Keto Crock Pot Carnitas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is carnitas good for keto? ›

Can You Eat Carnitas on Keto? Carnitas is a Mexican slow-cooked pulled pork dish that is typically served with rice, beans, and tortillas. The pulled pork on it own is very low in carbs and keto-friendly, but its accompaniments are often filled with net carbs.

Any cut of meat can become overcooked, even in the crockpot. Avoid cooking this pork carnitas recipe for longer than the times listed below, or the meat will end up tough and chewy.

Apple juice can be used in carnitas in place of orange juice. If using apple juice, you can add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to increase the acidity. You can also use lime juice, lemon juice, or a combination of any of these.

Don't Trim the Fat

Worgul recommends placing the pork in the slow-cooker fat side up. The fat will render thoroughly during the cooking process and by placing the meat fat side up, it makes it much easier to remove excess fat before serving. "The cooker will be nearly filled with fat and liquid after hours of cooking.

Keto dieters can feel free to indulge in pork options like baby back ribs, sugar-free bacon, plain ham, salami, pork belly, pork rinds, sugar-free sausages, pork shoulder, and pork tenderloin.

At each meal, aim for 3 to 4 ounces of protein, like lean beef, fish, or pork, depending on your macronutrient needs. Cook with butter or oil (yes, seriously).

In general, it's best to stick to the indicated cook time on the recipe you're following. Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours.

The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy.

The Slow Cooker as a Tool for Braising

You can even leave your house. Set the cooker to low; the high setting will boil the meat instead of braise it, so it's only a quicker trip to an undesirable outcome.

Adding the oranges is very much like braising pork Cuban-style for the traditional cubano sandwich. The milk acts as a tenderizer, a secret I learned while growing up watching dad make his carnitas which, by the way, were always exceptionally tender.

What does lemon juice do to pork? ›

Marinate and Rest: After coating the raw pork chops with the herb and lemon mixture, allow them to rest for at 15 minutes. This allows the allows the salt to seep into the meat and the acid of the lemon juice to tenderize the meat.

Pineapple has an enzyme, bromelin, which is used to tenderize meat commercially and in the home. Its primary effect is to dissolve or degrade the connective tissues collagen and elastin.

How long should you cook pulled pork in a Crock Pot? The Crock Pot is great for pulled pork because you need to cook it low and slow for several hours. I usually cook 4 lbs of pork shoulder for 7 hours on low. Be aware though, pulled pork will dry out if overcooked.

Throw it in early in the day and let it slow cook for at least 8 hours (or even longer) for best results. For meat like this to properly shred, it needs to reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F. It will seriously fall apart. If your meat is hard to shred, it's not done yet.

Calories and Macronutrients

According to the website My Fitness Pal, carnitas contain approximately 102 calories per 2 oz. One serving can provide your body with 16 g of protein, 1 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of fat.

Nearly all minimally processed meats are good sources of keto-friendly protein, including beef, chicken, fish, shellfish, pork, turkey, bison, and lamb. A 100-gram serving of these meats typically contains 17-21 grams of protein. Fattier cuts, like bacon and sausage, are lower in protein than leaner cuts.

Ham in its natural state is perfectly fine on a keto diet. In fact, it's fairly ideal. It's a meat, so it has no carbs, and it is high in fat. Ham is perfect for driving your body into ketosis.

Tips for Ordering Keto at Mexican Restaurants

Ask for lettuce leaves to use instead of tortillas for tacos and fajitas. Go for the good stuff. Don't worry if they don't have lettuce leaves! You can just eat the filling out of the tacos (that's the good stuff anyway!) and leave the tortillas.