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Home / Course / Entree / Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

Dairy Free, Entree, Gluten Free, Instant Pot, Low Carb, Pork, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Whole30 Recipes

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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. 

Crispy pork carnitas in a skillet topped with cilantro and a side of orange slices

The Instant Pot makes this recipe so easy! You just add the pork and the rest of the ingredients into the pot and it does all the work. The orange and lime juice adds such a beautiful citrus flavor and helps the pork caramelize later. I add jalapeño with onions and garlic for just a hint of spice, but is really not spicy. You can omit the jalapeño if you prefer. Once the pork is done in the Instant Pot, it is so tender, you can shred it with a fork!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

The extra step after the Instant Pot is to crisp up the pork. You can do this one of two ways. You can spread out the shredded pork on a sheet pan and broil it or crisp it up in a skillet (my preferred method). Both methods work well, but I always get better caramelization in a skillet. I add the pork to a hot skillet and add 1-2 ladles of the juice from the IP. You don’t touch it for a few minutes (3-5), then you use a spatula to flip it over and crisp the other side. It adds so much flavor and texture to the pork!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Ways to enjoy instant pot pork carnitas:
  • In a taco with all the toppings. I love using Siete almond flour tortillas
  • If you want to keep it Whole30, make a burrito bowl with cauliflower rice and your favorite toppings
  • It is delicious for breakfast with a fried egg on top
Used in this Recipe:

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclaimer. 

4.29 from 14 votes

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Print Recipe
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!
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:1 hr 30 mins
Natural Release Time:30 mins
Total Time:2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 lb Pork Shoulder (pork butt)
  • 1 White Onion diced
  • 4-6 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 Jalapeno sliced
  • 3/4 cup Orange Juice about 2 oranges
  • 1/4 cup Lime Juice about 3-4 limes
  • 3 tsp Salt
  • 1.5 Tbls Mexican Oregano
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Dried Coriander
  • 1 Bay Leaf

Instructions

  • Rub the pork with the seasonings and place in the bottom of the Instant Pot
    Add the remaining ingredients into the Instant Pot, 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
  • 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

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 
To make it even faster in the Instant Pot, you can cube the pork and cook for 30 minutes with same natural release

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Latin
Keyword: gluten free, instant pot, low carb, paleo, whole30
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Sara

*This post and recipe inspired by Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats

October 30, 2019 · 5 Comments

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Comments

  1. Keri S Bright says

    January 11, 2020 at 6:39 pm

    Could you just remove some of the liquid and use the sear/saute function to caramelize….instead of dirtying another pan?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 11, 2020 at 6:58 pm

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    February 21, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    What is the serving size for this recipe

    Reply
  3. Joeli says

    May 3, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    What would the increase in cook time be for 7 lb pork shoulder?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Healthy meal prep for a busy season! – Everyday Grace says:
    November 30, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    […] Recipe: https://thebetteredblondie.com/instant-pot-pork-carnitas-mexican-pulled-pork/ […]

    Reply

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