Crockpot Carnitas Tacos with Lime Pickled Onions
Let’s slow it down on the fall recipes and try to savor every last bit of summer! People are already eating pumpkin but it’s still August! If you want one more taste of summer my Carnitas tacos with lime pickled onions are the ultimate end of summer meal. The tender carnitas and lime bursting onions pair so well together, especially if you put a spicy salsa in the mix. Make this meal before all of the fall craze goes into full swing!
the details of the carnitas tacos
Carnitas are my favorite meat to get in a Mexican dish. Whether I’m getting tacos, a burrito, or enchiladas, I most likely going to get carnitas in the dish. What makes my carnitas so great is that the pork is so tender it melts in your mouth. Cooked in a Mexican beer with peppers, onion, garlic, and some spices, this pork is very flavorful and one you don’t want to miss out on. One tip I learned for making the best carnitas is to caramelize them under a broiler using a little honey. This gives them the authentic flavor and texture you all know and love.
When it comes to the tacos sometimes simple is better. That is why I keep my taco toppings to a minimum. A must have for carnitas tacos though is lime pickled onions. These onions are jam packed with lime flavor. They go really well with just about any meat taco, but especially pork. Throw some guac on top and you’ve got yourself a killer taco.
When it comes to tacos there are many ways to spice things up or make substitutions. For example, you can switch out the meat from pork to chicken or steak! The onions can also be substituted with diced white onions and cilantro. Finally, the salsa being used can be changed. You can make it extra spicy or even fruity, like a pineapple mango salsa.
Overall, if you carnitas, but never find the time to go to a good Mexican restaurant, then this meal is a must make. You can throw it in a crockpot, go to work, and come back to a kitchen full of wonderful aromas.
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Crockpot Carnitas Tacos with Lime Pickled Onions
Equipment
- crockpot
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder
- oregano to taste
- paprika to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste
- cumin to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 hot peppers seeded and stemmed
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion white or Spanish
- 12 oz Modelo
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp honey
- tortillas for serving
Toppings
- lime pickled onions
- salsa
- guacamole
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, then into quarters.
- Turn on the crockpot and add onion, peppers, garlic, and tomatoes.
- Pat the pork dry and season well with oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Place the pork in the crockpot then add the beer and juice of a lime. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8. Make sure the pork is tender enough to shred.
- Once the pork is done, shred it and place it on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the honey and a quarter cup of cooking liquid.
- Turn the broiler on high and caramelize the pork for 2-5 minutes. Make sure you keep your eye on it!
- Next, heat up your tortillas on a pan. Once well toasted assemble the tacos. Mix any salsa you're using in with the pork and put your favorite toppings on!For the lime pickled onions, please see my reel on Instagram for the quick and easy recipe..
2 Comments
These tacos are great! Love the simplicity. My only change would be to add more spice to the cooking liquid. Just needs a little more to be like a restaurant style, but still super delish. Highly recommend.
These tacos were SOOO tender and juicy. They were perfect for taco tuesday. Love the idea of adding lime pickled onions to them!