Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork   

Slow cooker Cuban mojo pork is fall-apart shredded pork in a bright orange-and-lime marinade with garlic, mint and coriander. It is a budget-friendly, hands-off main that feeds a crowd and works through the whole summer.

Slow cooker Cuban mojo pork is a fatty pork shoulder marinated overnight in citrus, garlic and herbs, then cooked low and slow until it shreds with a fork. The orange-lime marinade keeps the meat juicy and adds a fresh, zesty edge that suits warm weather better than heavy roasts. It is cheap to make from one large cut, feeds eight to ten people, and the leftovers go into wraps, rice bowls and sandwiches for days.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Cuban Mojo Pork

• Pork shoulder or pork butt — a fatty cut that stays moist over hours of slow cooking; a lean cut like loin would dry out and go stringy.
• Olive oil — carries the garlic and spices and helps the marinade cling to the meat.
• Garlic cloves — the backbone of any mojo marinade, sharp and warm once it cooks down.
• Fresh mint — bright and cooling, it lifts the whole dish and sets this version apart from a standard pulled pork.
• Fresh coriander — adds a green, citrusy note that pairs with the lime.
• Ground cumin — earthy and warm, a classic note in Cuban cooking.
• Dried oregano — gives a gentle herby depth that holds up to long cooking.
• Fresh orange juice — the sweet half of the citrus marinade; it balances the lime and tenderises the meat.
• Fresh lime juice — sharp and tart, it cuts the fat and keeps every bite fresh.
• Orange and lime peels — laid on top during marinating, they press extra citrus oil into the meat.
• Sea salt and black pepper — season the pork and pull the flavours together.

How to Make Slow Cooker Mojo Pork

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1. Step 1: In a bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, mint, coriander, cumin and oregano. Squeeze in the orange and lime juice, and keep the squeezed peels to one side. Mix well. You can mince the garlic or crush it with the flat of a knife and roughly chop it, whichever you prefer. For a smooth marinade, blend everything in a food processor; for a more rustic texture, leave it as is.

2. Step 2: Place the pork in a large bowl, the slow cooker pot itself, or a zip-lock bag. Pour over the marinade, season generously with salt and black pepper, and massage it into the meat for a minute or two. Lay the reserved orange and lime peels on top and press them down. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight so the marinade can work right through the meat.

3. Step 3: Take the pork out of the fridge an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature on the counter. Place it in the slow cooker and cook on low. If you have a multicooker, set it to 85–90°C (185–195°F) and cook for about 4 hours.

4. Step 4: The pork is ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork. Lift it out and let it rest for a few minutes, then shred it with two forks. For extra texture, spread the shreds on a roasting tray and broil or roast at a high temperature for about 5 minutes until the edges crisp.

How to Serve and Store Cuban Mojo Pork

Serve the mojo pork hot, piled onto a platter with extra lime and orange wedges and a scatter of fresh coriander or parsley. It is excellent with black beans and rice, but it is just as happy in warm tortillas, stuffed into a Cuban sandwich, or spooned over a summer salad with the pan juices drizzled on top. A squeeze of fresh lime right before serving keeps everything bright.

To store, let the pork cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Pour over some of the cooking juices before sealing so it does not dry out. It also freezes well for up to three months; cool fully, portion into bags or tubs, and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently in a pan or in the microwave with a splash of the juices or a little stock to bring the moisture back.

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Price Comparison: How Much Does Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Cost?

The main cost in this recipe is the pork shoulder, which is one of the cheapest cuts you can buy almost anywhere.

• A 2 kg boneless pork shoulder runs to roughly £10–£16 in the UK (Tesco list around £5.00/kg, with offers dropping nearer £3.50–£3.75/kg),
• and similar in Ireland at about €12–€18 from Dunnes or Tesco.
• In the USA, pork shoulder sits around $2.00–$3.00 per pound, so a 2 kg (4.4 lb) cut works out near $9–$13.
• In Australia, expect roughly AU$10–$13 per kg,
• and in Canada around CA$4–$6 per kg. The citrus, garlic and herbs add only a couple of pounds, euros or dollars on top.

For a 2 kg joint serving eight to ten, that lands at roughly £1.30–£2.20 per serving in the UK and Ireland, and even less in the USA. This makes Cuban mojo pork one of the better-value summer mains you can put on the table. Buy the pork on offer where you can, and the whole dish becomes genuinely cheap to feed a crowd.

