When I cook for my carnivore husband I obviously can’t taste the food being a vegetarian, so I have to rely on my other senses. I listen for the sizzle of the steak in the pan. I look at the browned skin on the chicken thighs. I feel the thick cut of the bacon. And finally, there is my sense of smell, which I used in this recipe. When I made these crockpot carnitas, my whole house smelled like a Mexican restaurant. I knew before the meat hit my man’s lips that this recipe was going to be a repeat in out house.
Now, I should start out by saying that as my carnivore hubs pointed out to me, carnitas is traditionally made with pork. This recipe, which I found on this great blog – eat, live, run – called for beef and that is what I used. If you want to substitute pork I think you could. In fact, the original recipe called for flank steak, but I could only find a flat iron. I made a few other adjustments too. Here is what you will need to make this marvelous Mexican dish as I did.
PrintCrockpot Beef Carnitas
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Description
This Crockpot Beef Carnitas recipe transforms flat iron steak into a tender, flavorful dish with the help of a slow cooker, perfect for tacos with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs flat iron steak
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Rub the spice mixture generously over the flat iron steak, ensuring it is evenly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the steak on each side for about 2-3 minutes until browned.
- Place the seared steak in the crockpot.
- Cover the steak with the chopped yellow onion, white onion, green bell pepper, red chili pepper, and jalapeno.
- Pour the beef broth over the top.
- Set the crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours, until the beef is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
- Once cooked, shred the beef using two forks and mix it with the juices and vegetables in the crockpot.
- Serve the beef carnitas on your choice of tortillas, and top with avocado, cilantro, salsa, and lime juice if desired.
Notes
You can substitute pork for beef if desired. The original recipe used flank steak, but flat iron steak works well too. Serve on any type of tortilla, and top with avocado, cilantro, salsa, and lime juice for added flavor. The peppers marinate beautifully in the meat juices, adding depth to the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 75
How easy is that? 
Serve on your favorite type of tortilla – flour, corn, or even whole wheat. I was lucky to get my carnivore to eat the peppers that had marinated in the meat juice all day, and that was only because he grew some of them. But, if you have a less veggie averse meat eater you can top your tacos with avocado, cilantro, salsa and lime juice.
I dont put any water, etc. In the crock pot with the meat ??
Can I put it in there frozen?