Juicy Crispy Instant Pot Carnitas
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These crispy pork carnitas are made in the instant pot with pork shoulder, fresh juices and a few simple seasonings for a flavorful meat that’s ready in about 45 minutes.
Pork is rich and fatty and when cooked in the instant pot it soaks up all that wonderful flavor, giving you authentic carnitas in half the time. The juice from the instant pot is used to fry your corn tortillas over the stove and you’ll be obsessed with how delicious and crispy it gets your taco shell.
Serve these buffet style and watch them disappear. I like to put out everyone’s favorite toppings and sides: pico de Gallo, avocado crema, red onion, lime wedges, Mexican rice, and warm tortillas and let people go to town.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Classic carnitas in half the time of a slow cooker.
- Delicious meal to serve to bbq’s and potlucks.
Ingredients and Substitutes:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions for instant pot carnitas.
- Boneless Pork Shoulder: pork shoulder is an inexpensive cut of pork with lots of fat marbling, making it flavorful and perfect for carnitas. Available in both boneless and bone-in options, you want boneless because it’s easier to cut. If you can only find bone in you can cut around the bone. You can substitute the shoulder for pork butt.
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Chicken Broth: vegetable broth, beef broth or even water.
- White Onion: yellow works great too
- Spices: we’re using smoked paprika, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper
Variations
- Save the leftover meat for meal prep and add to taco bowls, breakfast burrito bowls, or in salads or sandwiches.
Dietary Modifications
- To make dairy-free, use non-dairy yogurt alternative for the chipotle sauce and omit the cheddar cheese.
- The meat for this instant pot carnitas recipe is gluten-free. If using tortillas, use a gluten-free tortilla.
How to make instant pot carnitas
Step 1: add spices & meat
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside (image 1).
Place the chopped onion and minced garlic in the bottom of your Instant Pot (image 2). Next, add the pork shoulder pieces on top of the onion mixture (image 3), and sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the pork. Then, pour the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth over the pork (image 4). Secure the lid on your Instant Pot, and set the pressure release valve to the “sealing” position. Set the Instant Pot to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
Step 2: shred and crisp the pork
After the cooking time is up on the carnitas, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to the “venting” position to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pork to a baking sheet (image 5). Shred the pork using two forks.
Turn the oven on broil and place the shredded instant pot carnitas on the sheet pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes until crispy (image 6). Be careful not to burn. Alternatively, you can do this in batches in a hot pan with some cooking spray but I find the sheet pan to be easier.
Expert Tip!
Meal prep this on a Sunday night without crisping and then just crisp up servings in the oven when you’re ready to enjoy throughout the week.
Recipe FAQs
Make burrito bowls, tacos, salads or just snack on the meat throughout the day. The tacos are superb but wrapped in a large tortilla with the chipotle sauce and pan seared is pretty darn delicious as well.
When storing your leftover instant pot carnitas I suggest adding some of the liquid from the instant pot. You can add it all or just a couple cups of the broth. This will keep the meat from drying out in the fridge. You can also use the liquid for making the soaked tortillas throughout the week or add the meat to a sandwich and use the liquid as a au jus sauce like a French dip sandwich.
Yes!
1. Combine the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Place chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped jalapeño in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Add the pork shoulder pieces evenly on top. Pour the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken or veggie broth over the pork.
4. Cover with the lid and set on high 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours.
5. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and shred with two forks.
6. To make it crispy: heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the shredded pork in batches to the hot skillet for 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy and golden brown. If desired, add some cooking liquid from the slow cooker with the crispy pork to keep it moist, but be careful not to add too much or else it can get soggy.
Check out some of our other instant pot meals!
- Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Fried Rice
- Instant Pot Chicken Stroganoff
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Instant Pot Carnitas
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Instant Pot Carnitas
- 3.5 lbs. boneless pork shoulder cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 medium white onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh orange juice 2-3 oranges
- 2 limes juiced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth any broth works or water
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. ground oregano
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions
Instant Pot Carnitas
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Place the chopped onion and minced garlic in the bottom of your Instant Pot. Next, add the pork shoulder pieces on top of the onion mixture, and sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the pork. Then, pour the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth over the pork.
- Secure the lid on your Instant Pot, and set the pressure release valve to the “sealing” position. Set the Instant Pot to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- After the cooking time is up on the carnitas, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to the “venting” position to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pork to a baking sheet. Shred the pork using two forks.
- Turn the oven on broil and place the shredded pork on the sheet pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes until crispy. Be careful not to burn. Alternatively, you can do this in batches in a hot pan with some cooking spray but I find the sheet pan to be easier. This meat is amazing in tacos, burritos, salads and burrito bowls.
Notes
- All nutrition facts are an estimate and will change with any substitutions.
- When storing your leftover instant pot carnitas I suggest adding some of the liquid from the instant pot. You can add it all or just a couple cups of the broth. This will keep the meat from drying out in the fridge. You can also use the liquid for making the soaked tortillas throughout the week or even adding the meat to a sandwich and using the liquid as a au jus sauce like a French dip sandwich.
- Meat makes 18, 2 oz. cooked servings.
