Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas
This Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas delivers 66g protein and 392 calories per serving—exceptional protein density for a single dish. Quick prep on your stovetop yields 8 servings, making it a foundational dinner protein you can batch on Sunday. One serving nearly hits 70g protein, getting you halfway to a high daily target with one meal.
Ingredients
- •Chicken Breast, Boneless Skinless(2268g)
Boneless skinless. Buy in bulk and freeze — Costco rotisserie packs work too.
- •1 Bottle Beer (Or Chicken Stock, If You Do Not Like To Cook With Alcohol)
- •Yellow Onion
- •Garlic(240g)
- •Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce(15g)
- •Cumin, Ground(10g)
- •1 teaspoon black pepper
- •Chili powder(5g)
- •1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- •Lime
Instructions
- 1Add the chicken, beer, onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and salt to the bowl of a large slow cooker. Gently toss to combine.
- 2Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the chicken is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- 3Once the chicken is cooked, preheat your broiler to high heat and grease one large baking sheet with cooking spray. Use a fork to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the prepared baking sheet, spreading the chicken in an even layer and leaving the juices behind in the slow cooker. (Don’t discard the juices, we’re going to use them later!)
- 4Place one sheet under the broiler, 2 racks down from the very top, and broil for about 5-6 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken begin browning and crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven, then ladle about 1/2 cup of the juices from the slow cooker evenly over the chicken, and then give it a good toss with some tongs so that the chicken is evenly coated with the juices. Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat more crispy. Then remove and ladle an additional 1/2 cup of broth over the crispy chicken. Broil for an additional 5 minutes. Then remove sheet from the oven, and toss chicken with the remaining broth. Then drizzle with however much fresh lime juice you’d like (I love a ton of lime flavor!), and toss once more to combine.
- 5Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, salads, or whatever sounds good to you! This chicken can also be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition — Per Serving
392
calories
66g
protein
8g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 11g
- Saturated fat
- 1.7g
- Sodium
- 168 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 1.0g
8 servings per batch · ~317g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas have per serving?
Each serving contains 66g of protein and 392 calories, with only 8g fat and 11g carbs. This is one of the highest protein-per-calorie ratios available, delivering nearly 17% of a 400g daily protein target in a single portion.
How long does Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas take to prep?
Quick prep time yields 8 servings, so you can batch-prep a week's worth of high-protein dinners or lunch bases in a single session. The slow cooker does the cooking while you focus elsewhere.
Is Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Carnitas good for muscle gain?
At 66g protein and 392 calories per serving, this carnitas recipe is built for muscle gain phases where protein density is the priority. The minimal carbohydrates and fat mean you can add sides to match your surplus target without the base meal restricting your calorie budget.
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