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.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork
- Yield: 8
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
- Course: Main
- Cuisine: Cuban
- Author: Sabrina Snyder
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
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 8 , Amount per serving: 247 calories, Calories: 247g, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 92mg, Sodium: 689mg, Potassium: 517mg, Vitamin A: 75g, Vitamin C: 7.8g, Calcium: 37g, Iron: 2.3g
All images and text © for Dinner, then Dessert.
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.
I just made this today and it was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made ! I didn’t have lime juice or chili flakes so I used Trader Joe’s Chili Lime seasoning and doubled the OJ and it turned out great and was so moist!!! My hubs had a second plate it was so good and it was super easy to make ! Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe !!!
What brand if cumin? Did you even say? Seems like you got a little ahead of yourself.
If you click on the the work CUMIN (in green) it’ll take you to the link of the brand I use.
@SMER, I bet you’re fun at parties.
Do you use a bone-in or boneless pork shoulder?
I used a boneless pork shoulder for this recipe. Enjoy!
If I marinate overnight do I brown pork first then marinate? You mentioned partial cooking opens up opportunity for bacteria.
You don’t want to partially cook meat for that very reason.
Would make this again! Not overwhelming flavor. Very moist. Only thing I did different was put in oven and broiled for a few minutes to get crispy.
I like to do that sometimes too. Especially if I am not in a rush for dinner. So glad you enjoyed it!
I see cilantro on the meat, but no mention in recipe. And why usecrushed redpepper instead of fresh jalapeno or serrano chilies?
The cilantro is a garnish, feel free to add. I used crushed red pepper because it’s a common pantry item but I would love to hear how jalapeño or Serranos turn out if you use them!
Epic! I cooked 2 days before we ate. I pulled the meat out to help it cool quicker for the fridge. It broke apart beautifully. When I put it back in the juices the meat was completely covered. We ate the next day. Everyone raved! I used part of the meat to make Cubano sandwiches. yummmmy
This was phenomenal!!! Thank You for the recipe
Do you shred the pork? I am trying tonight and looking forward to it. When I was little my sister and I would visit Hialeah (Miami, FL) and would smell the wonderful fragrance. I think this is it. I was so excited.
Yes 🙂 I hope you enjoyed it!
Question on the cornstarch slurry. how do you make that?
So do you mix the fat that you skim off and mix it with the cornstarch and water. And then add that back to the crockpot?
I like my sauce thick and I have a hard time making them thicker I have tried adding this to recipes while cooking and I’ve tried pour a bunch into a pan and adding cornstarch mixture to it and bringing to a boil. But i don’t have much luck. Any tips would be appreciated. LOVE YOUR RECIPES. And get excited about trying them!
You want to remove the fat from it and then add the slurry to the slow cooker. It helps to thicken the sauce. Hope this helps!
Hi, If you add the cornstarch to a hot liquid, it is going to form lumps, in order to make it work for any sauce, you must mix thoroughly the cornstarch with a cold or room temperature liquid (water, milk, broth) and then add that mix to your sauce stirring until thick. The amount of cornstarch depends of the amount of sauce and thickness.
Always use this for Cuban sandwiches! AMAZING! My Cuban in-laws approve!
Yay!!
Can you use pork tenderloin for this?
No, I’m sorry but you won’t get the same results.
I had the same question. I understand you might not get the same results but what would be the downside? Just asking because I have a 1 1/2lb tenderloin in the fridge and was just going to use all the same ingredients to cook it in the slow cooker for about 4 hours on high.
Meant to say low for 4 hours.
You’ll want to make sure it doesn’t dry out.
Our slow cooker is on the larger side, but I agree with your comment that a smaller pot is better for the spices and other flavors to be engaged with the pork. I’m sure that a traditional oven method (covered pot, slow and low) will work, but am uncertain about the temperature and timing. My first guess would be to cook it into a 225 degree oven until the pork temps at 200 degrees or so and then turn the oven off and let the temp coast down to around 170 degrees. I’d be interested in your thoughts.
I would put it in the oven at 325 degrees for 2.5 to 3 hours. Enjoy!
I’m trying this recipe for tomorrow and was wondering if you could skip the browning step and just cook it in the crockpot (I too leave very early in the a.m and need to prep the night before). Thank you !
You can but it really adds to the flavor of the dish.
Best pork roast I have had. Delicious.
Thanks, Shannon! I really appreciate the 5 stars.
Your picture has the recipe ending up in a green sauce. My sauce is not green …. what did I do wrong?
Did you change or adjust any of the ingredients?
I made this the other night and it was outstanding! My toddler DEVOURED it! He ate more than mom and dad! I’ve since printed many other recipes from this site and can’t wait to try them!
This makes me so happy! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
I made this exact to the recipe and it was so bland! I honestly do not see where everyone is saying it is so flavorful! The meat was nice and tender tho..
Oh no! Feel free to adjust the flavors to match more to your flavor palette. Glad you still enjoyed it though.
This turned out great. Only one thing – I found it really salty (which says a lot because we love salt ? ) and next time I make it, I will only sprinkle a teaspoon of salt before browning (or just leave it out all together). You can always add salt later if you think it needs it. I used simply orange for the orange juice and fresh squeezed lime juice. I used olive oil not canola oil. I doubled the flakes because we like it spicy. Will for sure be making this again (and again)
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I am planning on making this recipe to be ready tomorrow. I thought I read somewhere that you could actually cook this on low for 24 hours? Would you recommend that or stick with 6-8 hours on low?
