Easy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe
This Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe is a take on the traditional. The pork is seasoned to perfection, pressure-cooked, then grilled. A process that results in very tender, juicy, pull apart meat with a crispy exterior that’s perfect for tacos, burritos, sliders or nourishing bowls. It’s a great dish to include in your Cinco de Mayo menu too!
In This Article
Nutritional Benefits
This delicious Mexican dish that originated in Michoachán is protein packed. Pork also contains a rich nutrient profile with plenty of B vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, and selenium (1).
Pork as a high-quality protein source means consumption of it can be effective for the growth and maintenance of muscle in addition to improving muscle function too (2).
Ingredients – What You’ll Need To Make Pork Carnitas
There is no standard recipe for carnitas though seasonings are often similar. Some favour just the standard salt and pepper letting the pork and lard add extra flavour. However, in the absence of lots of lard here, I’ve gone the other route and added plenty of seasonings.
- Boneless pork shoulder – the fat content in this cut makes it excellent for slow cooking. It results in very tender, perfectly pull-apart meat every time.
- Spice rub – The combination of cumin, oregano, chipotle, and a little clove gives the meat a slightly smokey flavour.
- Chicken stock – Helps to keep the meat nice and moist while cooking. Beef stock can also be used if preferred.
- Orange juice – Helps to tenderise the meat and add flavour.
- Garlic and onion – Also used to add extra taste to the final dish.
- Olive oil – This is used to help sear the pork before pressure cooking.
The spices used here are in-line with those found in many tradition recipes, though this one is much lighter on the chili. For more ideas on other spice combinations to consider check the substitutions and variations section towards the end of this post.
How To Make Instant Pot Carnitas
Cooking carnitas in the instant pot is a very easy way to make this dish. It takes less time means less clean-up and you don’t need to keep a constant eye on it. Don’t skip on grilling the pulled pork at the end either. That’s what will give the meat the deliciously crisp exterior.
- Chop the onion into wedges and crush the garlic. Set both aside.
- Mix the spices together to form the spice rub. Also set this aside.
- Cut any skin off the pork, pat dry with paper towel then sprinkle the spice rub all over. Rub it in as you go so it sticks to the meat.
- Press sauté on the instant pot and set the timer for 8 mins, then pour in the olive oil. Add in the pork and brown well on all sides.
- Add in the chicken stock, orange juice, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper. Put the lid on and set to pressure cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Release pressure naturally for 20 minutes. While this is happening – switch on your oven grill and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. If the pressure valve hasn’t dropped after 20 minutes hit the manual release button to release the rest.
- Remove the pork, place in a large bowl then shred with two forks.
- Pour ⅔ cup of the liquid from the pot over the pork. Mix well then put it all onto the lined baking sheet.
- Grill the shredded meat for 5 – 10 minutes to get the pork nice and crispy. Only grill one side so the meat stays moist when serving.
To serve – there are lots of ways to enjoy this dish. The most traditional is in tacos. But it’s also great in burritos and nourishing bowls too.
Substitutions And Variations
Use any combination of seasonings you like – sticking to those in the recipe is not needed. Try adding spices like:
- Coriander
- Oregano (Mexican oregano if you can find it)
- Smoked paprika
- A touch of cinnamo
- Cayenne pepper or another chili variety of your choosing if you’d like it much spicier.
Even adding a little orange zest to the rub can add plenty of extra flavour.
Tips For Success With This Recipe
Once done, it’s imperative to let the pressure release naturally. Doing so allows the meat to continue cooking gently after the initial pressure cooking time, resulting in a more tender result.
If your meat isn’t shredding easily once cooked it may be the result of a size variation in pork shoulder (slightly bigger) and it requires more cooking time to break down the connective tissue. If this happens, simply put it back on to cook for another 15-20 mins and natural release the pressure again.
Storing/Freezing/Make Ahead
To store carnitas, place the shredded pork in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To freeze, place the meat in a freezer-safe container once it’s been pulled/shredded and store for up to 3 months. Freezing in single portions with some of the cooking liquid for added moisture when reheating is also an excellent option.
