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Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

These Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are one of our favorite meals to make. The meat is so juicy and tender with crispy bites on the outside.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Latin
Keyword gluten free, instant pot, low carb, paleo, whole30
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Natural Release Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 184kcal
Author Sara

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 tsp Pepper
  • 1.5 Tbls Mexican Oregano or regular dried 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 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 1/2 to 1 cup of cooking liquid on a baking sheet and crisp under the broiler for 3-5 minutes

Notes

For the slow cooker, rub the pork with the spice mixture and 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 facts are auto-calculated and can vary based on products or brands used 
WW SmartPoints are based on the blue plan and are calculated in the app 
 
 

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