Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas

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Great for a weeknight, slow cooker chicken carnitas don’t need to be pre-cooked. Just combine chicken thighs and spices in the slow cooker and let them go. Right before serving, shred the chicken and broil it until tender and crisp. Use the carnitas in tacos, burrito bowls, or to make taco salads.

overhead image of Slow cooker chicken carnitas in a clear glass bowl

With Cinco de Mayo this year falling while Kansas City (and many other places in the world) are still under stay-at-home orders, it’s a good year to get creative with some Mexican-inspired food at home! Mexican and TexMex meals are a staple of our weeknight routine (see Slow Cooker Taco Meat, Enchilada Pasta, Taco Soup). All three of my kids like these meals and they are easy to customize into taco salads if we want something lighter, burrito bowls if we want a grain base, or a taco bar if everyone wants to customize.

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overhead image of chicken carnitas tacos on a sheet pan

Taco night is even better if it’s made from something in the slow cooker that requires no pre-cooking and is entirely hands off until the last 15 minutes before serving. While pork carnitas are a classic, chicken carnitas are a lighter, healthier twist that still deliver big on flavor. And if you want to take it to the next level, I recommend whipping up a batch of this super simple Avocado Crema sauce to drizzle on top.

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Here’s how  to make Crispy Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas.

overhead image of chicken carnitas meat on a sheet pan

Chicken Carnitas Ingredients

  • Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs – I strongly recommend chicken thighs in this recipe. They have a bit more fat which helps them to crisp up under the broiler in the final step of cooking without drying out. 
  • Dried Spices – A combination of salt, black pepper, and common spices (ground cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, dried oregano, and garlic powder) flavor the chicken as it cooks. If you’re missing one of these spices, no worries – the chicken will still have great flavor even without one or two of them.
  • Chicken Stock or Water – The chicken will naturally release liquid as it cooks, but it is still a good idea to add a small amount of stick or water to the bottom of the slow cooker. This will prevent burning as the slow cooker heats up.
  • Cooking Oil – After the slow cooker chicken is completely cooked, shred or chop it and toss it with some cooking oil. This will help the chicken to crisp up as it gets a final round of cooking under the oven’s broiler.
overhead image of dried spices in a clear bowl, next to wooden measuring spoons on a white table

How to Make Slow Cooker Carnitas

  1. Make spice mix. Combine a simple blend of spices and season the chicken with it.
  2. Slow cook chicken. Slow cook chicken until tender, 3 to 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low. 
  3. Shred chicken. Shred the chicken with two forks or use a knife to roughly chop it.
  4. Broil until crisp. Toss the chicken with some oil and place it under the oven’s broiler until the edges are crisp and golden brown. (The time will vary depending on how hot your broiler runs, but this should take between 5 and 12 minutes.)
adding spices to chicken in the slow cooker
overhead image of uncooked chicken thighs covered in spices in the slow cooker
overhead image of cooked chicken in the slow cooker
adding olive oil to cooked and pulled chicken in a clear glass bowl

The chicken can be cooked in the slow cooker and shredded / chopped up to 3 days ahead of time. Wait and do the final step to crisp the chicken under the broiler until right before serving. The texture will be the best if it is served right after broiling.

overhead image of chicken carnitas tacos with toppings

More Tex Mex Favorites

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slow cooker chicken carnitas in a clear bowl on a white table
4.35 from 23 votes

Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas

Great for a weeknight, slow cooker chicken carnitas don’t need to be pre-cooked. Just combine chicken thighs and spices in the slow cooker and let them go. Just before serving, shred the chicken and broil it until tender and crisp. Use the carnitas in tacos, burrito bowls, or to make taco salads.
This recipe can be made in a 4 or 6-quart slow cooker.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • 4 or 6 quart Slow-Cooker
  • Half Sheet Pan

Ingredients 

For the Slow Cooker:

  • 2 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder (do not use cayenne pepper; chili powder will give this dish a hint of spice; for non-spicy version, use paprika)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1/4 cup Chicken Stock or Water

To Finish:

  • 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Lime Juice (optional)

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine salt, cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper.
  • Place the chicken thighs in the bowl of a slow cooker and sprinkle spices over top. Stir to evenly coat the chicken in spices.
  • Pour water around the sides of the chicken.
  • Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook until chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low.
  • When chicken is done, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the slow cooker (leaving behind any cooking liquid in the bottom of the bowl) and transfer to a cutting board.
  • Shred the chicken with two forks or use a knife to roughly chop it.
  • Toss the chicken with cooking oil and spread out on a sheet pan. Season with some salt and pepper.
  • Turn on the oven’s broiler (use the high setting if available) and place an oven rack about 6” / 15 cm below the broiler.
  • Slide the sheet pan with the chicken under the broiler and cook, without stirring the chicken, until the edges are very crisp and golden brown. The temperature from a broiler can vary widely, but this should take between 5 and 12 minutes. Watch it very closely to prevent burning.
  • Squeeze lime juice over chicken.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

The chicken can be cooked in the slow cooker and shredded / chopped up to 3 days ahead of time. Do the step to brown it under the broiler right before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $6.00
Calories: 188
Keyword: chicken carnitas, chicken dinner, chicken tacos, easy chicken recipe, easy recipe, Mexican, slow cooker tacos, tex mex
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

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11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I just came across this recipe on Pinterest and it was the PERFECT way to use up some boneless skinless chicken thighs in my fridge. Super easy, super flavorful, and I love the extra step of crisping up the chicken like you would in a carnitas recipe. Big win with the family. Thanks so much for the recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    I had some extra rotisserie chicken in my fridge and I wondered if I could just toss it in this spice mix and throw it in the broiler since it was already cooked. Well, I tried it and the results were delicious! It tasted so flavorful even without cooking in the spices and this will now be my go-to for any extra chicken breast or rotisserie chicken I have. Thank you!

    1. I’m so glad this worked! I’ll add a note to the recipe page about that – what a good way to use rotisserie chicken.

  3. 5 stars
    WOW. Didn’t get to the broil part because once I shredded the chicken it was already soo
    perfect and tasty to eat! Couldn’t help myself. (I ‘ll do it next time lol) Definitely will be one of my go to’s on taco night!! Thank you!!

  4. 5 stars
    Whole family loves this recipes. I haven’t added the extra step of making the chicken crispy yet, but have enjoyed it straight from the crockpot! 🙂 Wonderful spice combination!

    1. Absolutely. I think you get more flavor from browning them, but the recipe will work just fine and will taste great even without browning.