These Instant Pot pork carnitas are one of my favorite things to meal prep for the week. It is such and easy protein to make, but it is packed with flavor! We love to have it on hand for tacos, burrito bowls or with fried eggs for breakfast.
What You Need:
- Pork Shoulder
- Onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeno
- Orange Juice
- Lime Juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Bay Leaf
Let's Make Carnitas:
- Mix the spices together (salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, coriander) and rub the pork all over with the mixture
- Place the pork in the Instant Pot and top with the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and the orange and lime juice
- Close the lid and move steam valve to 'seal'. Set to high pressure for 90 minutes
- When timer goes off, turn pot off and let it naturually release steam (takes about 30 minutes)
- Remove pork from the pot and shred it with two forks (reserving the cooking liquid)
- To caramelize and crisp up the shredded pork, heat a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat with some avocado oil
- Add a layer of pork and some of the juices from the pot. Leave it alone for 3-5 minutes (be carefeul not to burn) and then flip and crisp up the other side
- Do this in batches to ensure even browning of the meat
- You can also spread the shredded pork and pour over about ½ to 1 cup of cooking liquid on a baking sheet and crisp under the broiler for 3-5 minutes
How to Serve:
You Might Also Like:
- Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef
- Baked Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
- Keto + Whole30 Taco Bake
- Instant Pot Steak Fajita Bowls
- Chipotle Shrimp Burrito Bowls
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Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
These Instant Pot pork carnitas are one of my favorite things to meal prep for the week. It is such and easy protein to make, but it is packed with flavor!
Ingredients
- 4 lb Pork Shoulder (pork butt)
- 1 White Onion diced
- 4-6 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Jalapeno sliced
- ¾ cup Orange Juice about 2 oranges
- ¼ cup Lime Juice about 3-4 limes
- 3 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1.5 Tbls Mexican Oregano
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Dried Coriander
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions
- Mix the spices together (salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, coriander) and rub the pork all over with the mixture Place the pork in the Instant Pot and top with the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and the orange and lime juiceClose the lid and move steam valve to 'seal'. Set to high pressure for 90 minutes
- When timer goes off, turn pot off and let it naturually release steam (takes about 30 minutes)Remove pork from the pot and shred it with two forks (reserving the cooking liquid)
- To caramelize and crisp up the shredded pork, heat a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat with some avocado oilAdd a layer of pork and some of the juices from the pot. Leave it alone for 3-5 minutes (be carefeul not to burn) and then flip and crisp up the other sideDo this in batches to ensure even browning of the meatYou can also spread the shredded pork and pour over about ½ to 1 cup of cooking liquid on a baking sheet and crisp under the broiler for 3-5 minutes
Notes
For the slow cooker, add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker and set on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. See step two in recipe card for instructions on how to crisp the pork
Nutrition
Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 22gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 784mgPotassium: 459mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 77IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thebetteredblondie
great flavor. i seared my seasoned meat on all sides by using the saute function on the instant pot before starting the pressure cooking. after 90 minutes cooking and 30 minus self-release, my meat still wasn't falling off the bone. i popped the lid back on, added 45 minutes, and went through a second go of pressure cooking. at that point it was falling off the bone. today, i skimmed the fat off the top of the refrigerated leftovers and noticed the broth made from cooking the pork was nice and gelatinized from the bone. my shoulder weighed in at 4.03 lbs so it wasn't far off from the recipe. i serve mine on top of baked sweet potato and omitted the jalapeno (i am AIP).
This tasted amazing! My whole family including my picky kids loved it. I passed the recipe on to my sisters and mom and they loved it as well. And, bonus-it’s a super easy recipe!
Wow! This was so good. Don’t skip the caramelizing the cooked meat step. Topped mine with fresh cilantro and avocado. Will cook again.
What would the increase in cook time be for 7 lb pork shoulder?
What is the serving size for this recipe
Could you just remove some of the liquid and use the sear/saute function to caramelize....instead of dirtying another pan?
You would have to do quite a few batches of it, because there is not enough surface space in the IP. And it just won't caramelize the way it will in a pan or under the broiler