Recipes and Cooking Pork Carnitas with Tomato-Avocado Salsa 5.0 (1) 1 Review Your slow cooker is a workhouse... so put it to work! Coming home to a house that smells wonderful - and a dinner that's ready and waiting - is the reward for planning ahead. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on January 12, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 25 mins Slow Cook Time: 10 hrs Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 12 carnitas Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed 2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast, trimmed and cut into thirds ½ cup water 1 small red onion, cut into very thin wedges 12 romaine lettuce or savoy cabbage leaves 1 recipe Tomato-Avocado Salsa Tomato-Avocado Salsa 1 lime 2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped 1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped 2 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ teaspoon sea salt ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper Directions In a small bowl combine first eight ingredients (through cayenne pepper). Sprinkle half of the mixture over meat; rub in with your fingers. Place meat in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Add the water. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or on high 4 1/2 to 5 hours. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat from cooker. Coarsely shred meat using two forks; transfer to a large bowl. Add onion and remaining spice mixture; toss gently to coat. To serve, spoon meat mixture onto lettuce and top with Tomato-Avocado Salsa. Roll up lettuce around filling. Tomato-Avocado Salsa Remove 1/2 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice from lime. In a medium bowl combine the lime zest and juice and the remaining ingredients. Sauté Finishing Option Prepare as directed through Step 3. In a large skillet heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat 2 minutes. Add half of the meat mixture; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until meat is browned and crisp on edges, turning once with a large spatula. (Avoid stirring the mixture constantly or meat will not brown well). Remove with a slotted spoon; keep warm. Repeat with remaining meat mixture, adding additional olive oil if necessary. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 199 Calories 9g Fat 8g Carbs 21g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 199 % Daily Value * Total Fat 9g 12% Saturated Fat 3g 15% Cholesterol 61mg 20% Sodium 562mg 24% Total Carbohydrate 8g 3% Total Sugars 2g Protein 21g Vitamin C 12.1mg 60% Calcium 51mg 4% Iron 2.4mg 14% Potassium 674mg 14% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.