Home » Blog » Course » Main Dish » Instant Pot CarnitasInstant Pot Carnitas Pin RecipeRate RecipePublished: Nov 2, 2021 · Modified: Aug 21, 2022 by Andrea + Stef · This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. Tender, juicy, crispy on the outside carnitas melt in your mouth and burst with flavor. Made in the instant pot with seasoning mixed up in minutes using a blender! A little spice and a whole lot of flavor! Jump to Recipe If you love crispy carnitas and instant pot recipes you’ll love these flavor packed Instant Pot pork carnitas! We’ve cut a few steps to make this the best recipe in a fraction of the time it takes to make crispy pork carnitas usually. These easy Instant Pot carnitas are so juicy and have so much added flavor you won’t miss the steps we skip to make this a meal you can cook on a weeknight. Table of Contents INSTANT POT CARNITAS INGREDIENTSPOSSIBLE VARIATIONSSERVING SUGGESTIONSINSTRUCTIONSSTORAGE TIPSFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSInstant Pot CarnitasMORE RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE If you don’t mind taking extra time, we have full instructions for cooking these juicy pork carnitas in a slow cooker (crock pot) as well. Pressure cooking saves time by cooking at high pressure but both ways are delicious. And don’t miss our favorite way to make these carnitas crispy without spending a lot of time frying your meat. So skip the dry rub from traditional carnitas and make them our favorite way. INSTANT POT CARNITAS INGREDIENTS You may have all of these ingredients for this easy recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this delicious recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients. Cut of Meat: Use a cut of pork like pork loin, pork butt, Boston butt, or pork roast.Seasoning and Spices: black pepper, salt, onion (yellow onion or red onion not onion powder), garlic cloves, smoky paprika, ground cumin, Mexican oregano or regular oregano, cayenne, jalapeñosCitrus Juice: orange juice, fresh orange juice or even fresh lime juice Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells Carnitas and cheese stuffed into tender pasta shells and cooked in an air fryer to crispy, flavor-bursting perfection. See Recipe POSSIBLE VARIATIONS KICK UP THE SPICEAdd more cayenne pepper or jalapeńos. Try adding a little chili powder. SAUTÉ ONIONSOmit the onions from the sauce and instead dice and sauté them in the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker on the sauté setting. Place the pork on top of the onions and pour the sauce over top. PAN FRYSkip the oven crisping and instead heat a tablespoon or two of oil (olive oil, avocado oil, corn oil or lard) in a large heavy skillet, cast iron pan or frying pan and fry up your pork to make crispy carnitas. SERVING SUGGESTIONS Enjoy this great recipe as an addition to a tasty meal, special family dinner or dinner party with these other recipes: TACO TOPPINGS: Sliced purple cabbage, fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro and queso fresco (soft Mexican cheese), corn tortillas or flour tortillasSIDE DISH: Refried beans and riceCARNITAS BURRITO BOWL: rice, black beans or pinto beans, shredded cheese or queso fresco, fresh diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and pineapple salsa.LETTUCE WRAP: Put your favorite taco toppings in a large piece of lettuce and eat as a lettuce wrap.EASY BURRITOS: Make easy burritos to freeze or save for later.NACHOS: Make some sheet pan carnitas nachos. Serve with a side of pico de gallo, guacamole and some lime wedges.ENCHILADAS: Make the best enchiladas with these carnitas. EssentialTOOLS AND SUPPLIESPrepare your work surface and gather these kitchen tools and supplies before you begin this delicious, easy-to-make recipe so you don’t waste extra time trying to find things you need. sharp knife blendercutting boardlarge sheet pan (baking sheet or baking pan)Instant Pot or electric pressure cookermeasuring cups and spoonsslotted spoon or tongs INSTRUCTIONS Follow the full instructions and kitchen tips and quick tips for the best way to make this instant pot carnitas recipe. Don’t forget to check the prep time and cook time in the recipe card below before you begin. PREPARE PORK: Cut your pork into 3 or 4 large pieces so it fits into your Instant Pot. BLEND SAUCE: Blend up the remaining ingredients in your blender until smooth. This will be your seasoning and cooking liquid. KITCHEN TIPCut your onion into quarters or smaller pieces before blending to prevent your onion from blocking your blender blades. Remove the seeds from your jalapeño before blending. FILL INSTANT POT: Place pork in the bottom of the instant pot. Pour sauce over the pork. Turn pork to coat. SLOW COOKER CARNITAS RECIPEIf you want to make this instant pot version of easy carnitas in the crock pot follow all previous instructions. Place the piece of pork and the sauce in the slow cooker. Set to cook on low for 8-10 hours. COOK PORK: Set your cooking time on your Instant Pot to 25 minutes.Make sure your steam valve is set to the sealing position. Once cooking is complete, allow a natural release for 10-15 minutes. The turn the pressure release to the venting positions to release the remaining pressure. Once the remaining steam has stopped you have remove the lid. SHRED PORK: Using a couple forks, shred your pork. Your pork should be tender and easy to shred. If it isn’t, put the lid back on the Instant Pot and cook for 10 more minutes. KITCHEN TIPAfter shredding your pork, leave in the sauce in the Instant Pot for 10-15 minutes to allow the meat to soak up so much flavor and moisture. This will make amazing juicy carnitas. BROIL CARNITAS: Turn your oven broiler. