Instant Pot Carnitas

Carnitas are always my go-to meat of choice when I see them on a taco menu. There’s something about the juicy, flavorful and slightly crispy meat that I cannot resist. Carnitas are Mexican pulled pork made with pork shoulder and cooked in a special blend of Mexican spices that make them so special.

The customary way of making carnitas is in a slow cooker but that takes hours and a lot of forethought. Drumroll for….the instant pot!

Say goodbye to the countless hours of slow-cooking pork to get the perfect carnitas and hello to instant pot carnitas. These carnitas result in the same meat we all love with a fraction of the cooking time. The chipotle sauce to serve with it comes together in minutes and can be saved for the rest of the week’s meals.

For more Mexican inspired recipes, try chicken adobo pitas, turkey taco bowl, chili cheese enchiladas and mango corn salsa.

These can be served with anything: tacos, burritos, over salad, in a bowl with beans and rice, as nachos. Endless ways to enjoy these carnitas makes them perfect to bring to parties and bbq’s. Bring a whole bunch of options and you have a DIY carnitas bar. 

What cut of meat should I use?

The instant pot carnitas calls for 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, for this you will want boneless because it’s easier to cut up into the 2-inch pieces this recipe calls for and will ensure there is no bones once shredded. If you can only find bone in just cut around the bone. 

Pork butt can be used in place of the shoulder if needed as it is similar to the shoulder only slightly more fatty. 

Let’s talk sauce

If the main event of this recipe is the instant pot carnitas, then the chipotle sauce is the closing act. The carnitas are great enough on their own but this sauce really elevates it to something else. 

Simply mince the garlic and chipotle peppers very small and then mix them in with all the other ingredients. Allow it to marinate for 30 minutes for all the flavors to really come together and you have a sauce you can add to anything you add the carnitas to. This sauce is also good as a dipping sauce with my blackened chicken. 

Do I have to use an instant pot?

I have the Instant Pot 6qt Duo Pressure Cooker and use it for the instant pot carnitas because it saves a ton of time. If you want to use a slow cooker or crockpot, go for it! 

If choosing slow cooker or crock pot: combine the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, kosher salt and pepper and set aside. 

Place chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped jalapeño in the bottom of the slow cooker. Then, add the pork shoulder pieces evenly on top. Next, pour the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken or veggie broth over the pork. Cover with the lid and set on high 4-6 hours or low 8-10 hours. Once cooked, transfer to a plate and shred with two forks. 

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. 

Serve as desired and enjoy!

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. 

• Pork Shoulder: can be substituted for pork butt. See notes for macro conversion.
• Juices: this recipe uses both fresh orange and lime juice but store bought is ok. 
• Chicken Broth: Vegetable broth, beef broth or even water can  be substituted here.
• Spices: chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Adjust heat with cayenne pepper. 

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for the chipotle sauce. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions. 

• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: Start with 1 pepper and adjust based on heat preference. 
• Greek Yogurt: Fage non-fat plain is my favorite yogurt. To make this recipe dairy free, use non-dairy yogurt alternative. 
• White Corn Tortillas: any tortilla of your choosing. 
• Cheddar Cheese: Optional. Omit to make dairy free. 

How to make Instant Pot Carnitas

Step 1: Combine spices

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.

Step 2: Add ingredients to instant pot

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.

Step 3: Make chipotle sauce

While the meat cooks make your Chipotle sauce by combining all the ingredients and mixing well to combine. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. You can add more salt, pepper, or adobo sauce to suit your taste preferences. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together. This will also help thicken the sauce a bit.

Step 4: Naturally release the instant pot

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.

Step 5: Crisp the pork

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. 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. You can stop here and serve in tacos, burritos, salad, burrito bowls etc., or move onto crispy cheese tacos! 

Step 6: For crispy cheesy carnitas tacos

Heat a pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. 

Using tongs dip the corn tortillas in the sauce in the instant pot. Be sure not to leave them in the sauce for too long as this will soften the tortillas making them hard to handle, they will be too soft and break apart. 

Place the soaked tortillas on the hot pan and top with 2 oz. cooked crispy carnitas, 14 grams of cheddar cheese and fold in half. Cook like a quesadilla and brown on both sides until crispy and the cheese has melted. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining tortillas. 

Step 7: Serve and enjoy

Serve the tacos with chipotle sauce and fresh cilantro. 

How to serve with this dish

Instant pot carnitas are extremely versatile. You can make burrito bowls, tacos, salads or just honestly 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. 

Serving size and storing notes!

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. Nutrition Facts for tacos listed below. 

For one taco: 2 oz. meat, 14 g cheddar cheese, 1 white corn tortilla and 12 grams Chipotle sauce: Calories 296 Total Fat 18 g  Cholesterol 109 mg Sodium 226 mg Potassium 84 mg Total Carbohydrate 13 g Dietary Fiber 1 g Sugars 3 g Protein 21 g

Meat alone 2 oz. cooked:  Calories 177 Total Fat 13 g 
Cholesterol 54 mg  Sodium 92 mg Potassium 26 mg Total Carbohydrate 1 g Dietary Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Protein 16 g

Chipotle Sauce makes 18 servings at 12 grams per serving: Calories 10
Total Fat 0 g  Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 40 mg Potassium 18 mg Total Carbohydrate 1 g Dietary Fiber 0 g Sugars 1 g Protein 1 g

To lower the fat a smidge, omit the cheese. To lower the carbs use low-carb tortillas or use lettuce wraps for tacos. Pork shoulder is NOT a low-fat meat so this is a high-fat content meal and should be thoroughly enjoyed. 

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