Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork made with citrus, garlic, oregano and cumin takes almost no prep time and makes a fantastic, flavorful meal your family will love any night of the week!
This Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork is such a flavorful dish that we usually end up making it in large quantities (fun fact I have 4 slow cookers…yep, not kidding) and using the leftovers for EVERYTHING. We eat it with sandwiches, make it into tacos, shred it into quesadillas, top it over scrambled eggs and even add it to soups in the winter.Being a slow cooker meal sometimes you’ll want to just make this meal overnight or during food prep times and save it for later. Here it is ready to be frozen for later. Tell me you wouldn’t be happy to open up your freezer and see this waiting for you for dinner. 
Speaking of Slow Cooker Pork Meals, have you checked out some of the other ones on the site?
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Luau Pork
- Slow Cooker Crispy Skin Pork
- Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin
- Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Ham and White Bean Soup
The sauce/liquid left in the bottom of the slow cooker when you’re done cooking will be a bit thin. If you want it to be thicker as you can see in the pictures here, you’re going to want to follow the steps in the recipe card and add the cornstarch slurry at the end of cooking.
It really does add to the meal and makes a luscious sauce. We use the sauce to pour over the roast or even in other things like over side dishes or on top of enchiladas or eggs. Look at how delicious the sauce looks even before you’re cooking the pork: 
The citrus, garlic and cumin add so much flavor you’ll use the sauce on everything you can.
Tools used in the making of this Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork:
Slow Cooker: For a pork shoulder this size I stay away from my larger slow cooker. I use a 4 quart round one, which allows for the pork to cook properly and lets it nestle amongst the sauce it makes instead of being in a much larger cooker and sitting in much shallower pool of liquid.
Dutch Oven: I use this to brown meats before they go into the slow cooker if I am not using my All-Clad slow cooker with the aluminum insert.
Cumin: I absolutely love cumin, it is a spice I use given any opportunity to use it. This brand is hands down a favorite of mine, I’ve tried many but the flavor here is brighter, bolder and just wonderful. You can find it locally as well, most ethnic stores sell the brand.
Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pound pork shoulder
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 leaves bay
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
- 1 tablespoon water (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot add the canola oil on medium high heat.
- Season the pork with the kosher salt and black pepper and brown the pork on all sides.
- To the slow cooker add the orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic and bay leaves and mix it together.
- Add the pork to the slow cooker and roll it in the mixture until it is coated well.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6.
- When the pork is done you can serve as is with the juice on top.
If you want a thicker sauce, 30 minutes before it is done skim the fat off the top, add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water to the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Made this last night and followed the recipe. I cooked for eight hours and the meat was easily pulled apart but very dry. Tried to address the issue by pouring the extra mojo over the meat when served but that only helped a little. Any thoughts on what went wrong?
The only think I can think of that would cause this would be that maybe it was a leaner cut of pork. If there’s not enough fat on the pork it will be drier. I suggest using a pork shoulder next time.
Comes out better and faster if you put in dutch oven and slow roast at 300 for 2-3 hours. I double the sauce and add some water so it comes up 1/3 of the pork. Didnt have luck w slow cooker, after 8 hours was still raw inside at level high.
HI Sabrina,
This looks great! I will be making it for sure. Just wanted to know if you have experimented with making the skin crispy? Is possible do you think?
Thanks!
Tammy
If you’re looking for making it crispy, I’d suggest shredding it and placing it on a baking sheet under a broiler right before serving. Watch it though so it doesn’t burn, but that’ll give you a crispiness to it. Hope that helps!
I made this and my Cuban husband and I loved it. He said it has all the flavor profiles of what he grew up with. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow that is an amazing compliment! Thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving!
Would you have any advice converting this recipe to an Instant Pot recipe?
I haven’t tested it so I don’t. I would recommend finding another recipe online using similar ingredients and using that as a guideline. Good luck!
Can you provide instant pot instructions for this? It looks amazing.
I’ve not tested it using an instant pot but you might be able to find a recipe online using similar ingredients that uses it to follow as a guideline. Good luck!
I put the juices, herbs, and spices and garlic together in a sauce; no need to add them separately. This does well if I have to do cooking in stages.
