This mojo pork slow cooker recipe is full of Cuban flavors and after simmering for 8 hours, it’s juicy and fork-tender. Serve by itself or with fresh lime juice in a taco or enchilada for a simple weeknight meal.
Even though I can eat this pork straight from the pan, just wait until you use what’s left over to make Cuban sandwiches! They are just as delicious and you won’t have to cook the next night. You can even throw it on a flour tortilla with some cheese to make quesadillas or pile your favorite salad ingredients on top in these big homemade taco salad shells.
This is such a simple recipe, I like to keep the side dishes easy as well. We usually serve mojo pork with black beans, white rice, or Instant Pot brown rice.
Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork
- Makes enough for 8 people.
- The leftovers are delicious.
- A ‘set it and forget it’ recipe, so dinner is easy.
- Goes a long way, so it’s somewhat budget-friendly!
What Ingredients do I Need for Mojo Shredded Pork?
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- cumin
- red pepper flakes
- dried oregano
- sea salt
- black pepper
- Zest of 1 orange
- Navel orange – to squeeze fresh orange juice for the marinade
- Juice of 1 lime
- 5 lb pork shoulder or butt roast – either of these works great, just don’t substitute for a pork loin.
Pro Tip: Trim the fat from the pork after it has cooked. This method is much easier!
How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Mojo Pork Recipe
PREP: Mix together the seasonings, oil, and orange zest in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the pork in and rotate so it’s fully coated, leaving the fat side up. Squeeze in the lime and orange juice. Tuck the orange halves beside the meat.
COOK: Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove and trim the fat. Serve as it is or on a tortilla.
- We like to place the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil it for 5-10 minutes so it crisps up a bit.
- Feel free to serve it with guacamole or pico de gallo.
- To make Cuban mojo sauce, add some of the drippings to a small bowl. Whisk together a tablespoon of cold water and a tablespoon of cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the drippings and transfer to a saucepan. Allow it to cook over medium-high heat until it starts to thicken. Spoon over individual portions and store the leftover sauce in a separate container.
- When using navel oranges you don’t have to worry about picking the seeds out!
Fun Fact
Authentic mojo pork actually uses sour oranges, but those are hard to find here in the States! The same marinade and seasoning blend can also be used for chicken, beef, and seafood.
Substitutions
- We recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice, but if it’s a pinch you can use juice from the carton. However, it is much sweeter, so you will want to add less or use more lime juice.
- If using garlic powder instead of minced garlic, just season well so the pork still has good flavor.
It’s a Cuban pork recipe that is cooked in a citrus marinade (most of the time orange juice/zest) with other spices including garlic cloves. A boneless pork shoulder or butt (similar to the American version of pulled pork) is used, then shredded just before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
More Mouthwatering Slow Cooker Recipes
Mojo Pork (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Rub Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 orange
- Naval orange
- Juice of 1 lime
Ingredients
- 5 lb pork shoulder or butt roast not pork loin
Instructions
- In the bowl of the slow cooker, mix together the olive oil, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, pepper, and orange zest.
- Place the pork roast into slow cooker and turn to coat in the seasoning mixture. Once it’s fully coated, set the roast, fat side up, in the pot.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange into the pot and tuck the whole orange pieces in with the roast. Add the lime juice to the pot.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 7-8 hours on high until the roast falls apart.
- Remove the roast from the slow cooker and trim the fat. Gently pull apart the sections and remove large pieces of fat and discard.
- Shred the meat and/or chop into bite-sized pieces.
Notes
Serve in tacos or enchiladas with lime juice and chopped cilantro.
Nutrition
Make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Dustin Josephson says
The article says cook on low for 7-8 hours and on the recipe on the bottom it says cook on high. I’m assuming low is the correct crockpot setting but just making sure. I’m planning on cooking it tomorrow.
Stefanie says
Yes!! Cook on low, fixing that right now, thank you. You “can” cook on high, but it just doesn’t turn out as fall apart tender like it does when you cook on low. This is one of my favorites, I hope you like it!
swathi says
This looks mojo pork looks delicious perfect meal any day.
Andrea Janssen says
What a delicious slow cooker recipe. Thank you for sharing.
girlinspired says
You bet! It’s one of my favorites!
Amy Liu Dong says
This is so delicious! I am so excited to make this for everyone!
girlinspired says
It’s so good, Amy! I’m excited for them, too. LOL.
Leslie says
Love this recipe!
girlinspired says
Thanks for trying it, Leslie! ❤️
Bernice Hill says
Do you find it better to leave the pork shoulder whole or cut it into pieces? I have one in the fridge and I’m making Mojo Pork this weekend!
girlinspired says
Yummmm. I always leave it whole – it seems easier to trim the fat off after it has cooked that way. But I’ve seen people cut it into pieces also. It’s possible that it would cook faster that way, but I haven’t tried it. Let me know how yours turns out!