Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe: Crispy, Juicy Mexican Pork

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Slow cooker pork carnitas is the easiest path to the best tacos of your life: a pork shoulder rubbed with cumin and oregano, slow-cooked in orange and lime juice until it falls apart, then crisped in a hot pan until the edges turn golden and crackly. Juicy inside, crispy outside — that contrast is the whole point. The slow cooker does the hard work. Eight hours on low turns a tough shoulder meltingly tender, and the citrus in the cooking liquid keeps the pork bright instead of heavy. The real magic happens at the end: shred the pork, spread it in a screaming-hot skillet with a splash of its own cooking liquid, and let it sit undisturbed until the edges char. Do not skip that step — crisping is what makes carnitas carnitas. Crispy edges, juicy center — carnitas night done right. Recipe Info Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8 hours (slow cooker, low) Total time: 8 hours 30 minutes Servings: 8 Calories: ~520 kcal per serving Pork, citrus and spice — carnitas starts h...
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Singapore Laksa Recipe: Spicy Coconut Noodle Soup

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Singapore laksa is a bowl that does everything at once: a spicy coconut curry broth, slippery rice noodles, juicy prawns, spongy tofu puffs that drink up the soup, fish cake, crunchy bean sprouts, and a handful of fragrant laksa leaves on top. It is rich without being heavy, fiery without being punishing, and it comes together in under an hour — faster than any hawker-centre queue on a rainy day.

The heart of the dish is the rempah, the spice paste blitzed from chilies, shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, and lemongrass. Making it fresh takes ten minutes and makes all the difference — jarred paste cannot match the fragrance. This recipe keeps the steps simple and the toppings generous, so your first laksa tastes like the real thing. Let's cook.

Bowl of Singapore laksa spicy coconut noodle soup with prawns, fish cake, bean sprouts, tofu puffs, boiled egg and laksa leaves

Singapore laksa — spicy, creamy, and loaded with everything good.

Recipe Info

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Calories: ~620 kcal per serving
Flat lay of Singapore laksa ingredients: rice noodles, coconut milk, dried shrimp, chilies, shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, prawns, tofu puffs, fish cake, bean sprouts, lime and laksa leaves

The laksa lineup: noodles, coconut milk, and a spice paste worth making from scratch.

Ingredients

  • For the spice paste (rempah):
  • 8 dried red chilies, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained
  • 6 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 thumb (about 30 g / 1 oz) galangal, sliced
  • 1 thumb (about 20 g / 0.7 oz) fresh turmeric, sliced (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, sliced
  • 2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • For the soup:
  • 400 ml / 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
  • 750 ml / 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • Toppings and noodles:
  • 400 g / 14 oz dried rice vermicelli (or 300 g / 10 oz fresh laksa noodles)
  • 300 g / 10 oz raw prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 150 g / 5 oz fish cake, sliced
  • 8 tofu puffs, halved
  • 150 g / 5 oz bean sprouts, blanched
  • 2 eggs, hard-boiled and halved
  • 1 small bunch laksa leaves (Vietnamese mint), roughly chopped
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges, and sambal, to serve
Close-up of chopsticks lifting glossy rice noodles from spicy Singapore laksa coconut curry soup with prawns and tofu puffs

Glossy noodles in that rich orange broth — the best part of every bowl.

Instructions

  1. Make the spice paste: Blend the soaked chilies, shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, and dried shrimp with 2 tablespoons of oil into a smooth paste, adding a splash of water if needed. It should be thick and fragrant, not watery.
  2. Fry the paste: Heat the paste in a large pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5–7 minutes until it darkens a shade and the oil separates at the edges. This step cooks out the rawness and builds the laksa's deep flavor — do not skip it.
  3. Build the broth: Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, then stir in the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and fish sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust — the broth should be spicy, savory, and just a little sweet. Do not boil hard, or the coconut milk may split.
  4. Cook the noodles: While the broth simmers, cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions (usually 3–4 minutes in boiling water), then drain and divide among 4 large bowls.
  5. Cook the toppings in the broth: Add the prawns, fish cake, and tofu puffs to the simmering broth and cook for 3–4 minutes, just until the prawns turn pink and curl. The tofu puffs will soak up the broth beautifully.
  6. Assemble the bowls: Arrange the bean sprouts over the noodles in each bowl, then ladle over the hot broth with prawns, fish cake, and tofu puffs. Add half a boiled egg to each bowl.
  7. Garnish and serve: Scatter laksa leaves generously over each bowl and serve immediately with lime wedges and extra sambal on the side, so everyone can tune the heat and tang to their taste.

Tips & Variations

  • Control the heat. Eight dried chilies make a medium-hot laksa. Use 5 for mild or 12 for a proper hawker-stall fire — and always serve extra sambal on the side rather than over-spicing the whole pot.
  • Do not boil the coconut milk. A hard boil can split the broth into an oily, grainy mess. Keep it at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in.
  • No laksa leaves? A mix of fresh mint and coriander is the closest substitute, though the distinctive peppery-citrus note of laksa leaves is worth hunting down at an Asian grocery store.
  • Chicken laksa variation: Replace the prawns with 300 g / 10 oz of sliced chicken thigh, simmered in the broth for 8–10 minutes until cooked through.
  • Vegetarian laksa: Skip the prawns, fish cake, and dried shrimp (add 1 tablespoon of miso to the paste for depth), use vegetable stock, and load up on tofu puffs, bean sprouts, and mushrooms.
  • Make-ahead: The broth (without toppings) keeps 3 days refrigerated and freezes well for a month. Cook noodles and toppings fresh when serving — soggy noodles are the one thing a great laksa cannot survive.
  • Noodle choice matters. Thick fresh laksa noodles are traditional, but rice vermicelli works beautifully and is easier to find. Avoid wheat egg noodles — they soften too fast in the hot broth.

Nutrition Note

This is an approximate guide only, not dietary advice. One serving contains roughly 620 kcal, 28 g protein, 26 g fat, and 62 g carbohydrates. The coconut milk provides most of the richness, while the prawns, bean sprouts, and herbs add protein and freshness — use light coconut milk and extra bean sprouts for a lighter bowl.

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FAQ

What is the difference between Singapore laksa and curry laksa?

Singapore laksa (laksa lemak) is the coconut-milk version most people know, with a rich orange broth and a long topping list. Penang laksa, by contrast, is a sour fish-based soup without coconut milk — a completely different bowl.

Can I use store-bought laksa paste?

Yes, in a pinch — use about 150 g / 5 oz of good-quality paste and still fry it until fragrant before adding the stock. Fresh paste tastes noticeably brighter, but a decent jarred paste beats skipping laksa altogether.

Why did my coconut milk split?

Almost always because the broth boiled too hard after the coconut milk went in. Keep it at a gentle simmer, and if it does split, whisk in a splash of cold coconut milk off the heat — the flavor is still fine.

Can I make laksa ahead for a dinner party?

Absolutely — make the broth a day ahead and refrigerate it; the flavor improves overnight. Reheat gently, cook the noodles and toppings fresh, and assemble at the table so everyone gets a perfect bowl.

Are the dried shrimp essential?

They add the deep umami backbone of a proper laksa, but if you cannot eat shellfish, leave them out and add a tablespoon of miso paste to the rempah instead. The result is slightly different but still delicious.

Spicy, creamy, fragrant, and ready in 45 minutes — this Singapore laksa brings the hawker centre to your kitchen. Have you tried this recipe? Tell us in the comments below, and save this recipe for your next noodle night!

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