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4.80 from 5 votes

Vegan Crockpot Carnitas

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 15 minutes
Course: Bigger Bites, Tacos
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, plant-based, Vegan
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Hearts of Palm Crockpot Carnitas

  • 3 (14-ounce) cans hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced
  • Juice of 1 to 2 small naval oranges (or ¼ to ½ cup orange juice, depending on desired level of tanginess)

For Serving (Optional)

  • Corn tortillas, warmed
  • Cashew sour cream or store-bought vegan sour cream
  • Diced white onion
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Sliced firm-ripe avocado

Instructions

For the Hearts of Palm Crockpot Carnitas

  • Add the hearts of palm to a slow cooker (with the heat off). Drizzle with the olive oil. Then, sprinkle with the smoked paprika, coconut sugar, oregano, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper, and thoroughly toss to coat.
  • Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and orange juice to the crockpot, and gently stir to combine.
  • Cook on low for 4 hours, or until the hearts of palm are fall-apart tender and can be easily shredded.
  • Turn off the slow cooker and use two forks to thoroughly shred the hearts of palm. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more sea salt and black pepper if desired.

To Serve

  • I recommend serving the carnitas tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with a bit of cashew sour cream, diced onion, sliced avocado, and fresh cilantro.
  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.