Cherry Coke beef carnitas, slow cooked to perfection

Juicy carnitas get a sweet and sticky makeover with the help of some cherry Coke.

Last year I fell in the love with carnitas. It was a fast fall. Some might’ve called it lust, but almost a year and a half later, we’re still going strong. I don’t discriminate either. Beef carnitas, pork carnitas, tons of different flavor combinations — they’re all delicious.

So when my husband bought a case of cherry Coke as a treat for when he works night shifts and I came home with a 3-pound hunk of meat a couple of months ago, I had an idea. Cherry Coke plus hunk of beef plus slow cooker. How could that not be good? The beef cooks low and slow until it’s literally falling apart, and the cherry Coke coats it in a sweet and sticky sauce that’s just perfection.

Serve it in tacos or on a roll, or go the healthier route and put it on top of some spaghetti squash. If you’re not already a carnitas fan, I’m betting you will be after this.

Slow cooker cherry Coke beef carnitas recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2.5- to 3-pound beef roast
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (12 ounce) can cherry Coke
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 garlic clove, chopped

Directions:

1. Season the beef roast generously with salt and pepper.
2. Place the roast in the slow cooker.
3. Add the cherry Coke, beef broth and garlic, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
4. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred it using 2 forks to pull the meat apart.
5. Place the meat back into the juice in the slow cooker, toss until it’s coated, and serve.

More pulled beef recipes

Shredded beef torta with Mexican marinara
Slow cooker mile-high shredded beef sandwiches
Tender Crock-Pot tacos