Easy and Flavorful Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe
Ready to savor the tender, flavorful goodness of Instant Pot Pork Carnitas?
Imagine perfectly seasoned pork that practically melts in your mouth, all cooked to perfection in a fraction of the time!
Don’t forget to check out all of our other Instant Pot Recipes for more delicious and easy meal ideas.
Whether you’re making tacos, burritos, or a hearty carnitas bowl, this recipe will be a hit.
It features perfectly seasoned pork, aromatic onions and garlic, a zest of citrus, and a hint of cocoa for depth of flavor. With just a few simple steps, you’ll have delicious carnitas ready to enjoy in a variety of dishes.
How to Make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Season the pork with salt, black pepper, ground cumin, cocoa powder, dried oregano, and chili powder. Make sure the pork is evenly coated with the spices.
Add the citrus juice, garlic, onions and broth.
Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to the high pressure cooking mode for 40 minutes. Make sure the steam release valve is set to the sealing position.
Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes, then use the quick release method to release any remaining pressure.
Carefully remove the pork pieces from the Instant Pot and use two forks to shred the meat.
For extra crispy carnitas, spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for a few minutes until the edges become crispy.
Yes, while pork shoulder is preferred for its marbling and flavor, you can use pork butt or even pork loin (though it may be a bit leaner and less tender).
Yes. Simply season the pork, add all ingredients to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Once tender, shred the pork and broil for a few minutes if you want it crispy.
Carnitas are made by simmering pork pork until it’s tender, then often browned to give it a crispy texture. Pork tacos, on the other hand, can feature pork prepared in various ways, including grilled, roasted, or braised, and then served in tacos with a variety of toppings.
It may be due to insufficient cooking time or not enough liquid. Instant Pots work best with enough moisture to create steam, which helps in tenderizing the meat. Also, tough cuts of meat need to cook longer to break it down.
Chicken broth, apple juice, or even a flavorful marinade can be great liquids for cooking pulled pork. These not only add moisture but also enhance the flavor of the pork.
Yes, it is possible to overcook pork in an Instant Pot, especially if you use the pressure cooking function for too long. Overcooking can make the meat dry and chewy. Always follow recommended cooking times and check the meat’s tenderness before adding more time.
What’s the best way to eat carnitas?
Carnitas are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in various delicious ways. Here are some popular options:
- Tacos – Fill soft corn tortillas with carnitas, then top with chopped onions, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a splash of your favorite salsa.
- Burritos – Roll carnitas with rice, beans, cheese, and your preferred toppings in a large flour tortilla. Add guacamole and sour cream for extra flavor.
- Tostadas – Spread refried beans on a crispy tostada shell, top with carnitas, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and a drizzle of crema.
- Bowl – Create a carnitas bowl with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. It’s like a burrito without the tortilla.
- Nachos – Pile carnitas on a bed of tortilla chips, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until melty. Add jalapeños, sour cream, and guacamole on top.
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Enhance your meal with our Authentic Mexican Recipes, or try our fresh and vibrant Mexican Chopped Salad for a delightful twist!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder cut into smaller pieces
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 orange juice and zest
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
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Season the pork chunks with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and chili powder.
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Ensure each piece is well-coated.
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Place pork in the Instant Pot. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, fresh orange juice and orange zest, lime juice, and chicken broth.
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Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" high for a cook time of 90 minutes.
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Once finished, allow for a natural release.
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Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and shred it using two forks.
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For crispy carnitas, spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes until the edges are golden and crispy.
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Serve your tender pork carnitas on warm tortillas with your favorite toppings like diced onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a bit of broth if needed to keep it moist.
This recipe sounds delicious and flavorful! My husband would love this so much!
I fixed this the other night. I will definitely be adding this into my rotation. My husband even said that he really enjoyed it. We used it for pork enchiladas.
Am I missing something? The instructions say to use Mexican oregano, but that isn’t listed in the ingredients list. What is the amount suggested?
Thank you for that. I updated the recipe. It is 1 tsp.
The recipe calls for chopped garlic but there is no mention of it in the instructions. When is it added?
My apologies! I have made the update. The chopped garlic is apart of the rub you make.
I made these tonight! They were awesome and hubby liked them too.
This recipe includes cocoa??? Im confused.
Hi, no I am not sure where you saw that???
Search your page, it is in the second time you list the ingredients.
You can use cocoa if you’d like in the dry rub, it’s not necessary. I don’t always use it.
I’m in the middle of making this recipe but I’m so confused. Are the ingredients listed in top in addition to the dry rub or the same? If so the measurements differ so which to use? If not when do you use them? No instructions….
All of the measurements & ingredients are in the recipe card.
I made edits to make it clearer to read for you.
There are a lot of seasonings listed above the dry rub in the ingredients list. When are these added, where do they go? They are not the same seasonings that are listed in the Dry Rub.
