Instant Pot Carnitas are full of flavor! This Mexican-style pulled pork is smoky and citrusy, with an irresistible crunch and fall-apart texture. Nothing beats these Instant Pot Pork Carnitas with jalapenos and lime on a warm tortilla!
Carnita is a soft, smoky, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork-style Mexican dish. Carnitas means ‘small meat’ in Spanish. The pieces of meat may be small, but they taste very good. Especially pork carnitas cooked in the Instant Pot!
Traditionally, carnitas are cooked low and slow until tender and shredded. However, making pork carnitas Instant Pot style is a great shortcut to get the carnitas on the plate faster. The high-pressure environment also infuses the tender meat with citrus and herbal goodness, creating an incredibly flavorful pork carnita you'll want to serve with every meal.
We make this Instant Pot Carnitas recipe at home all the time, but it's also great as a make-ahead camping meal. Fill a batch, then transfer it to an airtight container, pack it in a cooler, and warm it up later at the campsite.
These Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are great for entertaining too! Making a batch and serving it with warm tortillas and a variety of toppings will make your gathering more enjoyable.
ingredient
- Boneless Pork Shoulder: For this recipe, cut the pork into cubes. Pork shoulder is often sold as “pork butt,” which is actually a specific part of the shoulder.
- Fresh Orange and Lime Juice: Citrus juice adds a unique flavor to carnitas while also helping to tenderize the meat during cooking.
- Various spices: Cumin powder adds a smoky flavor, dried oregano adds an earthy, Tex-Mex feel, and bay leaves add an herbal flavor.
- olive oil: It is used for sautéing onions and garlic.
- onion: It adds flavor and a bit of texture to the finished carnitas.
- garlic: We use 4 cloves of fresh garlic. Depending on the situation, you can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, but it is better to use garlic if possible.
- Chicken Broth: It adds juiciness and flavor while cooking the carnitas.
Best Pork Cuts for Carnitas
Pork shoulder is the best cut of pork to use when making carnitas. Pork shoulder has the best flavor because it is high in fat and well-marbled, and when cooked it has a very tender, shredded texture that keeps it juicy.
What size Instant Pot do you need?
This Instant Pot Carnitas recipe, as written, can be used in any size Instant Pot and contains enough liquid for a small as well as a large electric pressure cooker.
We use a 3 quart duo. 3 pounds of pork is just about right, but it works!
If you want to double the recipe, you'll need a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.
How long do you cook carnitas in an Instant Pot?
We recommend budgeting about 1 hour and 10 minutes total time for the carnitas in the Instant Pot. This includes 40 minutes of active pressure cooking time, including about 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure and 15 minutes for natural steam release.
Luckily, you can cook passively without using your hands, so you can free up your time to do other things!
How to Make Instant Pot Carnitas – Step by Step
First, combine pork, citrus juice, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to coat the pork and marinate.
Next, turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and drizzle with olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and fry until fragrant and the onion becomes transparent.
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the flavorful bits from the onions and garlic. Add pork and seasoning to the pot and stir to mix well.
It's time to cook! Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the vent to sealed, and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, let the Instant Pot sit for 15 minutes and then flip the vent over to release any remaining pressure.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork from pot to cutting board. Using two forks, shred the pork. You can also shred them directly in the Instant Pot if you prefer. The carnitas should be very soft and should fall apart easily.
Crunchy!
The final step before serving is to crisp them up! Choose how you want your signature carnitas to be crispy.
- Backsaw: Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the carnitas along with a little of the cooking juices. Cook until some of the carnitas are crisp and brown.
- Oven: Spread the carnitas on a large lined baking sheet and drizzle with a little of the cooking juices. Place the carnitas under the oven broiler until the tops are crispy. Watch carefully to avoid burns!
- outdoors: When camping, use a cast iron skillet over a camp stove or fire. Crunch the carnitas in batches, if necessary. Overcrowding will work against you by creating a steaming effect rather than a crunchy effect.
Storage method
To store Instant Pot pork carnitas, allow to cool to room temperature and then place in an airtight container. Store refrigerated for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the carnitas for up to 3 months. Either way, storing them with extra liquid will help keep them moist.
To pack your Instant Pot carnitas in a camping cooler, you'll need to place them in a waterproof container or zip-top bag. When storing meat, it is important to keep the refrigerator temperature below 41 degrees. Here are our top tips on how to pack your cooler properly:
How to Use Pork Carnitas
- Fill the tacos with the carnitas and top with sliced jalapeno peppers, onion slices, and a squeeze of lime.
- Add a stack of carnitas to your plate with freshly baked tortillas and a scoop of Mexican Street Corn Slaw.
- Top with a large dollop of grilled nachos, then layer with cheese.
- You can easily make a burrito bowl by adding rice, salsa, sour cream, and veggies to the bowl.
- Sprinkle a little on your fajitas to enjoy the meaty flavor.
- Add a Mexican twist to mini sandwiches by using Carnitas with Fresh Coriander and Jalapenos in Pulled Pork Sliders.
- three pound Boneless pork shoulder, Cut into 2-inch chunks.
- ½ cup fresh orange juice, 1-2 oranges
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice, About 3 limes
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- One teaspoon dried oregano
- One bay leaves
- One teaspoon salt
- One tablespoon olive oil
- One onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
For serving:
- tortilla
- jalapeño
- fresh cilantro
- diced onion
- lime wedges
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Place the pork pieces in a large bowl and add the orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and salt. Mix and let marinate while you prepare the onions and garlic.
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Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add olive oil and heat.
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Add the onion and garlic to the Instant Pot and sauté until the onion becomes transparent.
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Add the chicken broth to the pot and stir with a wooden or silicone spatula to lift any brown bits and deglaze them. Don't skip this step. Otherwise, you risk getting a “burn” warning in your Instant Pot.
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Add pork and seasoning sauce to the pot. Stir to mix well.
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Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the vent to sealed. Cook at high pressure for 40 minutes and then release the pressure naturally for 15 minutes.
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Open the vent to release any remaining pressure, then remove the lid.
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Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the pot and place on a cutting board or large plate. Tear the pork into small pieces using two forks.
serve
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Make the carnitas crispy-Stovetop: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and a little cooking liquid and cook until crispy on all sides.Broiler: Place carnitas on baking sheet. Spoon the cooking liquid over the top. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until crispy (watch carefully!).
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Serve carnitas on warm tortillas, topped with chopped onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and salsa.
calorie: 296calorie | carbohydrate: 4g | protein: 25g | province: 21g | sugar: 2g
*Nutrients are estimates based on information provided by a third-party nutrition calculator.