To make ahead – cook the pork, shred it, and store it fridge for up to a day or two. Also keep the liquid to help put moisture back into the meat when reheating. When ready to serve, continue on from step 8 in the recipe to crisp up the meat.
FAQ
This generally occurs if the meat hasn’t cooked long enough for it to be shredded. If this happens, you can always cook for another 30 mins. Also ensure you allow the pressure to release naturally. This drops the internal temperature slowly and continues to gently cook the pork.
The acidity in the orange juice helps to tenderise and break down the meat. It also adds extra flavour.
Both pulled pork and carnitas are made via slow or pressure cook method. The difference though, is that carnitas is finished off under a grill to make the exterior crisp. The other difference is that carnitas, traditionally anyway, is slow cooked in lard.
More Ideas For Mains
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment, rate it, and remember to tag @wholenaturalkitchen in your pics or reels on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!
Easy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Instant pot
- 1 Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 4.5 lb pork shoulder 2 kg – boneless and skin removed (see note 1)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¾ cup chicken or beef stock
- ½ cup orange juice (roughly 2 oranges)
- 1 white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground clove
- ½ tsp dried chipotle
Instructions
- Chop the onion in half lengthways, then chop each half into quarters to make wedges. Crush the garlic then set both aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, oregano, chipotle, and clove to make the spice rub. Set this aside too.
- If the pork has skin on it, cut this off and keep to make cracking then pat the meat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle half the spice rub evenly over the top and rub it in so it sticks to the pork. Flip it over and repeat with the other half of the spice rub. Set aside.
- Put the instant pot on sauté for 8 mins then pour in the olive oil. Once it's warmed through (about one minute) add in the pork and brown it well on all sides.
- If the meat is browned before the timer has finished hit cancel. Add in the chicken stock, orange juice, and salt and pepper. Then add the onion and garlic pushing them down into the liquid. Put the lid on and set to pressure cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Once cooking has finished, hit cancel and let the instant pot release pressure naturally for 20 minutes. While this is happening – switch on your oven grill and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. If the pressure valve hasn't dropped after 20 minutes hit the manual release button to release the rest.
- Remove all the pork and place in a large bowl then shred with two forks. The pork should be falling apart as you lift it from the pot.
- Take ⅔ cup of the liquid from the pot and pour it over the pork in the bowl. Mix well to completely coat the meat then put it all onto the lined baking sheet. Don't discard the liquid either (see note 2).
- Place the baking sheet under the grill for 5 – 10 minutes to get the pork golden and crispy. I only do the one side so the meat stays very moist when serving.
- To serve – add the meat to tacos, burritos, or nourishing bowls. Pour a little extra pot juices over the top for lots of added flavour.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gabby Campbell
Gabby is a degree qualified Naturopath/Nutritionist (BHSc Nat) with a love of all whole foods. She started her Naturopathic career in clinical practice before making the move to recipe development and online education – a result of wanting to combat the misinformation that abounds on the internet about food and health. Whole Natural Kitchen aims to transform the way you think about healthy eating by helping you embrace an abundance of nutritious foods while leaving the health fads behind. MORE ABOUT GABBY
Oooh so many wonderful options for these carnitas. I love how easily they come together in the instant pot too.
Yes! It’s such an easy way to cook the carnitas.
I’ve started to fall back in love with my Instant Pot, so I found this recipe on pinterest and had to give it a try. We all LOVED the carnitas. So good.
Mine lives on the bench I love it so much Katherine! So glad this recipe helped you pull yours out again too.
These carnitas turned out perfectly cooked in the Instant Pot! They were tender and delicious – and so easy to make too!
So happy to hear that Anjali!
I loved making the carnitas in the instant pot! Such great flavor and easy to make. Thank you!
That’s great Ned! Yes, super easy in the instant pot. A set and forget kind of meal.
My family loved this recipe! So flavorful and simple to make. Thank you!
That’s great to hear Nikki. Thank you!