I am not sure what the confusion is? The dry rub ingredients are word for word the same at the top of the post and in the recipe card. The very first step is to make the rub and then rub the meat with the dry rub.
The ingredients listed between the juices and onion, jalapeño in the recipe are unaccounted for in the instructions.
That is all listed in step #7.
Are the onions and jalapeño added to the meat to cook or after it’s finished and shredded?
No….
Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the container, along with red onion and jalapeño. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes PRIOR to pressure cooking.
Hi, do we cut up the pork into chunks or can it be seared as a whole? I have a 2.080Kg piece. Thanks!
Hi, it’s up to you! Readers and myself have done both!
The previous commenter mentioned this but I don’t think it was understood. There are seasonings listed in addition to the dry rub “ 1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano” but then never mentioned in the instructions. I added the additional seasonings after cooking before broiling once I shredded the meat. But I think that is where the confusion was coming from.
But also this was delicious. Made it this evening.
Hi, all of the ingredients are accounted for. Scroll down to the printable recipe for full ingredient measurements. Thanks!
There are no instructions on what to do with the additional dry ingredients listed at the top of the ingredient list. When do I add these to my pork carnitas?
Just under how to cook your instant pot pork carnitas – you will see it says what to do with them. You make a rub, rub the pork with it and then make a seasoned broth.
A very confusing but good recipe. lol I too didn’t understand where the second set of dry ingredients came in. I just used the first list of dry ingredients as a dry rub then browned the meat, then sautéed the veggies, put the meat back in, poured the chic broth, lime and orange juice over top and cooked it. It was yummy. The cocoa did some smoky magic, I suggest it be used. It added a lot of depth to the flavor of the meat.
I am sorry that was confusing for you. I will have to revamp the instructions for these instant pot pork carnitas. I am glad you enjoyed them though!
I’m a dummy and made the rub wrong, but I’m still really excited to see how this turns out in the instant pot!
Just for my own info, does capital T always mean tablespoon and little t always mean teaspoon? I didn’t know and just assumed everything was tablespoons oops. Thank you!
LOL it’s ok! Yes, T = Tbsp/tablespoon and t = tsp/teaspoon
I am sure it is going to taste delicious! Let me know!
@Leslie, yep, that totally threw me as well, I poured in 1 tbsp of cumin and thought, that can’t be right!!! I’ve cooked Mexican my whole life and never used that much before. The measurements for the rub has them as T and t, then below it has correct tbsp instead of T as measurement for lime juice and olive oil. Hope mine turn out ok lol
Hi, I am not sure what you mean b/c both the post + recipe card has the cumin as t which is short for tsp or teaspoon.
I think I see what others found confusing about this recipe. Under step 9, you say to add chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic, and cumin to the broth mixture. Is this supposed to be in ADDITION to the original dry rub mixture? Or are this the only time you add those spices? I ended up not adding any spices to my broth mixture because the dry rub was so flavorful. But if you do intend for us to add more spices to the broth mixture, maybe you could have another section in the ingredient list called “broth ingredients” or something? Just a though from someone who was also slightly confused.
I am sorry for the confusion, I see where the error was and the recipe has been adjusted accordingly.
AMAZING and DELICIOUS! thank you so much, the recipe is very very very easy to fallow too!
Making it again today 😋
So glad to hear this!
I am so printing this recipe out this sounds amazing and one the entire family will love thanks for sharing this one.
This looks so good.
Wish I had an Insta Pot because that looks amazing
This recipe looks so yummy and it would be a great dinner to make!
This recipe is THE BEST! I have made it countless times and everyone loves it
Did the recipe change? I thought it used to include cocoa powder in the rub. Any way to get the previous recipe which I loved so much.
Yes, I apologize I redid the recipe because I found a lot of my readers found it difficult to follow.
@momma lew, yes please can you tell me how much cocoa powder was in original recipe!!!
1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
Why did you omit the cocoa powder from the original recipe? How much do I use? 1TBSP?
It’s 1/2 tbsp
Ok read all the comments and understand that you re-wrote the recipe to make it easier to follow- I’m obsessed with this recipe! I’ve made it so many times; but prefer the method where you sear the pork first, and it was a much shorter cook time in the instant pot before the edit. How long is the time to cook if you sear it first like in your previous recipe? Thanks so much!
Hi, you sear it for approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
Set the steam vent to “Sealing.” Press the “Manual” button and adjust to the High Pressure setting, if necessary. Adjust cook time to 30 minutes. (Select 40 minutes for 4+ pound roasts). When the Instant Pot® cook time is complete, do a natural release for 20 minutes before doing a quick release of any remaining pressure and remaining steam.
Did the recipe change? Didn’t it used to call for cocoa powder. Thank you.
Hello, it’s 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder.