Instant Pot Carnitas give you the delicious taste of slow-cooked pork carnitas in less than an hour!. Serve as tacos, burritos, nachos or in a bowl, any way you eat them, they are delicious!
Have I mentioned that I'm obsessed with my Instant Pot lately? I know, I'm about five years late on this trend but good gracious this thing is a lifesaver now that school is back in session!! I've been having a great time testing and converting our family's favorite recipes into the pressure cooker and this Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe is most definitely one of my family's favorite meals to eat!
I've made this with my slow cooker for years and years and honestly, I was surprised I was able to get it to come out just as delicious with the Instant Pot.
They key is to cut the pork shoulder into chunks before putting it in so the meat gets cooked through. The pressure cooker takes care of the rest. Then, popping under the broiler to finish it off gives you those delicious crispy bits we love so much.
How to serve carnitas
We eat our carnitas in a lot of different ways depending on our moods. I also like to make a huge batch so I can have leftovers for lunch for a few days afterward. My kids love theirs over as tacos, over nacho chips, or rolled up burrito style with cheese while my husband and I eat our burrito bowl fashioned usually, tossed with rice and lots of veggies!
Carnitas Ingredients
This recipe is packed with flavor. I know it may seem odd at first to cook the meat with the citrus but I promise you, once you taste it you'll see how much flavor it adds to the pork!
- pork shoulder
- cumin
- salt & pepper
- chili powder
- oregano
- yellow onion
- garlic
- oranges
- limes
Step by step
This recipe is super simple!
- Cut the pork into 2" pieces and place in Instant Pot.
- Combine all spices and sprinkle over the meat..
- Place orange and lime slices over the meat.
- Seal the pressure cooker and set to manual for 35 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally when done cooking, about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the broiler to 500 degrees. Shred the meat with two forks and spread on a baking sheet and broil 5-10 minutes or until crisp if desired.
FAQs
You can skip the broiling step if you prefer your carnitas tender instead of crisp.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! This is a great recipe for freezing up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
I have tried this recipe with and without searing and have found no difference in the final result so I don't sear the meat to save time.
Is your mouth watering yet? I know mine is! On to the recipe!
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Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: dinner
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: mexican
Description
Get the delicious taste of slow-cooked carnitas in less than an hour with your Instant Pot. Serve as tacos, burritos, nachos or in a bowl, any way you eat them, they are delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 small or 1 large orange
- 2 limes
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into 2 inch pieces and place in the Instant Pot.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the meat.
- Seal Instant Pot lid and press the Manual button. Set the timer for 35 minutes.
- After the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally, about 20-25 minutes.
- Preheat boiler to 500 degrees.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a baking sheet. Use two forks to shred the meat and spread evenly across baking sheet.
- Place meat under the broiler for about 5-10 minutes or until meat is browned and crisp. Serve as desired.
Notes
Serve as tacos, burritos, nachos, or burrito bowls. The broiler step may be omitted if desired for softer, more tender carnitas.
Keywords: instant pot carnitas
If you like this recipe, you'll also enjoy these other easy dinner options:
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
- Slow Cooker Ham, Bacon, Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew
Have you also hopped on the Instant Pot bandwagon? What are your favorite weeknight fast dinner recipes? Let me know in the comments!
Jen says
So good!
★★★★★