I would stick with the 6-8 hours on low timing. Hope you enjoy it!
How much pork (in lbs) and what type should one use?
I used a 4 pound pork shoulder for this recipe. Enjoy!
I can’t find anything less than an 8 to 10 pound pork shoulder. I assume I would double the sauce ingredients, but what other adjustments would you make? Should I cut it into two pieces? Longer cooking time? I will be using a larger slow cooker.
8 hours should still be ok as long as you’re using a larger slow cooker. Enjoy!
Had this last night at a friend’s party. Fantastic! So delicious, and moist, and tender.
Love this recipe! I took some help from the other comments and tripled the sauce. I also use the zest from the oranges and limes to add to the flavor. I serve it with a Mexican Black Bean recipe, warm tortillas to mop up the sauce, and rice. Tonight is the 3rd time I’ve made it in the last 5 months (and there are only 2 of us). Thanks so much!
This was delicious and easy! A great, flavorful way to change up our usual crockpot rotation. The pork essentially just shredded by the end of the cooking time – we ate it over rice with fresh vegetables on the side. Next time I will include the cornstarch step to thicken the sauce at the end. Thank you!
Can I take this longer, like your 24 hour Hawaiian pork? Will the citrus juices start to bitter or become diluted from the fat/juices from the pork?
I think the citrus wouldn’t work cooking that long, so I wouldn’t suggest it. It would break down the pork too much and could cause it to get mealy. Sorry.
I LOVE this recipe. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it! I’m currently 37 weeks pregnant and looking to stock my freezer with ready fo eat meals. Have you tried freezing the pork, and if so, how do you recommend doing it?
Congrats!! I’m so glad you love this recipe so much. You can totally freeze this meal. I usually make it and then freeze it but you can do it either way. Just make sure it’s in a freezer safe container and it’ll last up to 3 month frozen. Enjoy!
This recipe was PERFECT. Usually I have to modify slow cooker recipes – and i was nervous the pork may come out dry….I doubled he sauce because my slow cooker is an 8 quart…it came out beautifully!
I pickled some fresh red onions to go with it – my friend made her grandmother’s habichuelas guisado and white rice – boy are we full! My friend even said her mother would have thought the pork was perfect which is high praise considering they make this all the time.
If you want my recipe for the pickled red onion:
Toss a sliced red onion with a table spoon of salt and let them sit for like twenty minutes until they get soft and really wet…
In a jar – 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, black pepper corn, and oregano, three sliced cloves of garlic… Add the onions to the jar and fill with red wine vinegar
Refrigerate for 5 hours.
Thanks for the pork recipe! It’s a total keeper!
Thanks for the suggestion! So glad you all enjoyed it!
One question – Should you score the skin first? Mine came out soggy (I assumed it would bc of the slow cooking process but maybe it may have made a difference)?
You can but next time make sure that the pork is fully thawed before placing it in the slow cooker. I even pat mine down a bit to ensure there isn’t any extra liquid. Hope this helps!
i bought it fresh from a butcher 🙂
a lot of butchers pump their meats with water
Allie, these onions sound great; do they keep a month or two in the fridge, like regular pickles? Would be good on Cubano sandwiches! Thanks.
Wow! I am Cuban and couldn’t get ahold of my mother for her to walk me through her recipe so I decided to give this recipe a try as the spices looked similar to the ones she uses. Amazing. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of my pork being “bone in”. I thickened the sauce as suggested (since I love to put a little over my black beans and rice) and it was super!! The meat fell right off the bone. It was moist and the spices were spot on. I cooked it on low for 8 hours then switched to the warm setting while I cooked my black beans and rice. Served it with a little Cuban bread to mop up the juices. Fantastic, will definitely coo again. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Mel! So glad you enjoyed it!
Maybe a silly question (not much of a cook) I’m typically gone from the house for 9 hours do you think that will be ok to cook that long on low heat? Don’t want to over cook it! Thanks! Looks delicious!
Most slow cookers will turn to a “stay warm” option once the cook time keyed in is reached so you should be ok. I hope you enjoy it!
This morning I reheated some of the pork and sauce in a pan and tossed it into a breakfast burrito with some eggs, cheese, and diced tomatoes. It was AWESOME!
Wow, that sounds amazing!
Hey Sabrina,
I’m not a regular cook because of my busy schedule but started making crockpot meals once a week to appease my hangry boyfriend. I’ve made a few of your recipes before (Thai Chicken and Apricot Chicken sub pork) and they were great. This one didn’t turn out so well. Specifically, it’s surprisingly was lacking flavor considering the seasonings. I think the fat from the butt really diluted things but I’m not sure. With this limited info, do you have any tips or ideas where I could’ve gone wrong?
Oh no! Did you change any of the ingredient amounts? I’d love to help so feel free to email me at contact @ dinnerthendessert .com and we can troubleshoot.
Do you think it would be ok to brown the meat the night before and put it in the fridge or would that dry the meat out? I get up really early in the morning for work and I’d rather just be able to stick it straight in the crock pot.
No, sorry but that won’t work. Cooking meat partially opens up the door for food safety issues.