Enjoy flavorful and succulent turkey tacos or burrito bowls with this Slow Cooker Turkey Carnitas Recipe. Prep the recipe in the morning before your day and enjoy the convenience of dinner ready when you get home. Serve the carnitas on a bowl or in tacos. Directions are below for doing either.
2heads romaine lettucewashed, dried and cut into ½" ribbons
½cucumberdiced
3roma tomatoesdiced
2avocadospitted and diced
3carrotscut into matchsticks, coins, or ribbons
¾cupcotija cheeseor feta cheese
Burrito Bowl Dressing:
½limejuiced
¼cupolive oil
pinchsalt
¼teaspooncumin
1tablespoonhoney
Instructions
Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a medium glass measuring cup or medium-size mixing bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the spice rub ingredients until they are evenly mixed together.
Cut the turkey skin off the turkey: cut through the skin with a sharp paring knife (making sure to not cut into the meat) from top to bottom of the meatiest part of the turkey leg. Then, pull the skin off the meat. Don't worry about the more fibrous looking fat around the base of the drum stick. That can stay on. Throw the skin away.
Gently rub the spice mixture on to the meaty part of the turkey leg, covering all of the meat with the mix.
Lay the turkey in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour marinade over the turkey, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat is tender, falling off the bone, and shreds easily with a fork.
Move the turkey from the cooker to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Return to the cooker and turn the heat to warm until serving.
To make a salad: whisk up all the salad dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. until the oil is pretty well emulsified into the juice and honey. Layer the salad ingredients in individual bowls, top with carnitas, and drizzle the dressing over each salad and serve.
To make tacos, warm the taco shells, scoop turkey into the shells and top with onion, cilantro, and serve with lime wedges on the side.
Enjoy!
Notes
1. The carnitas will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in a covered, air-tight container. Either reheat on low heat in the microwave or reheat (covered) in the oven on low. 2. How to double this for a crowd: double all the ingredients, follow the same steps and then cook on low for 9-11 hours (instead of 8-10), or until the turkey shreds easily and is falling off the bone. 3. How to warm corn tortilla shells: preheat an oven to 200 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add enough tortillas to cover the bottom of the pan, but not overlap. Heat for 1.5-2 minutes, or until the tortillas start to puff up and/or get golden brown warming marks on them. Flip and repeat on the other side and then store in the preheated oven until the rest of the shells are heated.