Carnitas Tostadas (Slow Cooker Prep!)

Carnitas Tostadas are a fantastic alternative to tacos. Load up a crispy tortilla shell with refried beans, chunks of tender carnitas, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Super yum!

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Ready for an easy and delicious dinner? Carnitas Tostadas are it! Bean tostadas are pretty amazing to start, but you’ll really up your game when you add tender chunks of carnitas, or “little meats” to the mix.

Whether you fry your own tortillas or just buy the packaged tostada shells, you’re in for a treat when you put tostadas on the meal plan. They are a perfect addition to a Mexican food buffet, since they share so many ingredients with your other taco night favorites, such as tacos, burritos, and taco salad.

The best thing is that the prep is super hands-free. The carnitas cooks in the slow cooker all day so that you can come home to a simple yet filling supper.

Carnitas Tostadas

Carnitas tostadas are delicious and easy to make. The filling cooks up tender and juicy in the slow cooker. Cut into chunks and browned in the oven, the meat develops crispy bits that are absolutely tasty.

Loaded on a tostada shell with beans and taco fillings, carnitas tostadas are super fun for Taco Tuesdays.

What cut of meat are carnitas?

Carnitas are made from pork shoulder, a well-marbled cut that when braised becomes tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

How are carnitas served?

Carnitas are delicious served as a roast, a taco or burrito filling, or a topping for burrito bowls or tostadas. They go exceptionally well with pinto beans, guacamole, and traditional taco toppings.

How do you make carnitas?

Making carnitas taco filling is a simple process. 

1. Season the pork shoulder with salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano.
2. Place the roast in the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours  or high for 4 toto 6 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender.
3. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and cut into chunks. 
4. Place the meat in a baking dish and cook in the oven until browned and crispy in bits.

Are carnitas supposed to be crispy?

Carnitas should have crispy bits as well as tender chunks of meat. Honestly, little bits of fat make it super tasty!

How do you eat tostada shells? 

Tostada shells can prove puzzling to some. Is it a hand-held food or one you eat with knife and fork? 

It depends on what you prefer. You can do either or both.

How much does it cost to make carnitas tostadas?

Carnitas tostadas can be a very affordable meal to make, especially since pork is such an inexpensive cut of meat.

Here’s how the ingredients for this recipe pencil out when you buy them not on sale at a mid-range grocer in San Diego county. Your mileage may vary.

• tostada shells – $1.09 ($1.99/22) or you can get tortillas ($0.72 for 12) and oil ($0.33 for 1 cup) for $1.05
• refried beans – $1.86 
• 4# pork shoulder roast – $7.16 ($1.79/lb)
• iceberg lettuce – $0.65 ($1.29/1 head)
• tomatoes $0.60

This prices out to be $11.36 for a dozen or 95 cents each! You’ll be hard pressed to find a meaty tostada elsewhere for less than a buck!

Do you need any special equipment to make carnitas tostadas?

You don’t need any special equipment to make this dish, other than a slow cooker and a cutting board.

This post was originally published on May 4, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.