Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
This Pork Carnitas recipe packs 35g protein and 334 calories per serving—efficient fuel for recovery without excess fat. Makes 12 servings via slow cooker, stretching your prep time across multiple training days and reducing daily cooking effort. Perfect for athletes running a calorie deficit who need high protein-to-calorie ratio.
Ingredients
- •Pork Loin(1814g)
- •3-4 teaspoons salt
- •1 teaspoon pepper
- •Oregano, Dried(15g)
- •Cumin, Ground(15g)
- •Yellow Onion
- •Garlic(480g)
- •Lime Juice, Fresh
- •Orange Juice, Fresh(180g)
- •Cola Beverage, Regular(180g)
- •2 bay leaves
Instructions
- 1Rinse and pat dry pork with a paper towel.
- 2In the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, add pork, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, coke, and bay leaves.
- 3Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high heat for 5-6 hours (until the meat falls apart).
- 4Remove pork and shred with two forks (DO NOT DISCARD THE LIQUID!)
- 5Transfer the pork to a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking oil spray (or lined with aluminium foil or parchment paper).
- 6Pour 1 ladle full (about 1 cup) of the liquid from the slow cooker over the pork to season. Broil for 5-10 minutes on high heat until the meat becomes golden browned and crispy on the edges.
- 7Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add pork in batches of two or three, and sear until just beginning to crisp. Ladle over about 1/2 cup of left over liquid, and continue cooking until the juices begin to reduce down and the meat is nice and crispy!
- 8Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired. Pour over more of the slow cooker juices once the meat has crisped for added flavour, just before serving! Serve in Tacos, Burritos, or in a salad!
Nutrition — Per Serving
334
calories
35g
protein
15g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 18g
- Saturated fat
- 5.0g
- Sodium
- 71 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 1.5g
12 servings per batch · ~224g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork) have per serving?
Each serving contains 35g of protein and 334 calories with 15g fat and 18g carbs. This is a high-protein, moderate-calorie option that efficiently supports daily protein goals.
How long does Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork) take to prep?
This is a quick prep recipe despite slow cooking, and it batch-makes 12 servings from one cooking session. You're getting nearly two weeks of protein-rich meals prepped at once.
Is Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork) good for muscle gain?
At 35g protein and 334 calories per serving, this recipe is well-suited for muscle gain phases where hitting daily protein targets is the priority. The moderate calorie and carb load allows flexibility to add carb sources around training.
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