Name: Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 310 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast*; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion (coarsely chopped); 4 garlic cloves (minced); 1 jalapeño (seeded and ribs removed, chopped); 1 orange (cut in half); 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; Fresh lettuce (green, butter, romaine, iceberg); Shredded cheddar cheese; Chopped cilantro; Salsa; Guacamole or avocado slices; Sour cream

Recipe

Check out these slow-cooker Pork Lettuce Wraps for a refreshing and low-carb way to enjoy Taco Tuesday!

Prep this epic dinner in 10 minutes and let the crockpot do the rest. The tender pork carnitas in lettuce wraps will wow everyone!

Low Carb Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wraps

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

I love crunchy foods, so imagine how awesome it is to wrap lettuce around flavorful carnitas plus fresh taco toppings. This recipe lets you enjoy the same deliciousness of the classic pork carnitas tacos, but low-carb and with extra veggies. It’s so good that it made it to page 127 of my Taco Tuesday Cookbook.

Ingredients

This recipe starts with a boneless pork shoulder roast seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pork rub made with dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, and olive oil. For extra flavor, you’ll also add onion, garlic cloves, jalapeño, and orange for a sweet note. The carnitas are served in lettuce leaves with your favorite toppings.

How to Make Pork Lettuce Wraps

Check the video in the recipe card for a visual, but first, here are the steps:

Rub the pork.
Make the pork rub, and rub it all over the shoulder roast. Place it in the slow cooker, and add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Squeeze the orange halves into the slow cooker and add them.
Cook.
Cook for 8 to 10 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. Once the meat is tender, place it on a large cutting board and let it cool before shredding with two forks.
Make it crispy!
For crispy, charred carnitas, you can pan-fry the roast in a large pan by adding the meat in batches and sautéing until some of the edges are crusty. This step is optional.
Assemble.
Assemble the pork lettuce wraps. My favorite toppings are avocado slices, fresh guacamole, quick blender salsa, shredded cheese, and a little cilantro.

What to Serve with Lettuce Wraps

Combine these delicious carnitas lettuce wraps with a corn and tomato salad or this chunky avocado salsa. To keep this meal low-carb, serve these wraps with this epic cilantro lime cauliflower rice. Hey, and don’t forget to sip a Skinny Margarita. So good!

More Low-Carb Tacos

My go-to recipes when I crave a tasty low-carb dinner are Buffalo chickpea lettuce wraps, Thai chicken lettuce wraps, and Cobb salad lettuce wraps. Delish and healthy!

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Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wraps

Servings: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 5 10

Check out these slow-cooker Pork Lettuce Wraps for a refreshing and low-carb way to enjoy Taco Tuesday!

5 from 22 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast*
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and ribs removed, chopped
1 orange, cut in half
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Fresh lettuce, green, butter, romaine, iceberg

Toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped cilantro
Salsa
Guacamole or avocado slices
Sour cream

Instructions

Prep the pork:

Rinse and dry the pork shoulder roast with a paper towel. Salt and pepper liberally.
In a small dish, combine the oregano, cumin, chili powder, and olive oil and rub all over the shoulder roast. Place pork roast inside the slow cooker. Toss in onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Squeeze orange halves into the slow cooker and add them in.

Cook the pork:

Cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. Once the meat is tender, remove it from the slow cooker onto a large cutting board and allow the meat to cool down prior to shredding it between two forks.
For crispy, charred carnitas, you can pan-fry the roast. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan. Once hot, add the meat in batches and sauté until some of the edges are crusty. This step is optional.

Assemble the wraps:

Assemble the lettuce wraps and garnish with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Other great cuts for carnitas are pork butt, pork loin, and boneless pork chops.
Nutrition information is calculated for 2 lettuce wraps without toppings.

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