Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe {Mexican pork}

Name: Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe {Mexican pork}
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 2.5 lbs pork shoulder (-cut into 2 inch cubes (see note below)); 4-5 tbsp vegetable oil (-divided); 1.25 tsp salt (-divided); 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1.5 cup unsalted chicken stock (-divided); 1 onion (-sliced); 3 cloves garlic (-minced); 1.5 tsp oregano; 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp cayenne; 1/3 cup orange juice; 3-5 slices orange peel; 1-1.5 tbsp cornstarch (-optional (to thicken sauce)); 1-1.5 tbsp cold water (-optional (to thicken sauce))

February 24, 2019 Updated: October 3, 2019 By Dawn - Girl Heart Food 31 Comments

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Easy Mexican carnitas anyone? This Instant Pot carnitas recipe combines savoury pork that has been infused with oregano, cumin, smoked paprika and citrus. Garnish to taste with toppings like red onion, hot peppers and cilantro. Leftovers are amazing too!

An overhead shot of a Mexican carnita next to lime wedges and sauce.

Guys, I’ve been obsessed with all types of Mexican cuisine for as long as I can remember, but even more so in recent years. I love the uniquely rich flavours and the way that anything can be customized to taste with garnish.

It’s been unbelievably cold here in Newfoundland this winter so I’ve been making a bunch of soups and brightly coloured recipes.

So, today I’m sharing my second Instant Pot recipe on the blog – this pork carnitas recipe. I’m super excited to get this one to you; it’s really yummy!

What are Carnitas?

Carnitas are a popular Mexican dish….and for good reason! Basically, it’s small pieces of pork cooked until tender and delicious.

The process of preparing the pork usually takes hours by braising or simmering the pork over low heat in lard or oil. Once the pork has broken down, it is then crisped. The shredded pork is used for tacos, burritos and the like. It’s essentially Mexican pulled pork and is oh so good!

Fortunately, with the help of the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) what would normally take hours, takes waaaaay less time. I’m all about that.

I especially enjoy meals like this on the weekend while chilling and catching up on our fave shows, but these carnitas tacos come together so quickly, it’s super do-able for weekday dinners. Taco Tuesday anyone?

What Do I Use for Carnitas Seasoning?

One of the great thing about this Mexican pork carnitas recipe it that it uses pretty simply pantry staples (which I love). Basically, (aside from the pork itself), you’ll need –

Oil
Salt
Pepper
Chicken stock/broth
Onion
Garlic
Oregano
Cumin
Smoked paprika
Cayenne
Orange juice and peel

You’re also gonna want some cornstarch and water to thicken the pork broth (if you like) at the end of cook time for drizzling over the carnitas.

What Kind of Meat Is Carnitas?

Pork is the meat of choice for carnitas and typically one would choose a marbled pork shoulder or butt.

What Cut of Pork Should I Use?

Ideally, you would choose a boneless cut of meat to get the most bang for your buck, meat-wise. However, if you happen to have a bone in piece of pork, throw it in the Instant Pot like I did for an extra punch of flavour. Discard when the pork is cooked.

Though I did use a pork shoulder here and it did have a heavy fat cap, I trimmed if off. For the pork chunks, I trimmed any excess fat as well, leaving a little on. Because the Instant Pot was used here in ‘pressure cooker’ mode, the pork broke down beautifully.

Note–> I prefer to remove a lot of excess fat or skin (even from other proteins that I enjoy such as chicken), which is why I prefer to use oil (instead of lard) when searing the pork and crisping it after in a cast iron pan. If you want to leave a little more fat on the protein, that’s ok. You do you!

An overhead shot of a bowl of raw pork cut into chunks.

How to Make Carnitas in the Instant Pot?

