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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Tempe Mendoan Recipe: Crispy Indonesian Fried Tempeh

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Tempe mendoan is Central Java's beloved fried tempeh: paper-thin slices in a delicate spiced batter, fried just until golden at the edges, soft and nutty at the center. That contrast is the whole point.

Serve it scorching hot with sambal kecap (sweet soy + chilies). Thin slices, thin batter, hot oil — that is the entire technique.

Stack of golden crispy tempe mendoan slices on banana leaf with sambal kecap dipping sauce

Golden, crispy, dangerously snackable.

Recipe Info

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Servings: 4 (about 12 slices)
  • Calories: ~180 kcal per 3 slices

Ingredients

  • 250 g / 8 oz tempeh, sliced 4–5 mm thin (about 8×10 cm / 3×4 inch slices)
  • 60 g / ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 40 g / ¼ cup rice flour
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 250 ml / 1 cup cold water
  • Neutral oil, for deep frying
  • Sambal kecap: 60 ml / ¼ cup kecap manis, 2 bird's eye chilies sliced, 1 shallot thinly sliced

Tempe mendoan slice broken in half, thin crispy batter crust around soft white tempeh

Thin crust, soft tempeh heart.

Instructions

  1. Slice thin: Cut the tempeh into thin slices, 4–5 mm — thin is what makes it mendoan rather than ordinary fried tempeh.
  2. Make the batter: Whisk the flours, coriander, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cold water gradually to a thin coating batter — like heavy cream. Fold in the scallion.
  3. Heat the oil: Pour 5 cm / 2 inches of oil into a wok or deep skillet and heat to 175°C / 350°F.
  4. Dip: Coat one slice at a time in batter, letting the excess drip off so the coating stays delicate.
  5. Fry: Fry 2–3 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Work in batches — crowding drops the oil temperature and turns the crust soggy.
  6. Drain: Lift onto a wire rack (not paper — steam softens them) and sprinkle salt while hot.
  7. Serve: Stir the sambal kecap together and serve the mendoan immediately, as hot as you can handle.

Tempe mendoan ingredients flat lay, fresh tempeh, rice flour, wheat flour, garlic, coriander, scallions, sambal kecap

Simple pantry staples, big crunch.

Tips & Variations

  • Thin slices only. Thick slices never get that signature mendoan contrast of crisp shell and soft center.
  • Cold water matters. A cold batter hits hot oil and crisps fast — room-temperature batter absorbs more oil.
  • Rice flour = extra crunch. Don't skip it; pure wheat-flour batter fries up soft, not shattering.
  • Oil temperature: No thermometer? A drop of batter should sizzle and rise immediately. Too cool = greasy, too hot = burnt.
  • Half-cooked style: Purwokerto purists fry mendoan only 1 minute per side so the center stays soft — try it once.
  • Season the batter boldly. Tempeh itself is mild — well-spiced batter makes the snack.
  • Don't reuse dark oil. Burnt batter bits darken the oil fast — strain or refresh between batches.
  • Reheat right: A hot oven or air fryer (5 min at 190°C / 375°F) revives leftovers; the microwave kills the crunch.

Nutrition Note

About 180 calories per 3 slices, with tempeh's plant protein, fiber, and B vitamins. It's still deep-fried, so treat it as a snack — draining on a rack keeps the grease minimal.

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FAQ

What does mendoan mean?
In Banyumas Javanese it means half-cooked — the classic style is fried briefly so the tempeh stays soft inside its crisp batter.

Why is my mendoan soggy?
Usually too-thick batter, too-cool oil, or a crowded pan. Thin batter, 175°C / 350°F oil, small batches — in that order.

Can I use an air fryer?
You can: brush with oil and air-fry at 200°C / 400°F for 8–10 minutes. Good, but not quite the shattering crust of real frying.

Is tempe mendoan vegan?
Yes — tempeh, flour, spices, and sambal kecap are all plant-based.

How long do leftovers keep?
Eat them fresh — that's the rule. If you must, refrigerate 2 days and re-crisp in a hot oven.

Make this Tempe Mendoan for your next snack — then tell us: team crispy or team half-cooked? Save this recipe and share it with a fellow tempeh fan.

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