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    Home » Instant Pot Carnitas

    August 12, 2018 Cinco de Mayo

    Instant Pot Carnitas

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    Instant Pot Carnitas are here!

    Jump to Recipe

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Tacos

    One of my favorite things I'm discovering about the Instant Pot is its ability to quickly cook carnitas, roasts, and other dishes made with tougher and cheaper cuts of meats, and turn them into succulent main dishes.

    pork shoulder for Instant Pot Carnitas

    Honestly I'm having to restrain myself from posting roughly a million pressure cooker pork shoulder recipes right now.  I want to make bbq, ragu, and so much more! But today, we'll focus on my favorite use for pork shoulder:

    Carnitas!

     

    how long to cook pork shoulder in the instant pot

     

    This is not the first time I've posted a carnitas recipe on the blog. My Slow Cooker Carnitas have been wildly popular, but they are definitely on the other end of the cooking time spectrum ( like EIGHT HOURS! )!

    Hot carnitas in the pot!

    My favorite thing to do with crispy carnitas fresh from under the broiler is to make pork carnitas tacos.  I haven't really ever met a taco I didn't love, but carnitas tacos are my FAV - particularly with a little fresh radish, avocado, and drizzle of hot sauce!

    instant pot pork carnitas tacos

    What to serve with Pork Carnitas Tacos:

    • Instant Pot Black Beans
    • Roasted Poblanos
    • Baked Mexican Street Corn

    I promise all of my Instant Pot recipes won't be Mexican themed, but I wanted to start with these first two ( this Instant Pot Carnitas recipe plus my Instant Pot Black Beans recipe ), so you could see how you can make almost an entire meal with your Instant Pot!

    PS - What is an Instant Pot an which one do I have? You can check it out here! If you buy from this link, I earn a SMALL commission that helps keep Basil & Bubbly running, at NO additional cost to you! Instant Pot on Amazon

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Tacos Featured Image

    Instant Pot Carnitas

    Instant Pot Carnitas are so easy to make - you'll feel like it's cheating when you taste how good they are. Get them super crispy by broiling right before serving.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Instant Pot
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 15 servings
    Calories: 345kcal
    Author: Basil and Bubbly

    Ingredients

    • 5 lb pork shoulder or pork butt trimmed of fat, cut into 3" chunks
    • 1 ½ Tablespoons Chili Powder
    • 1 Tablespoon Cumin
    • 1 teaspoon Oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
    • 1 Tablespoon Salt
    • 2 Bay Leaves
    • 1 onion quartered
    • 2 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth
    • ½ cup Orange Juice
    • ¼ cup Lime Juice
    • 3 cloves Garlic minced

    Instructions

    • Place all ingredients into the Instant Pot and give them a quick stir to combine the spices with the liquid and to lightly coat the meat.
    • Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it to lock it into place. Set the pressure release valve to Sealing, and press "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" ( depending on your model ). Set the timer for 45 minutes.
    • Once the 45 minutes are up, leave the pot to do a Natural Pressure Release for 20 minutes. This means you should just let the pot sit with the keep warm function on ( it turns on automatically once the timer runs out ), for 20 minutes. A timer will count up on the Instant Pot's display so you know how much time has passed. After 20 minutes, carefully release any remaining steam by turning the release valve to Venting, Cancel the "Keep Warm", and open the Instant Pot.
    • Remove the bay leaves and discard them. Shred the meat with two forks directly in the pot. I like to let it rest for 20 minutes so the meat absorbs the cooking juices. You can also store the meat in this juice if you are going to serve it later.
    • Before serving, place the shredded meat in chunks of shreds on a sheet pan with a lip that goes all around it, and broil it on high for 7 to 9 minutes to crisp it up.
    Nutrition Facts
    Instant Pot Carnitas
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 345
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @basilandbubbly or tag #basilandbubbly!

     

    « Instant Pot Black Beans
    Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Judy says

      January 08, 2020 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight after a long day working and holy crap!! This is the easiest and best tasting pork I’ve ever made. We had tacos tonight and I’m making Cuban sandwiches with it tomorrow. If, by any chance there’s any left, we’ll do “chipotle” bowls.

      The only modification I made was subbed 1/2 Tbsp of regular chili powder for chipotle chili powder to get more heat. PERFECTION!!!

      Reply

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