These Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas are juicy, crispy, and absolutely packed with flavor. Only 10 minutes of prep to make this delicious and healthy chicken recipe! Quick and easy dinner recipe that everyone loves!
Chicken Carnitas are versatile, delicious and so easy to make! I love recipes like this because everyone in the family can easily customize their meal however they’d like.
Some of our favorite ways to eat Chicken Carnitas:
- Burritos and tacos – Fill a tortilla with some carnitas and add a little bit of cheese, some beans, rice and maybe some lettuce and tomato.
- In a salad – This chicken is delicious on top of a bed of lettuce and then you can add some sliced avocado, tomatoes, black beans, etc. Perfect if you’re cutting carbs or if you have gluten sensitivities.
- In a bowl – Fill up a bowl with some rice and add Chicken Carnitas on top. Add some beans, sour cream, cheese, and whatever other ingredients you’d like!
- Plain! There is so much flavor in the chicken that you can just serve it as-is for your entree! Add a slice of French bread and some fresh fruits and/or veggies on the side and you’ve got a complete meal!
WHAT ARE CARNITAS?
Carnitas is a Mexican dish that usually is made with pork (see our pork version here!) that is braised or simmered in oil. This recipe is similar, but made with chicken instead! I simplify the technique here by slow cooking in a crockpot. Slow cooking tenderizes the chicken and allows you to use little or no oil in the cooking process.
INGREDIENTS IN SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CARNITAS
Chicken – You will need 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The chicken breasts can be substituted with boneless, skinless chicken thighs or even chicken tenders if you are short on time and need the chicken to cook more quickly.
Orange juice – Orange juice provides a lot of flavor, but is also acidic, which will help to tenderize the chicken amazingly. The orange flavor is very subtle in the final dish, but if you would rather use Coke or Dr. Pepper, those work great too!
Lime juice – Using the juice from 2 limes adds so much flavor. You can use bottled lime juice instead if you prefer. You will need about 1/4 cup.
Garlic – Mince 4 cloves of garlic or use 1 1/3 tablespoons of minced garlic.
Cumin, oregano, chipotle powder and salt – Don’t skip the seasonings! Most of the flavor comes from all of these spices.
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CARNITAS
Place the whole chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, chipotle powder and salt. Slow cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker, reserving the liquid in the slow cooker, and shred with a fork. Transfer the shredded chicken to a baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
Drizzle 1/2 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker over the chicken, stir through the chicken, then broil for a further 5 minutes. Repeat once more before serving.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CARNITAS
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ cup orange juice
- Juice of 2 limes
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Place the whole chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, chipotle powder and salt. Slow cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker, reserving the liquid in the slow cooker, and shred with a fork. Transfer the shredded chicken to a baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
- Drizzle 1/2 cup of the liquid from the slow cooker over the chicken, stir through the chicken, then broil for a further 5 minutes. Repeat once more before serving.
Nutrition
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CHICKEN CARNITAS SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Serve chicken carnitas in soft tortillas, in a chicken carnitas bowl, on top of nachos or in a bun/roll as a sandwich.
- Add 1 teaspoon of chili powder for a little extra heat. The chipotle powder can also be increased to 3-4 teaspoons.
- Serve the carnitas with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CARNITAS
Store the chicken carnitas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to add some juice in with the chicken while storing to keep the carnitas juicy.
Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. Using an air fryer works great too!
CAN YOU FREEZE CARNITAS?
These chicken carnitas are easy to freeze. Freeze the chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
CAN YOU MAKE CARNITAS IN AN INSTANT POT?
Yes, you can make carnitas in an instant pot! It’s quite a bit faster than using a Slow Cooker (it takes about 2 hours total!) and I think I like the results even more! The chicken is fall apart tender and so flavorful! Instant Pot instructions included below- I’ve even made it in my baby 3-qt Instant Pot with great success!
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CARNITAS IN AN INSTANT POT
Set your Instant Pot to Saute so that the pot begins heating up while you gather the ingredients. Add all ingredients to your Instant Pot. Push “cancel” then “Pressure Cook” and set the timer to 15 minutes. Toggle the pressure release to “sealing.” It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure. After cooking, I always let the chicken Natural Pressure Release (NPR) because I think the consistency is better. The full process in the IP takes about 40 minutes.
Remove the chicken breasts from the Instant Pot, reserving the liquid, and shred with a fork. Transfer the shredded chicken to a baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.
Drizzle 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid over the chicken, stir through the chicken, then broil for 5 more minutes. Repeat once more before serving.
MORE DELICIOUS CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY:
- Coca-Cola Chicken
- Best Chicken Tenders Recipe
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna
- Chicken Pineapple Tacos
- Cheesy Sour Cream Chicken
- Cheesy Grilled Pineapple Chicken
- Chicken Garlic Butter Pasta
- Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
- Chicken Avocado Quesadillas
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Zesty Italian Chicken
These Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas are juicy, crispy, and absolutely packed with flavor. Only 10 minutes of prep to make this delicious and healthy chicken recipe! Quick and easy dinner recipe that everyone loves!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Thank you so much! The flavors are perfect and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Jessica says
Hope you enjoy it!!
Dana says
Carnitas are a favorite in our house. I love the ease of making the meat in the slow cooker!
Jessica says
Right?! Slow Cookers for the win!