Slow Cooker Carnitas Tater Tot Nachos
Slow Cooker Carnitas Tater Tot Nachos bring a fiesta of flavors to your dinner table! Loaded with the best crispy carnitas and all your favorite toppings!
Servings: 6
Calories: 210kcal
Ingredients
For the pork carnitas
- 1 3-4 pound pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in
- 1 large white onion, sliced into 1.5 inch rounds
- 1 large orange, juice
- 1 lime, juice
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the nachos
- 1/2 bag of ORE-IDA® Tater Tots
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1 mango, cubed
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
For the slow cooker carnitas
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsps light brown sugar, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsps paprika, and 2 tsps cumin. Rinse the pork under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the spice mixture over all sides of the pork.
- Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the sliced white onion, orange juice, and lime juice. Add the pork and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- When the pork is finished cooking, preheat the broiler to high and remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat with two forks. Arrange the pulled pork in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle one tbsp of brown sugar and 1 tsp of paprika over the meat. Place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven and broil for 5-6 minutes until the pork is charred and crispy (not burnt).
For the tater tot nachos
- Preheat the oven to 450 F and arrange the tater tots in a single layer in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. I followed the shape of the pan to cover everything, see the photo in the post above. Bake the tater tots for 15 minutes. Sprinkle half the cheese over the tater tots and place them back in the oven for 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Add the carnitas and the rest of the cheese, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Layer on the toppings: cilantro, mango, red onions, tomatoes, radishes, and jalapeños. Squeeze a little fresh lime on there for good measure too!
Video
Notes
- If you don't want to make your own seasoning at home, you can also use a rib rub, I like this one.
- This is the enameled cast iron skillet I have, but here is a more affordable option.
- This is the slow cooker I've had for years!
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 431mg | Sugar: 11g
