Instant Pot Pork Carnitas is the quickest, tastiest pork carnitas recipe! Tender shredded pork shoulder with garlic, citrus and warm spices.
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas are a classic Mexican Food recipe that can be enjoyed with sides or used as a filling for tacos, enchiladas, burritos and more. This Instant Pot version of the traditionally slow cooked Pork Dish gives you all the flavor you love in a fraction of the time!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe
My Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe is full of delicious traditional flavors of Oven Roasted Pork Carnitas, in about half the time. The key to getting the best flavor is to brown your meat before adding any other ingredients. Not only does this lock in flavor, it locks in moisture too for juicy, tender pork every time. No matter how I cook the pork, I always finish off my carnitas in the oven so they get those slightly caramelized, crispy edges. But since this recipe cooks so quickly in the pressure cooker, you won’t mind the extra cooking time!
Ingredients
- Pork: You’ll need a large boneless pork shoulder, about 4 pounds for this recipe. Cut the meat into 2-inch pieces so that it sears and cooks quicker.
- Oil: Pork is a leaner meat so you want to use ¼ cup vegetable oil to sear the meat. The sear locks in the juices for more flavorful, tender pork.
- Broth: Use 1 cup chicken broth for the base of the cooking liquid. Since pork is naturally salty and you are adding salt, I suggest using low sodium broth.
- Orange: The ¼ cup orange juice and 1 teaspoon of orange zest give the pork meat a delicious tang and that signature flavor that makes carnitas so irresistible.
- Spices: You start by seasoning the pork with 1 tablespoon of salt. Later on, you’ll add 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin.
- Aromatics: To add even more flavor to the pork, I used a whole yellow onion plus 5 cloves of garlic.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Instant Pot: You’ll need a standard electric pressure cooker. I use the Manual cooking and High Pressure settings.
- Oven: While these carnitas start out on the stove top, I like to finish them off in the oven so they get crispy and a deeper flavor.
- Baking Sheet: Use a baking sheet with a rimmed edge so that the liquid doesn’t spill over the sides.
- Shredding Forks: Shredding forks are a handy kitchen gadget that make pulled meat dishes like carnitas super easy.
How to Make
Time needed: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Sear the Pork
Heat the oil in the Instant Pot on Saute. Season the meat all over with salt. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the pork and brown for 6-8 minutes on each side. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the Sauce
Whisk the chicken broth, orange juice and zest, chili powder, coriander, black pepper, oregano, and cumin in a large cup. Pour over the seared pork.
- Add the Aromatics
Use the liquid to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom and sides. Finally, stir in the onions and garlic.
- Pressure Cook
Secure the lid and set the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 40 minutes. Naturally release the pressure for 15 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure. If the pork isn’t tender and easy to shred, cook another 15 minutes on high pressure with a natural release of 5-10 minutes.
- Prep and Shred
While the pressure naturally releases, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray. Remove the pork from the liquid in the pot and shred into small chunks.
- Roast the Meat
Spread the shredded pork over the prepared baking sheet. Pour about ½ cup of the cooking liquid over the meat. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Crisp and Serve
Stir the pork and pour another ¼ cup of cooking broth evenly over the meat. Roast an additional 15 minutes, until the edges of the pork are browned and crispy. Serve in warm tortillas with diced onions and cilantro.
Can Carnitas be made ahead of time?
Yes! Instant Pot Pork Carnitas make a perfect make-ahead meal! Season pork pieces with salt and add to a gallon size freezer bag with garlic and yellow onions. Whisk sauce ingredients and pour into bag, covering everything evenly. Seal bag and freeze in a medium bowl so the shape is round. Freeze for up to 3 months. To cook, place frozen mixture into pressure cooker and turn on Saute for 5 minutes, stirring a little. Seal lid and add 10 minutes to cooking time.
Nutritional Facts
Tips for Instant Pot Carnitas
- Don’t Skip the Roasting
Make sure to roast the pork on a baking sheet after the meat has been cooked so that you get those delicious crispy edges that make carnitas so special! This final step also lets the meat soak up all the flavor from the cooking juices.
