Soy Free Crockpot Pork Carnitas with Lime
Slow-cooked pork shoulder gets the full treatment here — rubbed in warm spices, braised low and slow with garlic, onion, bone broth, and a bright hit of lime, then finished under the broiler until the edges go irresistibly crispy. That final broil step is the secret weapon, giving you the kind of caramelized, crackling bits you'd normally only get from a restaurant kitchen. The spice blend of turmeric, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, oregano, and thyme sounds unexpected, but it builds a deeply savory, slightly earthy flavor that makes these carnitas genuinely hard to stop eating. Soy can sneak into a surprising number of store-bought marinades, spice blends, and even broths, but every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify — bone broth, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and fresh lime juice do all the heavy lifting. A drizzle of the reserved braising liquid at the end keeps everything juicy even after the broiler does its thing. Pile it into tortillas, spoon it over rice, or just eat it straight off the pan with a squeeze of lime and a handful of fresh cilantro — no judgment.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch chunks
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ½ cup bone broth
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
For serving
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, combine the salt, turmeric, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, oregano, and thyme. Pat the pork shoulder chunks dry with paper towels, then rub the spice mixture evenly over all sides of each piece.
- 2
Scatter the smashed garlic and chopped onion across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Nestle the seasoned pork pieces on top in a single layer as much as possible.
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