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Smoky and hearty Steak Carnitas Meat in the Crock-Pot is one of the best set-it-and-forget-it meals that’s exquisitely flavored and makes some tender and rich tacos.
What’s better than tacos? There isn’t much that I can think of… Maybe my kids and husband and, on a good day, our new puppy. Right below them on my list of favorite things? Tacos. Obviously. This steak carnitas in the crockpot recipe will take your taco game to a whole new level, too, so get ready. I could eat these over and over again — they just don’t get old.
Perfectly seasoned with some hearty veggies to beef it up (pun intended), these steak carnitas bring some serious flavor to all your favorite Tex-Mex dishes, including tacos as well as quesadillas, nachos, and big-as-your-face burritos. Plus, this recipe is flexible. For real — I’ve used this method and spice rub on elk steaks, porkchops, and lamb, and it goes well on all the things. Just give it a try for yourself to see what I mean!
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
- Easy- throw it in the crock pot and forget about it!
- Flexible-this meat can be used in a variety of entrees
- The rub itself can be used on all kinds of meats
- Keeps well refrigerated
- Will be a hit with everyone
Ingredients:
- Flank Steak
- Chili Powder
- Cumin– or smoked cumin if you have it
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Cayenne Pepper– To taste
- Salt and Pepper– to taste
- Onion
- Bell Pepper
- Jalapeno
See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Additions and Variations:
- For a less spicy dish, take out the jalapeños
- You can use different types of onions if you’d like to shake it up
- Any color bell peppers will do, so use what you have or what you prefer
- Serve with corn or flour tortillas, cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, or anything else you and your family prefer!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Barbacoa comes from the same word as barbecue, while carnitas means “little meats”. Barbacoa is often braised meat from a cow head, and carnitas are often made of pork and are fried in their own fat. But my rendition in this recipe uses steak!
Steak carnitas in the slow cooker are easier than you might think. Simply rub the flank steak down with your dry spice rub, place it in the Crock-Pot, cover with additional veggies, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. When the time is up, remove the meat from the cooker, shred in a bowl using forks, and serve on tortillas for your tacos, or on top of rice!
Yes you can! You’ll want to be sure to add some beef broth so it doesn’t dry out. Use the “sauté” setting for a few minutes before pressure cooking it for about 30 minutes.
More Beef Recipes to Consider:
Recipe Collections
Zucchini Recipes
Beef Recipes
Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon
From Scratch Recipes
Perfect Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Slow Cooker Veggie Beef Soup
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Steak Carnitas Meat in the Crockpot
Ingredients
For the Carnitas:
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin or smoked cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Serving Options:
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded lettuce
- Grated cheese
- Tomato
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Instructions
- Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl for the spice rub. Rub the spices into each side of the steak, using all of the mixture.
- Place the spice-rubbed steak in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the chopped onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno on top of the steak.
- Cook for on low for 7 to 8 hours.
- After the cooking time has lapsed, remove the steak from the Crock-Pot and shred with two forks. Serve immediately, or return to the Crock-Pot for a few hours until you are ready to eat.
- Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Flank steak is generally a tougher, and therefore cheaper, piece of meat. It’s a great candidate for the Crock-Pot. I have actually used everything from elk steaks to lamb and pork with this recipe, and loved them all. It’s VERY versatile, so use what you have on hand or what’s on sale — if it’s a leaner cut of meat, you may need to add a bit of beef stock at the end to make sure it doesn’t dry out before it’s done cooking.
This is such a fabulously delicious recipe!!!! Thanks for sharing and giving me the best idea for making elk!
I used so much elk making this recipe… it’s really such a great use for it! And I made it for so many people and just never mentioned it was game meat! No one could even tell 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Did you fry the corn tortillas in this recipe? It looks delicious!
Yes ma’am! And my oh my are fried corn tortillas good! Here’s the recipe/how to: https://www.blessthismessplease.com/2012/12/homemade-hard-corn-taco-shells.html
Awesome! Thanks! I love this blog btw. I stumbled on it via pintrest and I think i pinned almost every recipe I coukd. I love to cook and everything looks amazing!
Thanks so much Katie. Today’s my Birthday and you totally just made it great!
Aww, glad I could do that for you! Happy Birthday! 🙂
I have to ask, I cook with my slow cooker all the time and always use liquid. Should there be a liquid, or is it really just the meat and veggies? This looks delicious, but I’m worried about that detail.
Great question! That totally depends on your slow-cooker and it’s instructions. I’ve made this at least a dozen more times since posting the recipe and it works great. My crock pot doesn’t need all the liquid… and the meat does make some of it’s own. I say find your instruction manual online and see what it says, but if it’s ok to do, then I know it works! Good luck 🙂
This recipe looks delicious. I am always looking for new healthy slow cooker recipes. I have set some goals to eat healthy and workout and creating this plan has really helped me reach my goals. It is about setting goals and sticking to them and there are some great support tools to help you succeed.
Hi. What’s a crockpot? Is it a cast iron pot that goes into the oven or an electric slow cooker? (I’m from that foreign speaking place- the UK ;)) I am really excited about your 2 week plan. Maybe you could include a shopping list! I know its a cheeky request!
An electric slow cooker is what I used in this recipe… do you have access to one?!
I’m trying this one tonight… but since I’m so late getting started I’m going to put it in my pressure cooker 🙂
We have been following your 2 week plan for our resolution to eat clean! This is the recipe I’m making today! I love that you use your left-overs for other meals too–thanks for doing the planning for us!
you need to link you taco shells to this page. oh yum I really want to fry up some corn taco shells!
Ok you’ve convinced me… I need a crockpot! Yum! Between these and broccoli cheese soup!
How did you not get one for your wedding. We got 5, and I’m not even kidding. I should have given you one 🙂
Ohhhh! This recipes looks good! I will join you! We try our best to eat whole foods anyway!