Crock Pot Carnitas with Egg and Avocado

Say goodbye to your standard ho-hum crock pot shredded pork recipe, and HELLO to this sizzling, succulent dish – Crock Pot Carnitas with Egg and Avocado!

The only thing better than the scent of this garlic studded pork slow cooking in your kitchen is how versatile is, and how fabulous it tastes!

Crock Pot Carnitas

Pork shoulder is rubbed with a simple yet flavor packed mixture of garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes then slow cooked until fall apart tender. This is the BEST all-purpose shredded pork recipe you will ever eat.

At this point, the carnitas would be fabulous tucked into a taco shell or tortilla, piled onto buns, or spread over chips for nachos, but we’re taking things a step further and sizzling the carnitas in a skillet until golden brown and audibly crunchy.

It is unreal. 

Put an Egg on In

After sizzling the carnitas until crunchy, sliced avocado is layered on top followed by a fried egg. Crock Pot Carnitas with Egg and Avocado is not only what’s for breakfast — but lunch, dinner, and every meal in between. This gluten-free, low-carb dish absolutely SLAYS and takes just 5 minutes to prep. Tons of protein, flavor, and texture. I could eat this meal every single day!

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Ready to slow cook and sizzle?

How to Make Crock Pot Carnitas

Start with a boneless pork butt, aka a Boston Butt, which is actually the shoulder cut of the pig. Apparently the odd name was given during the Colonial days when butchers would pack lesser quality cuts of meat (compared to a chop or tenderloin anyway,) into barrels called butts. Mmkay!

Trim the pork of excess fat then cut into 6 or 7 hunks and place into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot.

Next add microplaned garlic (if you don’t have a microplane, use a garlic press or mince the garlic very very fine – you want it to melt into the meat) brown sugar, salt, red chili pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper. Rub the seasonings into the meat to evenly coat then pour in chicken broth.

Place a lid on top then cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat shreds very easily with a fork. Shred the pork with two forks then add to a bowl and spoon enough cooking liquid over the top to moisten.

You can use the pork right away or stash it away in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. The leftover shredded pork is fantastic in fried rice, salads, soups, tacos, quesadillas, etc – the flavor is PERFECT for adapting to any cuisine! Plus, if you have any leftover at the end of the week, it freezes beautifully.

Ours, however, is skillet-bound! Drizzle enough extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat to coat the bottom then add 1 cup pork (or more or less). Press down firmly with a spatula then saute until the bottom is golden brown and flip.

Now, the pork has a tendency to want to fall apart after the first flip, but it’s fine. Just gather it back together then press with a spatula, saute until the second side is golden brown, and then flip a third time and saute until crisp. Feel free to add more extra virgin olive oil at any point if you think the pork needs it to keep sizzling.

Slide the crispy carnitas onto a plate then scrape the skillet out, spray with nonstick spray, and cook 1 egg to your liking. Top the pork with fresh avocado slices, tons of fresh lime juice, salt, and the egg then DIG.IN!! I hope you love this flavor and protein-packed, low-carb, gluten-free dish that’s good any time of day! Enjoy!

Crispy Crock Pot Carnitas with Egg and Avocado

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Description

Crock Pot Carnitas with Egg and Avocado is a protein packed, low carb, gluten free recipe that's fit for any meal of the day. Sizzling and absolutely succulent!

Ingredients

serves a crowd

• For the Crock Pot Carnitas:
  • 3-1/2lb pork butt (shoulder,) trimmed of excess of fat and cut into hunks
  • 4 large garlic cloves, microplaned
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3/4 Tablespoon salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 lime
• salt
• 1 egg

Directions

1. For the Crock Pot Carnitas: Place pork into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot then add garlic, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and red chili pepper flakes. Rub with your hands to evenly coat the pork all over then add the chicken broth. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until meat easily shreds with a fork. Place shredded pork into a large bowl then spoon enough of the cooking liquid over the top to moisten. Refrigerate until ready to use - can be done several days ahead of time.
2. Add enough extra virgin olive oil to the bottom of a small skillet over heat that's just a touch above medium to form a thin layer on the bottom. Add 1 cup of shredded pork (or more or less) then flatten with a spatula and saute until crispy on one side. Flip and press then saute until the second side is crispy. Your patty may fall apart when flipping - that's ok. Just flip a third time, press, and saute until crispy again. Transfer crispy carnitas to a plate.
3. Spray the skillet with nonstick spray then crack an egg into the center and cook according to your preferences (sunny side up, fried, over easy, etc.)
4. Top crispy carnitas with avocado slices, drizzle with lime juice and salt, and then top with the egg and serve.

Notes

• Use leftover pulled pork for stir fries, sandwiches, tacos, nachos, salads, etc., or freeze.

Pork adapted from New York Times.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.