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Red chili pork carnitas is a great and delicious meal to go on top of a bed of rice or in tacos for a fun Mexican Food based meal.

Slow Cooker Red Chili Pork: Mexican Carnitas Made Easy

This red chili pork recipe is a flavorful and spicy dish that's perfect for adding a bold kick to your meals. The pork is tender and slow-cooked in a rich sauce made with dried red chilies, garlic, and a mix of aromatic spices. The heat from the chilies is balanced with a touch of sweetness and a savory depth of flavor. It’s versatile enough to be used in tacos, burritos, or over a bed of rice. You can also serve it as a filling for quesadillas or on top of a crunchy salad for a spicy twist. It’s the perfect way to elevate any Mexican-inspired dish!
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 24 people

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker Instant Pot
  • Vacuum Sealer optional
  • Blender
  • Collander Or Sieve

Ingredients
  

Pork Shoulder

  • 8 lb Pork Shoulder Bone In
  • 6 tbsp Olive Oil divided
  • 3 Onions Red, White, or Yellow
  • 6 Garlic Cloves Minced
  • 2 tbsp Cumin divided in half
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Salt divided in half
  • 2 tbsp Onion Powder divided in half
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Powder divided in half
  • 2 tbsp Chili Powder Can use regular or Chipotle for extra spice
  • 1 tbsp Oregano Mexican Oregano if you have it
  • 1 tbsp Black Pepper divided in half
  • 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper Optional
  • 3 Bay Leaves

Red Chili Sauce

  • 15 Red Chili Pods Any combination of Arbol and California depending on your heat level
  • 4 cups Reserved Pork Broth
  • 1 tbsp Cumin
  • 1 tbsp Chili Powder Can use regular or Chipotle for extra spice
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 6 Garlic Cloves minced
  • .25 cup All Purpose Flour
  • .25 cup Lard Olive Oil

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork shoulder into 2-3” size pieces and put into a bowl to the side
    8 lb Pork Shoulder
  • Chop your 3 Onions roughly and mince your 6 Garlic Cloves and put it aside.
    3 Onions
  • Add 3 tbsp of Olive Oil to the bowl with the pork. Toss to ensure every piece is covered
    6 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Add spices to the pork including: 2 tbsp Cumin, 2 tbsp Garlic Salt, 2 tbsp Onion Powder, 2 tbsp Garlic Powder, 2 tbsp Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Oregano, 1 tbsp Black Pepper, 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
    6 Garlic Cloves, 2 tbsp Cumin, 2 tbsp Garlic Salt, 2 tbsp Onion Powder, 2 tbsp Garlic Powder, 2 tbsp Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Oregano, 1 tbsp Black Pepper, 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Browning Meat

  • Add 1 tbsp of Olive Oil to the Instant Pot on sauté or a skilled
  • Working in batches, brown the pork in an instant pot for about 2-3 minutes per side
  • After browning two sides, put pork aside and repeat process of browning

Combining Ingredients

  • Add 1/3 of the pork to the bottom of a slow cooker/Instant Pot, and then add 1/2 of the garlic and onions and 2 bay leaves to the slow cooker.
    3 Bay Leaves
  • Add another 1/3 layer of pork on top of the onions and garlic.
  • Repeat, adding more onions and garlic and the last bay leaf on the top layer of the pork.
  • Add the rest of the pork on top of the onions and cover with water
  • Add an additional 2 tbsp Cumin, 2 tbsp Garlic Salt, 2 tbsp Onion Powder, 2 tbsp Garlic Powder, 2 tbsp Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Oregano, 1 tbsp Black Pepper, 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • Cook for 6-8 hours or overnight on low in your slow cooker
  • Stir the meat and check to see if it is falling apart. If not, rearrange meat to ensure even heat distribution and then cook for another 6-8 hours.
  • Once cooked and falling apart, remove from slow cooker, reserving 4 cups of broth, and set aside. Shred when cooled

Red Chili Sauce

  • Add 15 Red Chili Pods to a colander/sieve and rinse under cool water.
    15 Red Chili Pods
  • Add to a pot and the 4 cups Reserved Pork Broth to the pot. Cook for 30 minutes until peppers have softened. Then let cool for 30 minutes.
    4 cups Reserved Pork Broth
  • Add red chili liquid to a blender and add 1 tbsp Cumin, 1 tbsp Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Garlic Powder, 1 tbsp Onion Powder, and 6 Garlic Cloves to a blender and blend until smooth.
    1 tbsp Cumin, 1 tbsp Chili Powder, 1 tbsp Garlic Powder, 1 tbsp Onion Powder, 6 Garlic Cloves

Making Roux

  • Add .25 cup All Purpose Flour and .25 cup Lard to a pot and mix on medium heat stirring frequently
    .25 cup All Purpose Flour, .25 cup Lard
  • Once you can smell toasted notes of flour or the four turns light brown, add the red chili liquid and stir until thick
  • Add the liquid to the shredded pork and combine until evenly distributed.

Preserving

  • Add red chili pork to vacuum sealing bags in 8-16 ounce bags and freeze until ready to eat.

Notes

This pork shoulder easily makes 24 servings of 4 ounce per person. Because of the time,  I recommend making this in advance, 1-2 days out, and then portioning it out, vacuum sealing, and freezing. 
Keyword Budget, Carnitas, Meal Prep, Mexican Food, Pork