If you are a quesadilla fan and haven’t tried these Pork Carnitas Quesadillas, you need to join the party. We use slow cooker carnitas, Oaxaca cheese, and a large tortilla. Simple, easy, and very very tasty.
First, we will cook our pork in a slow cooker with some onion, jalapenos, garlic, orange juice, and spices. Once it’s done, we will shred it and mix in some of the liquid from the crock pot.
To make the quesadilla, we take a large tortilla ( burrito size 😉) and add it to a warm skillet. Then top the tortilla with Oaxaca cheese, layer the meat on top, then add another layer of cheese. Next, we will fold that tortilla in half and wait patiently for it to get nice and crispy. Then flip the quesadilla so the other side can get crunchy. And just like that, you have yourself a carnitas quesadilla.
This recipe calls for Oaxaca cheese. It’s a cheese from Oaxaca, Mexico, and is in the mozzarella cheese family. To me, it tastes just like the string cheese stick you had as a kid, but better. Oaxaca cheese melts like no one’s business, making it perfect for this quesadilla. I’ve never had a problem finding this cheese, but if you can’t get your hands on it, mozzarella cheese will work in a pinch.
This recipe calls for orange juice to be added to the crockpot. I like using store bought orange juice (like Simply Orange) for this recipe to make things that much easier. Fresh orange juice from oranges will taste better. But oranges aren’t quite in season yet, so I’m taking simplicity’s side on this one.
I’ve made these carnitas with and without the jalapeno seeds. The seeds make the carnitas pretty spice, but I think the tortillas and cheese help mellow out the heat. If you want your dinner to be on the spicier side, include the jalapeno seeds. If you want a more mellow quesadilla, do not include the seeds.
OTHER CARNITAS RECIPIES
This week, I went a little crazy with carnitas and made 3 other different recipes featuring the slow cooker pork. If you happened to buy too much pork and don’t know what to do with it, or are in the carnitas mood, check out the other recipes below.
I hope you love this Carnitas Quesadilla recipe! If you make it leave a comment! You can also share a photo on Instagram and tag #meganvskitchen. Enjoy!
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Carnitas Quesadilla
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1-1 ¼ lb lean boneless pork loin roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
- ½ white onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped*
- ⅓ cup orange juice (you can juice 2-3 oranges or use orange juice)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, salt, AND pepper
- 4 Tortillas (size- burrito)
- 8 oz Oaxaca cheese or low moisture mozzarella, shredded
- Topping - Pico de Gallo, smashed avocado, salsa, sour cream, pickled onions
Instructions
To make the Carnitas
- Add the first 10 ingredients, pork loin through pepper, to a slow cooker, and give everything a stir to combine. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The pork is done once it’s shredded easily with a fork.
- Remove pork from the slow cooker and shred it with a fork. Add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to the pork to add more flavor.
To make Quesadilla
- Heat up a large skillet over medium low heat. Once it’s hot, spray it with cooking oil and add your tortilla to the pan.
- Spread ¼ cup of cheese to one half of the tortilla. Top with meat. Add ¼ cup of cheese over the meat and fold the tortilla in half, covering the meat and cheese.
- Cook on each side for 3-6 minutes or until the tortilla starts to turn brown and crispy.
- Repeat steps 2-3 for the remaining 3 tortillas.
Notes
Included the jalapeno seeds for a medium spice level
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3 Hours
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 545
- Fat: 23.5g
- Carbohydrates: 40.5g
- Protein: 43.4g
Keywords: carnitas quesadilla, quesadilla, carnitas
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