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Easy Instant Pot Carnitas

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These easy Instant Pot Carnitas take just 5 minutes of prep before your pressure cooker takes over. Made from seasoned pork that’s cooked juicy and tender, then shredded and lightly broiled until irresistibly crispy. Perfect for pork tacos!

If you don’t want to use your Instant Pot,

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Crispy Instant Pot Carnitas

This Instant Pot carnitas recipe is a quick version of the slower cook pork carnitas recipe that I always make. The pork becomes insanely tender in the Instant Pot, cooked in a totally tantalizing marinade of orange juice, lime, and zesty spices. 

Once shredded, the method stays the same, I pop the pulled pork under the broiler to get those irresistibly golden, crispy bits at the edges. Pork carnitas are somehow juicy and crispy all at once, and 100% a family favorite.

What Are Carnitas?

Carnitas is “little meats” in Spanish. It’s a bit like Mexico’s answer to pulled pork, made from pork shoulder that’s slow-cooked in lard until it’s ultra-tender and shreddable. Many of us don’t exactly have gallons of lard at our fingertips, though. This homemade version uses the Instant Pot to make carnitas that are pretty darn close to the real deal (if I say so myself), minus the lard. 

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Recipe

My Instant Pot carnitas are super easy and you’re going to be gobsmacked by how good these crispy carnitas turn out!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Below is an overview of the ingredients and simple seasonings you’ll need to make the juiciest Instant Pot carnitas. Refer to the recipe card for the full recipe amounts and details.

What Cut of Meat Is Best for Carnitas?

So, which kind of pork should you choose? There are a few options that work well when it comes to making succulent pork carnitas:

How to Make Pork Carnitas in the Instant Pot

Making my favorite carnitas recipe in the pressure cooker is perfect for weeknights. It definitely speeds up the process and there’s hardly any cleanup! Here’s how to make these easy Instant Pot carnitas:

Crisping Up Your Carnitas

There are a couple of different ways to crisp up the outside pieces of pork for that delicious contrast of textures:

I like to pour the reserved juices from the Instant Pot over the finished result for more flavor. Voila! These tasty carnitas are ready for tacos, sandwiches, nachos, freezing, and more. See below for easy ways to serve and store homemade pork carnitas.

Can I Make Carnitas In the Slow Cooker Instead?

Yes! If you don’t have an Instant Pot or if you’d prefer to make this recipe in the crock pot instead, my original recipe for Slow Cooker Carnitas is right up your alley. I include directions in that post for making carnitas in the Dutch oven, too.

Tips and Variation Ideas

This Instant Pot carnitas recipe takes a lot of the guesswork out of getting the texture of the meat just right. Here are some final tips for carnitas that cook up meltingly tender:

Common Questions

New to Mexican-style cooking? Here are some carnitas FAQs:

What’s the difference between carne and carnitas?

Carnitas is made with pulled pork shoulder, whereas carne asada is made from thinly-sliced beef (usually sirloin or skirt steak).

Why add orange juice to carnitas?

As mentioned, the citrus juices in this recipe add depth of flavor, and the acidity also helps to further break down the meat so that it’s pull-apart tender.

Why is my Instant Pot pork shoulder tough?

If your Instant Pot pork roast comes out tough, this is most likely because it’s undercooked and needs more time in the pressure cooker.

Ways to Serve Carnitas

Instant Pot carnitas are classic for pork tacos. We top ours with Mango Salsa or Avocado Salsa, served with Chicken Flautas or Corn on the Cob on the side. There’s nothing more satisfying than juicy pork folded inside a flour tortilla, paired with a margarita! 

You can also serve your crispy carnitas over white rice or Skillet Taco Rice with beans. They make a great addition to Burrito Bowls or rice bowls topped with corn, guacamole, lettuce, black beans, cheese, etc. Other easy side ideas are these Roasted Veggie Nachos or a Southwestern Cobb Salad

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Instant Pot carnitas store extremely well. We’ll use leftovers to make Carnitas Mac and Cheese! To store, pop the leftover pork in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days. I recommend reheating carnitas on the stovetop or in the oven to help crisp up the edges again, but the microwave works fine, too.

Can I Freeze Instant Pot Carnitas? 

Yes! I love making a big batch of carnitas to freeze the extras for later. Store the cooked carnitas airtight in a container or freezer bag and freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw the pork in the fridge before reheating.

Print

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Instant Pot Carnitas


  • Author:
    Shelly

  • Prep Time:
    10 minutes

  • Cook Time:
    1 hour 40 minutes

  • Total Time:
    1 hour 50 minutes

  • Yield:
    6 servings 1x

  • Category:
    Dinner

  • Method:
    Instant Pot

  • Cuisine:
    American

Description

Easy Instant Pot Carnitas take just 5 minutes of prep before the pressure cooker takes over! Perfectly seasoned pork is cooked juicy and tender, then shredded and lightly broiled until crispy.


Ingredients


Scale
  • 3 1/24 pound Pork Butt Roast, cut into 23 inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 3/4 Cup Orange Juice (from 2 oranges)
  • 1/2 Cup Lime Juice (from 4 limes)
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno, chopped
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 12 ounce Chicken Broth (or sub with Mexican Beer)

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle pork roast with kosher salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
    Combine orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Set aside.
    Turn the instant pot to saute mode and add the oil.
    Add the onion and jalapeno and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Press cancel.
    Add the pork roast pieces to the instant pot.
    Pour the juice mixture over the roast. Then pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf.
    Place the lid on and turn it to the seal setting. Cook on manual, high pressure for 60 minutes.
    Once it’s done cooking, naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure. Be careful removing the lid because it will be hot and steamy.
  2. Remove the meat from the instant pot and place it on a baking tray. Use two forks to pull the meat into shreds discarding any large pieces of fat.
  3. Place the baking sheet under a broiler for 6-8 minutes until the edges are crispy.

Notes

Serve as tacos, over rice and beans, or with roasted vegetables.

Keywords: instant pot carnitas, carnitas recipe, pork carnitas

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