Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker Carnitas Sliders with Chipotle Sour Cream
Jackie Dodd-Mallory
(Senior Editor)
This post was sponsored by Crock-Pot. Partnerships with The Beeroness and outside companies are rare and only occur when the company’s products are ones I use and enjoy myself. All ideas and opinions are my own.
I’m still sort of in shock. If you’re a long time carnitas lover, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The best part of this delicious slow-cooked meat dish is the lovely caramelization you get on some of the end bits. It’s really not the same without that.
What shocks me is that I was able to get the perfect seared caramelization in a Crock-Pot! If you’d have told me that was possible, I might have fought you, bet you several pitchers of good beer that it wasn’t possible. And now here I am. I’d owe you quite a few beers, and I’d have gladly paid up, these carnitas were the best I’ve made and that sear is perfect! (Yes, it’s SUPER nerdy that I’m THIS excited about it. But I can’t even try to care, I’m so excited!)
The new Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is a game changer. It has eight different functions that encompass all the functions you would achieve from using multiple different kitchen appliances from slow cooking to pressure cooking and sautéing to searing. The Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker is also available in NEW 4-Quart and 8-Quart Models.
I was a bit skeptical that the brown/sauté setting would work as well as a stovetop pot. It’s a good thing I didn’t have a bet going, it was perfect. Also, SO much easier. I didn’t have to use anything but the Multi-Cooker. I’m usually someone who digs the traditional Dutch ovens for such endeavors, but these carnitas came out so well, I’ll never go back.
So, if you want to win yourself a couple beers, just bet someone that you can’t make a Crock-Pot sear. Or pressure cook. You’ll never have to buy beer again.
Crock-PotExpress Crock Carnitas Sliders with Chipotle Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 4.5 lbs pork shoulder cut into cubes
- 1 tablespoon salt plus ½ teaspoon divided
- 12 ounces stout beer
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- Juice from 1 large lime
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
- 24 slider buns
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Sprinkle the pork on all sides with 1 tablespoon salt.
- In a small bowl stir together the beer, tomato paste, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika.
- Add the pork and the sauce to a Crock-Pot Express Crock Multi-Cooker, add the lid (make sure the lid to the Multi-Cooker is locked but the steam value is open to “release” mode). Cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8 hours.
- Remove the inner bowl of the Crock-Pot, pouring off the liquid (leave a small amount, about 2 tablespoons, the amount doesn’t need to be exact), place the bowl back in the Crockpot.
- Turn the multi-cooker to the “brown/sauté” setting on high. Shred the pork, in the cooker with two forks while the pot heats up in sauté mode. Press meat firmly down with a wooden spoon into a firm even layer.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes, stir and press again into a firm even layer.
- Once the remaining liquid is gone and there are pieces of meat that have been nicely caramelized, remove from the pot and add to a serving bowl, toss with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Stir together the sour cream and chipotle peppers.
- Add the carnitas to the slider buns, top with sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro.
Comments
Susan October 13, 2018 um 11:27 am
Can this be made in a regular pressure cooker? Same times/ingredients?
Jackie October 13, 2018 um 11:46 am
It can be made in a regular Crock Pot. When it’s done just remove it and pan sear it to get the caramelization.
Kenny October 15, 2018 um 6:55 pm
Would it be crazy to try this with chicken? If not, what changes might you make?
Jackie October 16, 2018 um 10:00 am
It would be a MUCH shorter cooking time and the searing would be something you’d need to keep your eye on closely. Also, use thighs rather than breasts if you try it. Have fun!
Frank S. October 16, 2018 um 4:21 am
Could you make this with a pork tenderloin?
Jackie October 16, 2018 um 10:00 am
Pork tenderloin is very lean and you need fat for this recipe or it will be very dry about tough
Nicole January 28, 2019 um 10:44 am
Sounds delicious! I’m pinning this to my CPE board for sure! I love carnitas and I can honestly say I’ve never thought about doing them as sliders! The sauce looks AMAZING!
Dave February 2, 2019 um 7:52 am
Just to clarify, the recipe calls for 4.5 lbs of pork and yields 6 servings? That seems like an awful lot of pork.
Jackie February 2, 2019 um 11:20 am
A big chunk of fatty meat like that has a lot of water and fat that cooks off. It starts as 4.5 lbs but ends around 3 lbs of useable meat.
Brittany July 18, 2019 um 4:46 pm
I made this in my crockpot and then pan seared the pork! It came out amazing. Will definitely be making this again.