What readers are saying about this recipe
I’ve made this a few times now and each time I amazed at how simple it truly is to make! And of course it is so delicious, it has become a weekly staple.
Rachel
Simple + Versatile
These chicken carnitas can be enjoyed several ways. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Tacos – with Siete tortillas or corn tortillas if you tolerate corn ok.
- Bowls – you can make a bowl with rice or cauliflower rice, veggies, greens, avocado and throw some chipotle aioli or one of our other homemade sauces on top for good measure.
- Roasted Veggies – just pair this flavorful chicken with your favorite roasted veggies and call it good.
- Stuffed potato – stuff a sweet potato or regular potato if you eat them with these carnitas.
Easy shredded crispy chicken
An easy way to make your Slow Cooker or Instant Pot chicken carnitas crispy is to put them on a sheet pan and broil them for 7-10 minutes before serving. In our testing, we found that this is the best way to get those crispy bits on some of the chicken.
Storage + Re-heating Tips
When you go to store your carnitas for leftovers, make sure to store them in the extra juices so that when you re-heat them, you infuse them again with the flavorful sauce. We’ve tried storing these without the sauce and when you reheat them they tend to dry out and lose flavor.
So, dump all the sauce into a container when storing. Our preferred way of re-heating these carnitas is in a pan on the stove. This also makes them crispy and delicious.
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Don’t forget to leave a quick star rating and review below, we read every comment and truly appreciate your feedback. Also, be sure to browse the rest of our easy, delicious recipes to find some other favorites too!
Chicken Carnitas (Juicy & Crispy!) – Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 lbs (1.81 kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs, (can sub chicken breasts)
For the carnitas sauce:
- 6 cloves (6 cloves) garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3/4 cup (186 g) fresh squeezed orange juice, (about 2 oranges)
- 1/4 cup (60.5 g) fresh squeezed lime juice, (about 2 limes)
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) cumin
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) chili powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) oregano, (fresh or dried)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) salt
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) chipotle powder
For serving:
- romaine lettuce, (or sub tortillas or other sturdy lettuce)
- chopped cilantro
- sliced avocado
- sliced jalapenos
- lime wedges
Equipment
Instructions
- Prep garlic as noted. Combine orange juice, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and chipotle powder in a bowl or jar and mix well.
- Prepare any optional toppings/serving items to have them ready for when the chicken is finished cooking.
For the Instant Pot:
- Place chicken in the Instant Pot and add in the garlic. Pour the carnitas sauce all over the chicken and toss to coat.
- Secure the lid on the instant pot and close the pressure valve. Press the “manual” button (or “pressure cook” button) and set the time to cook for 25 minutes at high pressure. Once the time is up, carefully quick release the pressure manually.
For the slow cooker:
- Place chicken in the slow cooker and pour the carnitas sauce all over the chicken.
- Place lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
- When the chicken has finished cooking in either the Instant pot or slow cooker, remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks.
- Serve chicken carnitas in bowls, lettuce wedges or tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Optional step for crispy chicken carnitas:
- Set your oven to broil.
- After shredding the chicken, use a spoon to remove the chicken from the instant pot or slow cooker and place on a large sheet pan. Pour or spoon the juices from the instant pot or slow cooker over the chicken in the sheet pan.
- Place in the oven to broil for 7-10 minutes, until the chicken begins to develop some brown and crispy edges. Remove the chicken halfway through and mix it up with a spoon or tongs to help coat all of the chicken with the juices.
- Watch the chicken carefully under the broiler and cook to your preference.
Notes
Thank you for this and all of the recipes on this site. How would I adjust this recipe for 1 lb of chicken? Do I reduce all ingredients by 3/4, but the cooking time stays at 25 min?
Yes, that’s correct. The only caveat to that is the instant pot needs enough liquid in the pot to work. Usually 1/2 cup is enough, so you may need to add a little broth or water to the orange and lime juice to get enough liquid for the instant pot to pressurize.
This recipe is delicious! And it’s a great alternative for people who don’t eat pork. I’ve made it again and again!
Happy to hear that, thank you for the review!
Absolutely great recipe. My husband doesn’t eat leftovers but he loves this on the second day. I make it in the Instant Pot so it’s quick and easy. Very delicious!
I would like to prepare this the day before I serve it to a crowd. Would I broil it on the same day I cook it and store it, or when I go to heat it up to serve?
It’s a delicious, simple recipe, and I don’t want to ruin it. Thanks for any suggestions you can offer!
I would broil it when you heat it back up. If you do it the other way around it might get dried out.