Description
Tender and flavorful chicken carnitas cooked in a slow cooker, perfect for tacos, burritos, or nachos.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- Tortillas, for serving
- Toppings (e.g., cilantro, diced onions, avocado)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Place the chicken in the slow cooker, ensuring it’s spread out evenly.
- Add Aromatics: Sprinkle the chopped onion and minced garlic over the chicken.
- Layer on the Spices: Add in the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Mix together.
- Incorporate Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the chicken broth, then season generously with salt and pepper.
- Cook to Perfection: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Shred the Chicken: Use two forks to shred chicken in the slow cooker and mix in lime juice.
- Create Your Carnitas Masterpiece: Warm tortillas and set up a toppings bar.
Notes
Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes for enhanced flavor. Prepare toppings in advance for a quicker assembly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 360 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
Keywords: slow cooker, chicken, carnitas, tacos, Mexican