I didn’t brown the meat. Searing wasn’t necessary to make it divine. I put it in the slow cooker and topped it with kosher salt and mixed pepper. I poured my sauce over it and let it cook.
When I pulled it, I had enough to fill 2 16-oz barbecue tubs and a sandwich – worth for my divine lunch!
And I made fizzy ade with the leftover citrus juice.
Now to figure out what to cook with the other 3 lbs of my pork butt.
So glad you enjoyed it.
We are from Tampa and love the Cuban cuisine. This was not good. My husband cant have salt so that is the only thing I left out. There was an strong odd after taste and had to throw it in the trash. I’m so sorry. I was so excited as we now live in Georgia and there is nothing Cuban near us. I dont know what went wrong but we just couldn’t eat it.
I’m sorry that it didn’t live up to your expectations.
There’s a lot of cumin in it, and that surprised me. Perhaps the salt would offset the cumin.
“This recipe was not good. Although, I omitted one of the most important ingredients in cooking and likely one responsible for balancing the flavors in this recipe.” – Don’t complain about a recipe if you change it and omit things necessary for the recipe to work. If you don’t use any salt, nothing will ever taste good and its not fair to criticize this person’s recipe when you’re not even using it correctly.
I have a 5 pd shoulder and don’t have a slow cooker
how long and at what temp can I slow cook in oven
I’m thinking 300
thanks, looks amazing
I’d cook it at 275 degrees for about 3 hours loosely covered with foil. Then, fold back foil and increase the temperature to 325 degrees and cook for another 2-3 hours. Good luck!
Made this the other night and the everybody ate seconds, a few ate 3rds!! It was delicious and super easy… the next day we had the best cuban sandwiches I’ve ever tasted!!… thanks for the great recipe. This is my new company’s coming to dinner food!!
This is such a delicious recipe. I make it quite a lot for my family of 6, as well as pot lucks and is such a crowd pleaser!
Put it up with canned black beans with a squeeze of lime & fresh cilantro, flour tortillas & any kind of rice. I make it with an 8lb pork butt and double the recipe.
I make this recipe regularly and it’s awesome! I am from Florida, where they have lots of great Cuban food and this recipe is spot on! I use the leftovers for the best Cuban Sandwiches the following day.
That’s so kind of you to say, Melissa. Thanks for the 5 stars.
I’m making this today but my crock pot only does low for 8 hours or high for 4. What do you suggest? I don’t have time for 8 hours right now. Thank you!
If you’re home, simply set to high and then when the timer goes off, set it again but turn it off after 2 for a total of 6 hours. Sorry I don’t have a better fix for you with that particular slow cooker. I hope you enjoy it!
Hello Sabrina – This looks delish! Do you think this would work with thick cut, bone-in pork chops? Thanks in advance and stay safe!
I don’t think it would give you the results you want. Roast has more fat to keep it moist and I’m afraid the pork chops would get dry. You can definitely use the seasoning though just not in the slow cooker. Good luck!
I am planning to make this today & have used it in the past. However, the last time I made this the marinade dried out and the meat was tough. Any idea what I did wrong?
Oh no! Sounds like your slow cooker might run hot. Is it a newer model?
So freaking delicious! I used 10 cloves of garlic and increased the oj to a cup. I also like the gravy made with the cornstarch slurry better than just the au jus. I suggest using a gravy/fat separator to remove the fat from the au jus or gravy. There’s so much grease so it’s difficult to skim it all off.
Perfect!! Added a finely chopped shallot and served with rice and Cuban black beans. Amazing recipe.
How many of these would you make if you were cooking for a large party (Aprox 40) and planned to make tacos with the meat
I’d say 4-5 to be on the safe side.
I don’t have a small crock pot only a larger one, would that still work?
It depends on the size.
I AM OBSESSED with this recipe. It is a staple in my house and everyone that eats it is in love. I am however trying to cut down on the fatty meats in my life and was wondering how you think this would turn out with chicken breasts?
I haven’t tried but but it should still work. Just make sure your chicken breasts don’t dry out as there isn’t any fat on them to help keep them moist.
I’m from Cuba, you can use the same cuba mojo recipe in chicken,turkey,lamb,pork …the result will be delicious.