff, right?

    By the way, I know juniper berries are a bit of a niche ingredient to have on hand. But luckily, I've got another delicious recipe that will help you use them up. This lamb breast recipe is just as tender and flavorful as these carnitas, so definitely give it a try next!

    Oh, and if you want to give another copycat Chipotle Mexican Grill recipe a shot, you have to make this copycat Chipotle chicken. It's so, so good, and my family devours it every time I make it.

    Raw pork shoulder on a blue plate surrounded by bowls of bay leaves, juniper berries, and salt and pepper shakers.

    Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

    While I recommend making this copycat Chipotle carnitas recipe with the ingredients listed above, there are some ways you can put your own spin on it and possibly save yourself a trip to the store as well.

    With that said, I'll go over some of my favorite ideas to try below.

    Use Other Cuts of Pork

    If you can't find pork shoulder, then you can easily swap the shoulder for pork butt or even pork roast meat. In fact, if you're in a pinch, you could even use a beef chuck roast to make this recipe. I did that one time, and it turned out super delicious.

    Swap Water For Broth

    If you want to add a little extra flavor to your pork roast as it's cooking, I recommend swapping the water for an equal amount of chicken broth, beef broth, or vegetable broth.

    Just keep in mind that if there's salt in the broth, then you'll want to reduce the salt you add to the pork shoulder - or pork butt - before cooking it.

    Raw seasoned pork on a blue plate next to salt and pepper shakers.

    How To Make Chipotle Carnitas

    Now it's time for the fun part - it's time to make some carnitas!

    Again, I know I've said this a few times already but making this Chipotle carnitas recipe is about as easy as it gets. You basically just add everything to your slow cooker, let it do its thing, then shred the pork and serve. It's that simple!

    So, with that said, let's not waste any more time and get cooking!

    Slow cooker filled with seasoned pork shoulder and topped with bay leaves and juniper berries.

    Step 1: Cook The Pork

    First things first, you'll want to season the pork shoulder generously with salt and pepper. Then, after you've done that, you can transfer the seasoned pork shoulder to your slow cooker. After you've got the meat in the crockpot, you can add the water (or broth), bay leaves, dried thyme, and juniper berries to it as well.

    Now, after you've added all of those ingredients into the pot, you can put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the pork on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours.

    Step 2: Shred The Pork

    Once the pork has fully cooked, you can open up the slow cooker and discard the juniper berries and bay leaves. Then, after you've got those discarded, you can shred the pork in the slow cooker with two forks.

    Skillet filled with shredded pork.

    Step 3: Crisp The Carnitas

    Now, this step is optional, but if you want those classic crispy carnitas edges like Chipotle, you'll want to cook the shredded pork in a skillet with some oil. Just cook your slow cooker carnitas over medium-high heat for a few minutes, moving it around the pan while cooking.

    However, if you want to omit this step, you can serve the shredded pork straight from the slow cooker.

    Step 4: Serve The Carnitas

    Now, before serving your carnitas, you'll want to gently toss the meat in the cooking juices leftover in the crockpot. Then, after you've done that, you can serve the pork carnitas as you'd like - in burrito bowls, tacos, or whatever you're in the mood for! Enjoy.

    Shredded carnitas in a white bowl atop a white plate, with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers.

    How To Store Chipotle Carnitas

    This recipe for Chipotle's carnitas makes about 8 large servings, so it'll make the perfect amount for a big family dinner! And, odds are you'll even end up with some leftovers, so it makes a great meal prep recipe too.

    Speaking of leftovers, the best way to store them is in the fridge in an airtight container. Stored this way, your carnitas should stay good for about 3-4 days.

    Alternatively, if you want to store your pork carnitas for even longer, you can freeze them. Just let the carnitas cool completely, then transfer 'em to an airtight container - or freezer bag - and it should last for up to 3 months.

    Shredded carnitas in a white bowl atop a white plate, with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers. A fork is on the plate.

    How To Reheat Chipotle Carnitas

    When you're ready to enjoy your Chipotle carnitas again, you can either eat the carnitas cold, or you can reheat them. They are best enjoyed warm though.

    So, to reheat the carnitas, I recommend transferring the leftovers to a baking dish and reheating them at 350°F for about 12-15 minutes - or until they're fully warmed.

    Alternatively, you can add the carnitas to a skillet with a little broth and warm 'em up over medium heat for a few minutes. This will also give your carnitas those crispy edges if you didn't pan-fry them after slow cooking 'em.

    Overview of shredded pork carnitas in a bowl served with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers. Next to the bowl of pork are avocados, guacamole, limes, and lemons.

    Wrapping It Up

    Well, that's how to make Chipotle's carnitas at home.

    Honestly, I know I'm a bit biased, but I really think this slow cooker carnitas recipe is just as good - dare I say even better - than what you'd get at the restaurant. From the simple blend of spices to the tender meat with crispy edges, carnitas don't get much more delicious than this!

    Anyway, I hope you enjoy this carnitas recipe as much as I/we do.

    As always, if you end up making it, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know how it went!

    Shredded carnitas in a white bowl atop a white plate, with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers.

    More Pork Recipes

    If you enjoyed this Chipotle carnitas recipe, we have a ton of other pork recipes that you can make next!

    Here are some reader favorites:

    • Fried pork chops
    • Pulled pork casserole
    • Pork chop casserole
    • Moo shu pork

    Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! We post new recipes on them every day.

    Print

    The BEST Chipotle Carnitas Copycat Recipe (5 Minutes To Prep)

    Shredded carnitas in a white bowl atop a white plate, with white rice, lime wedges, and sliced peppers. A fork is on the plate.
    Print Recipe

    This slow cooker copycat Chipotle carnitas recipe is absolutely loaded with flavor! It combines the perfect balance of herbs with pork that gets slow-cooked until it's incredibly tender, juicy, and savory. Plus, in addition to tasting delicious, these pork carnitas are also so, so easy to make. In fact, just 5 minutes of prep time and a handful of basic ingredients are all that you'll need to whip up 'em up!

    • Author: Brendan Cunningham
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 4 hours
    • Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Slow Cooker/Crock Pot
    • Cuisine: Chipotle

    Ingredients

    Scale

    2 lb. pork shoulder, fat trimmed (or pork butt)

    Salt and pepper, to taste

    ¼ cup water

    1-2 small bay leaves

    1 tsp dried thyme

    1 tsp whole juniper berries

    Instructions

    1. Season pork shoulder generously with salt and pepper.
    2. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.
    3. Add water, bay leaves, thyme, and juniper berries. 
    4. Cover and cook the pork on HIGH for 4-6 hours, or on LOW for 8-10 hours. 
    5. Discard juniper berries and bay leaves. 
    6. Shred the pork with two forks.
    7. For crispy edges, cook the pork in a skillet with some oil. You can omit this step and serve pork as cooked from the slow cooker.
    8. Strain the cooking juices from the slow cooker and add the juices to a bowl with the pork. Toss gently. 
    9. Serve carnitas as desired.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 serving
    • Calories: 190
    • Fat: 12
    • Carbohydrates: 0
    • Protein: 18

    Keywords: Chipotle carnitas, slow cooker Chipotle carnitas, Chipotle carnitas ingredients, Chipotle carnitas recipe, Chipotle carnitas recipe, copycat Chipotle carnitas, copycat Chipotle carnitas recipe, Chipotle carnitas copycat recipe, how to make Chipotle carnitas, slow cooker carnitas,

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