This Whole30 and paleo slow cooker carnitas is a favorite in our house but stuffing plantain tortilla shells with this Mexican flavor bomb takes this dish to a whole new level of deliciousness.
A Mexican favorite…
This dish is based on my Slow Cooker Carnitas, which uses a leaner cut of pork than what you will find in traditional carnitas recipes. This recipe uses pork tenderloin instead of the fattier pork shoulder. I get into WHY in my original post, but suffice to say, you can still have a wonderfully tender and juicy dish with pork tenderloin – you just need to watch the internal temperature carefully. In order to have the juiciest pork tenderloin possible, don’t cook the meat over an internal temperature of 145° F. (Investing in a great instant kitchen thermometer is essential in a serious home kitchen. This is my fave).
Going grain free…
I love a good corn tortilla but I’ve decided to go grain-free or mostly grain-free for health reasons. It wasn’t an easy decision but since I have found these fantastic plantain tortillas, I don’t miss the old ones at all! If you have read the original carnitas post, I suggest serving over tostones made from plantains so the flavor combination seemed like a no-brainer when using plantains for tortillas. I suggest using the green plantains because they are more starchy and less sweet. But if yellowish/black ones are all you have, by all means use those too! This recipe makes about 8 tortillas so double the ingredients if you would like more.
All the fixins’
It’s so much fun to come up with the toppings to this dish. My personal favorites are guacamole, radishes, tomatoes, serrano peppers, cilantro, and lots of lime. Some other great additions are: jalapeños, pickled red onion, cotija cheese, Mexican crema, or chopped romaine. What is your favorite topping?? I would love to see your tacos and your creative toppings! Feel free to share your pictures in the comments or on Instagram using #make_n_curate.
Enjoy!
FOR THE CARNITAS: Trim excess fat from pork tenderloin and pat dry. Combine rub ingredients (oregano, cumin & olive oil) and rub to cover pork tenderloin(s). Place tenderloin in crockpot. Combine onion, garlic, jalapeño, salt, lime juice, orange juice, and salsa and pour over tenderloin in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for about 4-6 hours. Your crockpot times may vary based on your crockpot. Pork should be between 145-160 degrees F. Take out of slow cooker and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. Turn up slow cooker to high and continue to cook the juices with the lid off. Pre-heat oven to broil. Using 2 forks, shred the pork and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place carnitas in oven and allow to broil for about 3-5 minutes or until the edges of the pork are crispy. Be sure to watch this step closely. Stir in with crockpot juices and serve. FOR THE PLANTAIN TORTILLA SHELLS Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut ends of plantain and slice skin down the side. Remove peel. Cut plantain into quarters and place in a large food processor. Add 4 tbsp of avocado oil. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. **Add 1/2 of lime (optional). Process until becomes a smooth batter. **Add water by the tsp. if you feel it needs to smooth out a bit more. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 2 scoops (about 2 tbsp) of batter on parchment lined baking sheet, leaving room on all sides. Using the back of a large wet spoon, smooth the batter into a round about 1/8 inch thick and 5-6 inches in diameter. Keep the back side of the spoon clean by rinsing with water so the spoon does not "drag" the batter. Repeat with remaining room on the baking dish (can fit about 4-5). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip and bake for another 5 minutes. If using as soft tortillas, stop here and place in clean dish towel to keep warm. If making hard tacos, use tongs to place back in the oven. Fold in half and place the center of each tortilla so it hangs on an oven rack - the tortilla makes a 'v'. Allow space between each tortilla so that they do not touch. Bake this round of tortillas for about 5 minutes, depending on how hard you want the tortillas. Keep a close eye on them and once you see them turn brown, take them out of the oven. Fill tortillas with your favorite fixing' and serve warm. The tortilla recipe makes 8 shells. Double the recipe for 16 shells. The carnitas makes enough for 6-8 people.Slow Cooker Carnitas Stuffed Plantain Tortilla Shells
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10 Comments
Erika
February 28, 2019 at 7:24 amI love this gluten-free recipe! I’m definitely going to try this! Thanks!
egrant.salvi
February 28, 2019 at 4:28 pmGreat! Thanks for the comment. Let me know how you like them. 🙂
Alisa Infanti
February 28, 2019 at 9:06 amI love plantains but never considered using them to make shells out of but it totally makes sense because of their starchy properties. Great recipe and I have pinned for later.
egrant.salvi
February 28, 2019 at 4:27 pmThanks so much for pinning! Let me know how you like them! They have a totally different crunch than regular corn tortillas when making the hard shell.
Margot Grant
February 28, 2019 at 12:57 pmThis is such an inventive way to make tortillas. I’ve made them twice already and now they are in rotation! BRAVO, Erin!
egrant.salvi
February 28, 2019 at 4:26 pmThanks, Margot! I’m so glad you like them as much as I do! They are literally my favorite right now. You try them with Made Whole’s carne molida! Unbelievable!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes
March 1, 2019 at 2:54 amThese sound SO delicious! I am so excited to try them – how clever to make the shell out of plantain! YUM!
egrant.salvi
March 4, 2019 at 9:52 amThese really are great and I am excited for you to try! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 🙂
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