Trim any excess fat and silver skin from pork.
Cut pork into 1.5 – 2 inch chunks.
Pat pork dry with paper towel.
Season pork with salt and pepper.
Sear pork in Instant Pot in batches (don’t overcrowd the pot because you want a sear, not a sweat…save that for the gym 😉 ).
Deglaze pot with some stock and get all those yummy brown bits. That’s goodness right there!
Return seared pork to Instant Pot along with spices, onion, garlic, stock, orange juice and orange peel.
Pressure cook for 30 minutes and let steam naturally release for 10 minutes before fully releasing steam.
After pressure valve has gone down, carefully unlock and remove pork chunks from liquid and shred.
Next, to get those crispy bits, heat some oil in a cast iron skillet and place the shredded pork on top in an even layer. Let cook a couple minutes before removing.
Serve, garnish & enjoy!

Full recipe details in recipe card below.

Note: Ensure you are familiar with the manufacturer recommended operating instructions and know how to properly/safely use your Instant Pot (or any kitchen appliance/device/tool you are using).

After the pork has been cooked in the Instant Pot.

An overhead shot of the pork sitting in the broth after it has been cooked in the Instant Pot.

Remove Pork From Liquid.

Close up overhead shot of the cooked pork in a bowl.

Shred Pork with Forks (and maybe have a lil’ taste test 😉 .

An overhead shot of shredded Mexican pork with two forks in the bowl.

Fry pork in a cast iron pan to get those crispy edges.

A close up shot of the Mexican pulled pork being crisped in a pan.

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What to do with Pork Broth?

The braising liquid after the pork has been cooked is goooo-oooood! I mean, you can discard, but why??

I adjusted the seasoning by adding a little more salt (season to how you like it), and turned the Instant Pot to ‘sauté’ to reduce the sauce a bit.

To further thicken, add a cornstarch slurry of equal parts cornstarch with water, using about 1 – 1.5 tbsp each.

Then, the reduced braising liquid can be served over the pork or mixed into the pork after it has been crisped.

Someone holding a garnished pork carnita and putting sauce on it.

Do I Have to Crisp the Pork?

Traditionally, the pork is crisped in fat. However, if you are in a rush and really want to get these pork carnitas right in the ol’ pie hole, just shred ’em right after they are cooked and enjoy. No judgement.

What to Serve with Pork Carnitas?

I like to keep this pork carnitas recipe simple (as you know what acronym I love – K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid)). For me, I used jalapeño, red onion and cilantro. But, if you want to go wild with the garnishes, I suggest any of the following –

Cilantro
Diced white onion, thinly sliced red onion or pickled red onions
Sliced hot peppers
Sliced red cabbage
Avocado or a smudgin’ of guacamole
A smear of refried beans
Hot sauce
A squirt of fresh lime juice (a must for me)

What to Do with Leftovers?

Just like the concept of a ‘wine stopper’ or ‘leftover’ wine, I don’t understand why you would have any of this delicious pork leftover.

Just kiddin’ 😉

Kinda…..

So, if you find yourself with pork carnitas leftovers, here are some great ideas –

Serve over creamy polenta
Make enchiladas
Prepare a ‘bowl’ with some rice, veggies and a drizzle of leftover sauce or hot sauce
Serve with scrambled eggs and beans for a hearty breakfast
Cheesy pork quesadillas are never a bad idea
The possibilities are pretty much endless with this pork carnitas recipe!

A pork taco garnished with cilantro, red onion and jalapeno.

Other Easy Mexican Recipes you May Enjoy

Strawberry Mango Frozen Margarita – Not too sweet, and definitely refreshing, this easy margarita recipe would be the perfect pairing with pork tacos!
Oven Baked Fish Tacos – Panko coated white fish are baked and topped with a smoky chipotle sauce. So good!
Easy Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Slaw – Made in about 20 minutes, this super simple taco recipe is fresh, delicious and perfect for taco Tuesday!

A close up shot of a carnita meat taco garnished with red onion, cilantro and jalapeno.

Hope you love this Instant Pot carnitas recipe as much as we do!

Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon ,

Dawn

Make these Mexican carnitas? That’s awesome! Love it if you left a comment and rating below. Many thanks, you guys!

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An overhead shot of a pork carnita next to garnish and sauce.

5 from 12 votes