- Deglaze the Pot
Most electric pressure cookers have a safety feature to keep them from getting too hot. Unfortunately browned or burnt food on the bottom or sides can trip the sensor and it won’t reach the right pressure and heat. To prevent this, scrape as many browned bits from searing the meat off the sides. It’s easiest to do this with the cooking liquid in the pot.
What to Pair With Pork Carnitas
- Filling: The mild zesty flavor of Pork Carnitas make them a perfect filling for classic Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos or Enchiladas.
- Toppings and Sides: Serve your Carnitas simple in corn tortillas with toppings like salsa, sour cream, avocado, and onions with a side of Mexican Rice.
- Bowls: Make healthy burrito bowls with Black Beans and Brown Rice topped with Pineapple Salsa. You can also swap the rice for shredded lettuce for a hearty salad bowl.
How to Store
Store: Pork Carnitas can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it needs to be stored. Cool Pork Carnitas completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store with cooking liquid.
Reheat: Reheat leftover carnitas a skillet over medium heat with a little reserved cooking liquid or chicken broth. A bit of liquid keeps the meat moist and tender.
Freeze: Once cooled, place Pork Carnitas in a sealed container with some of the cooking liquid and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet with the cooking liquid.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil.
- Brown the pieces of pork in oil on both sides for 6-8 minutes each side.
- Transfer pork shoulder to slow cooker and add remaining ingredients.
- Optional: Saute garlic and onions in remaining oil before adding to crockpot.
- Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high heat for 3-4 hours until pork is fork tender and falls apart.
- Shred meat and remove from slow cooker with slotted spoon. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Broil pork until edges are crispy. Serve in tacos, burrito bowls, or on salads!
Frequent Questions
Pork Carnitas have a distinctly Mexican flavor and are seasoned with citrus and warm spices where Pulled Pork is usually BBQ flavored. Also, Carnitas are typically broiled or sauteed in oil to make the meat crispy, where pulled pork is usually saucier and doesn’t have that step.
Not every pressure cooker model heats the same so if your meat isn’t tender, it probably needs more time. Popping the lid back on and cooking on high pressure another 10-15 minutes should make the meat tender.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 pounds pork shoulder , cut into several large pieces
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 5 clove garlic , minced
Instructions
- Add oil to an instant pot oven on sauté.
- Cut pork into 2-inch chunks.
- Season pork with salt and sear on all sides until browned well, about 6-8 minutes on each side.
- Whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, orange zest, chili powder, coriander, coarse ground black pepper, oregano and cumin.
- Pour over the roast.
- Add in the onions and garlic and stir.
- Cover and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, followed by a natural release for 15 minutes.
- If the pork isn't fork tender cook on high pressure for additional 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.
- Remove pork from slow cooker, shred apart in small chunks.
- Put pork onto baking sheet, pour about ½ cup of cooking liquid evenly over the pork and roast for 15 minutes.
- Add another ¼ cup of cooking liquid and roast 15 minutes.
- Serve with fresh yellow onion and cilantro.
Nutrition
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Variations
Meat: Instead of pork shoulder, you can make this recipe with chuck roast, boneless chicken thighs, boneless chicken breast, pork butt roast, or turkey breast. See your pressure cooker instruction guide for how many minutes per pound you should cook the preferred meat.
Sauce: You can use a store-bought carnitas sauce instead of the blend of spices or add a jar of salsa for more zest. Tomatillo salsa or green chiles is a great way to add flavor without too much heat.
Spicy: If you do want more heat, try adding chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, fresh jalapeño pepper, Serrano peppers, or up to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Pineapple: Any citrus juice can be used for carnitas, but a favorite flavor to substitute for orange is pineapple. Try this recipe with pineapple juice or add pineapple chunks along with the orange juice and zest. If using canned pineapple, drain and rinse the syrup.
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