Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Quesadilla

Enjoy Mexican night right in your own kitchen with this easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Quesadilla — also great in tacos and burritos. 

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Quesadilla | www.motherthyme.com

I love my weekly fix of Mexican food.  Chipotle is one of my favorite Mexican splurges that we’ll have from time to time.  Often, I just whip up Mexican inspired dishes in my kitchen from tacos, burritos or even a Chipotle-style burrito bowl. 

Another Mexican favorite is Carnitas, which is pork that is traditionally cooked slowly in lard.  I skip the lard, which many people do and slowly cook the pork in a delicious rub in the slow cooker.  The result is a tender, shredded pork that is great not just for Quesadilla but can be used in tacos, burritos, you name it. 

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Quesadilla | www.motherthyme.com

I love Mexican food because you can layer the flavors and really customize it to your liking.  Whether you are having taco night or trying these Carnitas Quesadilla, create a “toppings bar” on your kitchen counter or in the center of the kitchen table that include toppings like guacamole, sour cream, beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, cilantro, corn.  It is like having Chipotle or any similar Mexican restaurant right in your own kitchen. 

In my kitchen, everyone picks out the toppings on their quesadilla then I’ll toss in on my panini, a great way to make a quesadilla until it’s crispy and the cheese is nice and melted.  My kids keep it simple, they just like cheese quesadilla but Mr. Mother Thyme and I load it up with black beans, corn and cheese.  Top these off with fresh guacamole for a tasty dinner I always look forward to making again and again. 

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Quesadilla | www.motherthyme.com

Print

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Quesadilla

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 23 cloves)
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 810 flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Additional toppings for serving (optional)

  • Guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Sour cream
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Black beans
  • Corn
  • Cilantro
  • Refried beans

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl mix chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
  2. In another small bowl mix vegetable oil, liquid smoke, minced garlic and orange juice.
  3. Stir spice mixture into wet ingredients until combined.
  4. Brush mixture all over pork.
  5. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and place pork in slow cooker.
  6. Top with sliced onions and bay leaf.
  7. Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
  8. Remove pork from slow cooker and place on a large cutting board and allow to cool to touch.
  9. When cool to touch, shred pork using two forks.
  10. Remove bay leaves and place shredded pork back in slow cooker with juices. Cook for about 30 minutes longer.
  11. To serve, place desired amount of shredded pork on flour tortilla. Top with cheese and desired toppings, top with another flour tortilla.
  12. Place on panini or large skillet and cook until tortilla is crispy and cheese is melted.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Similar Posts

7 Comments

  1. Very nice recipe. My friends were so thrilled when I made it for them for today lunch time. People here in Balkans are not so much to Mexican food so every new recipe for them is really something worth trying:)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.