Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

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Last Updated on February 2, 2021 by Lisa Johnson

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are easy and quick to make in your electric pressure cooker. This pork carnitas recipe makes perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy Mexican pork with the traditional crispy bits that we all love. This recipe is naturally Whole 30 and Paleo, so they are healthy too.

For even more delicious pressure cooker recipes, check out the Instant Pot Recipes page.

Okay, so the flour tortillas are not Whole 30 or Paleo, but I needed them for the photos. I was afraid that a big ‘ol bowl of Instant Pot Pork Carnitas just wouldn’t have the same appeal, LOL

Okay I lied, I was craving tortillas. 😉 Are you ready to get cooking?

How to make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas:

Add orange juice, garlic, lime juice, and bay leaf in the bottom of your Instant Pot insert…..

Mix the pork chunks in a large bowl with the seasonings. Toss to coat…..

Place the seasoned pork in the Instant Pot {in the orange juice, no rack this time}…..

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and twist to lock. Check to make sure the knob is in the “sealing” position. Press the Manual button {High Pressure}and adjust time to 50 minutes…..

When the time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release, about 20 minutes. Open the lid…..

Remove the pork chunks from the pot and place them in a large bowl, or platter. Break apart the chunks and set aside…..

Remove the liquid from the Instant Pot, reserving about 1 cup.

Set Instant Pot to Saute and add the ghee or olive oil. Add the pork back to the insert, tossing with a wooden spoon to “crisp” up the meat. Add some of the cooking liquid to the pot to moisten the meat…..

Serve immediately with diced onions, guacamole, salsa, chopped cilantro…..

You know what else was really good? I added my Ancho-Orange Barbecue Sauce and made burritos for breakfast. 🙂

Recipe Notes:

• You do not need to “shred” the pork. Breaking it up into smaller chunks is perfect.
• To be honest, it would be easier to saute the cooked pork in a large skillet if you don’t mind messing up an additional pan. The Instant Pot liner is not all that big, and it’s deep so it’s kind of cumbersome…but it is possible as you see above.
• To keep your leftovers from drying out in the refrigerator, add some of the remaining cooking liquid to the container.

Additional recipes for Cinco de Mayo:

• Mexican Style Shredded Beef {Instant Pot} Whole30/Paleo
• Adobo Slow Cooker Chicken – Whole30/Paleo
• Shredded Beef Chimichangas – my favorite!
• Baked Fish Tacos – Whole30/Paleo
• Instant Pot Red Chile Pork
• Instant Pot Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken – Whole30/Paleo
• Instant Pot Spanish Rice
• Cassava Flour Tortillas – Paleo
• And Margaritas…we need Margaritas.

Enjoy!!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

You really need this crispy and delicious Instant Pot Pork Carnitas for dinner tonight, trust me! Whole 30 and Paleo compliant {minus the tortillas}

4.55 from 11 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Lisa Johnson

1/21x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 3 to 4 oranges
• juice of one lime
• 2 large cloves fresh garlic crushed
• 1 bayleaf
• 3 ½ pounds pork butt cut into chunks
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon ghee, clarified butter, or olive oil
• diced red onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole
• warm tortillas (if not Whole 30 or Paleo)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Add orange juice, garlic, lime juice, and bay leaf in the bottom of your Instant Pot insert.
• Mix the pork chunks in a large bowl with the seasonings. Toss to coat.
• Place the seasoned pork in the Instant Pot.
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot and twist to lock. Check to make sure the knob is in the “sealing” position.
• Press the Manual button {High Pressure} and adjust time to 50 minutes.
• When the time is up, allow the pressure to naturally release, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the pork chunks from the pot and place them in a large bowl, or platter. Break apart the chunks and set aside.
• Remove the liquid from the Instant Pot, reserving about 1 cup.
• Set Instant Pot to Saute and add the ghee or olive oil.
• Add the pork back to the insert, tossing with a wooden spoon to “crisp” up the meat. Add some of the cooking liquid to the pot to moisten the meat.
• Serve immediately with diced onions, guacamole, salsa, chopped cilantro.
• Place leftovers in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

• You do not need to “shred” the pork. Breaking it up into smaller chunks is perfect.
• To be honest, it would be easier to saute the cooked pork in a large skillet if you don’t mind messing up an additional pan. The Instant Pot liner is not all that big, and it’s deep so it’s kind of cumbersome…but it is possible as you see above.
• To keep your leftovers from drying out in the refrigerator, add some of the remaining cooking liquid to the container.
• Nutritional Information does not include the toppings or tortillas that you choose to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 739mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 15.5mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2.7mg