Top Tips for the Best Mojo Pork

• Pick the right cut. Pork shoulder or butt is the only sensible choice here. It carries enough fat and connective tissue to stay moist and pull apart cleanly after hours in the slow cooker. Lean cuts like loin or fillet simply have nothing to give over a long cook, so they go dry and stringy. If your butcher offers it bone-in, that works too and often has even more flavour, though boneless is easier to shred.
• Marinate overnight, not for an hour. The citrus and garlic need real time to work into a 2 kg joint. A quick thirty-minute soak only flavours the surface, while a full overnight rest lets the acid and aromatics travel deeper and tenderise the meat. Massage the marinade in properly before it goes in the fridge so every side gets coated. If you can manage a full 24 hours, even better.
• Keep the citrus peels. Squeezing the oranges and limes is only half the job. The peels still hold a lot of fragrant oil in the skin, and laying them on top of the pork while it marinates presses more of that bright citrus character into the meat. Press them down so they sit in contact with the surface. Remove them before serving, as they can turn slightly bitter after long cooking.
• Bring the meat to room temperature first. Taking the pork straight from a cold fridge into the slow cooker gives you uneven cooking, with the outside ahead of the centre. Sitting it on the counter for an hour takes the chill off and helps it cook through more evenly. This is a small step that makes a real difference to the texture. Just keep it covered while it rests.
• Cook on low and resist the urge to rush. This dish is built for patience. A gentle 85–90°C over four hours or so breaks down the fat and connective tissue slowly, which is exactly what gives you that fall-apart result. Cranking the heat to speed things up tightens the muscle fibres and leaves the meat tough. Trust the low setting and let it do the work.
• Finish under the grill for texture. Slow-cooked pork is soft all the way through, which is lovely, but a few crisp edges add contrast. Spreading the shredded meat on a tray and grilling it for around five minutes gives you those golden, slightly chewy bits without drying out the rest. Drizzle a little of the cooking juices over first so it crisps rather than dries. Watch it closely, as it browns fast.
• Make it ahead for easy entertaining. This is a brilliant dish to cook before guests arrive. The pork holds its heat well, reheats beautifully in its juices, and actually tastes better after the flavours have had time to settle. Cook it the day before, shred it, and crisp it under the grill just before serving. That way you get all the flavour with none of the last-minute work.

Cuban Mojo Pork FAQ

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Yield: 8-10

Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork Recipe

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Slow cooker Cuban mojo pork is tender, fall-apart shredded pork marinated in a bright orange and lime mojo with garlic, mint and coriander. Cooked low and slow until it pulls apart with a fork, it is a budget-friendly summer main that feeds a crowd and makes brilliant leftovers.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Additional Time 12 hours

Total Time 16 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 kg (4.4 lb) pork shoulder or pork butt
• 50 ml (3½ tbsp) olive oil
• 7–8 garlic cloves, minced or chopped
• A handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
• A handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Fresh orange juice, from 2 large oranges
• Fresh lime juice, from 3–4 limes
• Reserved orange and lime peels
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, mint, coriander, cumin and oregano. Squeeze in the orange and lime juice, keeping the squeezed peels to one side. Mix well. For a smooth marinade, blend everything in a food processor; for a more rustic texture, leave it chunky.
2. Place the pork in a large bowl, the slow cooker pot, or a zip-lock bag. Pour over the marinade and season generously with salt and black pepper. Massage it into the meat for a minute or two, then lay the reserved citrus peels on top and press them down. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
3. Take the pork out of the fridge an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Place it in the slow cooker and cook on low. If using a multicooker, set it to 85–90°C (185–195°F) and cook for about 4 hours.
4. The pork is ready when it shreds easily with a fork. Lift it out and rest for a few minutes, then shred with two forks.
5. For crisp edges, spread the shredded pork on a roasting tray, drizzle with a little of the cooking juices, and broil or roast at a high temperature for about 5 minutes. Serve hot with lime wedges.

Notes

Use a fatty pork shoulder or butt only. Lean cuts such as loin dry out over a long slow cook and will not shred well.

Marinate overnight for the best flavour. The citrus and garlic need time to work through a large joint.

Keep the cooking juices. Spoon them back over the shredded meat to keep it moist, or reduce them into a quick sauce.

Cooking times vary by machine. Always test with a fork rather than relying only on the clock.

Crisping under the grill is optional but adds lovely texture. Watch closely, as the edges brown quickly.