Slow Cooker Salsa Pork — An easy Crock-Pot recipe

Low and slow is the way to go: Slow Cooker Salsa Pork cooks away in your slow cooker all day, for the perfect tacos that night!

I have to type this post as fast as possible so that I can enjoy some leftovers for lunch today, guys: Slow Cooker Salsa Pork was just. that. good! A big old pork shoulder roast stars in this June 18, 2017 edition of Sunday Scratchups: Your weekly recipe from scratch around ingredients that are either on sale or generally affordable.

I picked up my pork roast for $.99/lb on sale last week, and low and slow is the way to go on these cheaper big roasts. Watch for a sale and stock up!

Slow Cooker Salsa Pork is a similar concept to this old slow cooker salsa chicken recipe, but I have gotten away from the taco seasoning packets over the last few years and am using real food seasonings here instead for an even better result. This is still a super easy Crock-Pot recipe, though, requiring just a few minutes of prep time in the morning — then just shred the pork and assemble your tacos when it’s time to eat.

Slow Cooker Salsa Pork

Ingredients

5-7 lb pork butt/shoulder (bone-in or boneless both work)
1/2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 bay leaf
12 whole garlic cloves
Medium yellow onion, sliced
16 oz jar salsa, preferably chipotle

Directions

Place pork in slow cooker, fatty side down. Season with salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne. Add bay leaf and tuck garlic cloves and onion slices around the side, then pour salsa over everything.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours (longer is better!), then remove pork from Crock-Pot and shred (discard bay leaf, bone, if present, most of the liquid, and any large chunks of fat; either shred in the cooked onion and garlic or discard, your choice). Serve shredded pork with your favorite taco fixings.

I added guacamole, pico de gallo, and queso quesadilla to our slow cooker salsa pork tacos (which are shown here on corn tortillas) and garnished with lime wedges and sliced radish, but jazz yours up to your own preferences! I also used my seven quart Crock-Pot for this recipe, which will work best in a larger slow cooker.

Enjoy tacos for days…

Everyone here loves this super-flavorful slow cooker salsa pork, which is optionally low carb (serve on a low carb wrap or lettuce), gluten free (serve on corn tortillas or lettuce), and/or dairy free (leave off the cheese).

Leftover pulled salsa pork is also amazing to use in taquitos, on nachos, in taco salad, in quesadillas, or in hash, and you can easily freeze half for later if this is just too much pork in one week for your family.

Slow Cooker Salsa Pork, printable recipe

Recipes in the real world

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!