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–+ servings
chicken carnitas served on an oval platter.
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Chicken Carnitas

A delicious and melt-in-your-mouth tender riff on classic carnitas, made with boneless skinless chicken in your slow cooker!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Cinco de Mayo, crockpot, easy, keto, low carb, party food
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 287kcal
Author Marissa Stevens

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano ideally Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic smashed
  • ½ cup tomato juice
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce such as Tabasco or Cholula brands

Instructions

  • Place chicken thighs in slow cooker. Combine salt, cumin, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl and sprinkle over chicken. Add garlic cloves.
  • Whisk together tomato juice, orange juice and chipotle hot sauce and pour over meat. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high 3-4 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
  • When the meat has cooled slightly, carefully transfer from the cooking juices to a large bowl. Using two forks, shred into bite size pieces.
  • Skim fat off of the slow cooker juices. Add ¼ cup or more of the juices to the shredded meat and gently toss to coat. Refrigerate remaining juices for reheating the chicken (see note #1) or freeze for another use (see note #2).
  • Serve in warm corn or flour tortillas with your favorite toppings for tacos, or on tostadas, in burritos, or on taco salads. (For crispy chicken carnitas, see recipe note #1.)

Notes

  1. My favorite way to crisp up or reheat chicken carnitas is in a slick of hot oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet until the meat is heated through and the edges are crisp, adding a little bit of the cooking liquid for flavor and moisture. OR spread the carnitas into an even layer on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned with crispy edges, stirring halfway through and adding more of the cooking liquid as needed.
  2. Don't throw excess cooking liquid away! If you have some left over when your chicken carnitas is gone, you can freeze it. It makes a great start for chili or other savory soup.
  3. Yields about 2 pounds of shredded meat.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 1100mg | Potassium: 647mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 289IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg