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    Home » Instant Pot Pork » Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

    Published: Feb 22, 2017 · Modified: Feb 2, 2021 by Lisa Johnson

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

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    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please visit my disclosure page.

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    Crispy and delicious Instant Pot Pork Carnitas for dinner tonight | cookingwithcurls.com

    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.

    Pork carnitas in flour tortillas topped with diced red onion and cilantro on a large white plate.

    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

    This Instant Pot Pork Carnitas will make Taco Tuesday much easier | cookingwithcurls.com

    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.....

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas juice cookingwithcurls.com

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

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas season cookingwithcurls.com

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

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas pot cookingwithcurls.com

    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.....

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas cook cookingwithcurls.com

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

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas done cookingwithcurls.com

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

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas shred cookingwithcurls.com

    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.....

    Instant Pot Pork Carnitas ghee cookingwithcurls.com

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

    You need to make these quick and easy Instant Pot Pork Carnitas for dinner tonight, trust me | cookingwithcurls.com

    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!!

    Crispy and delicious Instant Pot Pork Carnitas for dinner tonight | cookingwithcurls.com

    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
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 294kcal
    Author: Lisa Johnson

    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)
    Prevent 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
    « Whole 30 Wedge Salad
    Jameson & Ginger »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dana says

      April 27, 2017 at 9:33 am

      HI!

      I made this last night and it was delicious, but somehow, all the liquid completely just dried up in the bottom of my instant pot - it was so strange. The juices formed this gel like substance that it totally stuck to the bottom, and no liquid was left when it was cooked. Do you have any idea why this would happen!?!

      Thanks!
      Dana

      Reply
      • Lisa Johnson says

        April 27, 2017 at 10:43 pm

        Are you sure that you had the vent sealed and not open, Dana? That is the only way that the liquid could get out of a sealed pressure cooker that I know of.

        Reply
    2. Nikki says

      January 14, 2018 at 12:02 pm

      If I wanted to reduce this recipe by half, how would the cooking time change?

      Reply
      • Lisa Johnson says

        January 18, 2018 at 8:32 pm

        Hi Nikki, the cooking time does not change....at least that is what I have been told over and over again by the experts. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂

        Reply
        • Kana says

          January 21, 2018 at 9:43 am

          Hi - this looks delicious! Would the same be true for cooking time if I double the volume? Thanks!

          Reply
          • Lisa Johnson says

            January 23, 2018 at 12:59 pm

            As long as your pork is cut the same size then it should cook for the same amount of time, Kana.

            Reply
    3. Kellie says

      May 21, 2018 at 5:18 pm

      5 stars
      Hi! I just made this and it is delicious! I just wanted to clarify how much is in 1 serving?

      Reply
      • Lisa Johnson says

        May 23, 2018 at 2:17 pm

        Thank you Kellie, I am so glad you like it!! I honestly don't have an exact answer, I do not measure servings and it varies so much by each person. Sorry!

        Reply
    4. Debbie says

      September 01, 2018 at 6:19 pm

      5 stars
      This was fantastic at the end of instant pot cooking I melted butter in my cast iron fry pan with onions and jalapeños fried the meat on high with some of the juice turned out fantastic for my first instant pot attempt ?

      Reply
      • Lisa Johnson says

        September 07, 2018 at 8:23 am

        That sounds amazing Debbie, I am so glad that your first IP attempt was successful!! Thank you so much for the suggestions. 🙂

        Reply

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