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove pressure cooker carnitas from the pot. Spread pork out on baking sheet and place on top rack of oven. Watch carefully and remove the pan when the carnitas have crispy edges. EAT: Make your carnitas into tacos, add to salad or make these delicious Air Fryer Carnitas Stuffed Pasta Shells. STORAGE TIPS Storing your food properly is important to prevent spoiling or food poisoning. Refrigerate: Store carnitas in an airtight container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days if you can’t eat it the next day. Freeze: Store in an airtight, freezer safe, container. If you’re storing in a zip top freezer bag, try to get as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrosting: A great way to defrost is in the refrigerator overnight. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Click the questions to see the answer. How do you make carnitas dairy free?These carnitas are naturally dairy free. Omit cheese from your tacos to make dairy free carnitas tacos. Are carnitas gluten free?This carnitas recipe is gluten free. Can you overcook carnitas in an Instant Pot?It is much more likely that you will undercook pulled pork in an Instant Pot. Make sure you cook your pork for at least 25 minutes (longer if frozen) and allow a natural release. If the pork is tough and doesn’t fall apart easily when shredding start the Instant Pot again for 10-15 minutes. What is the difference between pulled pork and carnitas?Carnitas are a Mexican version of pulled pork meat. Carnitas are usually seasoned with Mexican spices, or just salt, and often fried to crispness after the pork is pulled apart. Does meat get more tender the longer you pressure cook it?In general, yes. As long as there is enough liquid in the pressure cooker or instant pot the meat will get more tender up until it is overcooked. For a whole large pork roast it will take about 45 minutes to cook. For 1-inch chunks it will need approximately 20 minutes. cilantro, garlic 5 from 4 votes Instant Pot Carnitas Author Andrea + Stef Course Main Dish Cuisine Mexican Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Cook Time 55 minutes minutes Print Pin Rate 8 to 10 people Tender, juicy, crispy on the outside carnitas melt in your mouth and burst with flavor. Made in the instant pot with seasoning mixed up in minutes using a blender! A little spice and a whole lot of flavor! Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark EquipmentInstant Pot Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 3-4 pound pork shoulder roast pork butt roast▢ ½ cup orange juice▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper▢ 2 teaspoon sea salt▢ ½ white onion roughly chopped▢ 2 cloves of garlic peeled▢ 1 teaspoon smoky paprika▢ 2 teaspoons cumin▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper▢ 2 jalapeños stems removed (and seeds/ribs removed for a milder dish) InstructionsCut the pork roast into sections to fit neatly in the bottom of the instant pot. In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine orange juice, pepper, salt, onion chunks, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, pepper, and jalapeños. Blend until a fairly uniform sauce forms. Pour the blender sauce over the pork pieces in the instant pot. Secure the lid of the instant pot and cook on the manual setting for approximately 30 minutes (additional time required for the pot to pressurize).Carefully release the pressure from the instant pot and remove the lid.Using two forks, shred the meat (it should fall apart easily). Transfer the meat to a sheet pan and broil for 3-5 minutes until crisped and brown. Serve as is or incorporate the meat and remaining juices from the instant pot. NotesLeftover carnitas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. No pre-browning required and no need to trim the fat from the pork before cooking. A little fat in the meat helps the carnitas to crisp and brown without drying out during the final broil in the oven. Broiling isn’t necessary, but it sure adds a lot of flavor and great texture. For more spice, include the jalapeño seeds and ribbing in the blender sauce. You do not have to cut the roast into pieces. This helps it cook a bit more quickly. If you’d like to leave the roast whole, increase the instant pot cook time to 60 minutes to ensure it is “fall apart” tender. NutritionCalories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 662mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 262IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. 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