Instant Pot Carnitas (Pressure Cooker)

Crunchy pressure cooker carnitas is delicious, fall-off-the-bone tender, and will be ready in around 1 hour or more. This healthy instant pot carnitas recipe is made using a mix of Mexican spices, broth, lime juice, and pork shoulder.

This quick recipe is easy to make with just a few basic ingredients. It is the best choice of dish to serve in burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and tacos.

Get your pressure cooker and put it to good use. Use it to make some crunchy pork carnitas.

You can also make these carnitas in a slow cooker, but I strongly suggest you use a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.

Possible Variations of Instant Pot Carnitas

You are free to make your own homemade carnitas recipe.

Make It Spicy

If you would like to jazz things up and make it spicy, just add a minced jalapeno or Serrano chili pepper (seeded, for less heat) into the Instant Pot.

Make It Smoky

To make these carnitas a little smokier, I like to add a minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the Instant Pot along with another tablespoon of sauce.

Use Chicken

For this healthy carnitas recipe, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breast) rather than pork if it isn’t your kind of thing.

Preparing Instant Pot Carnitas

This is the best Instant Pot original carnitas recipe. I will also give you the slow-roasted method.

Your Instant Pot carnitas will come out soft, juicy, delectable, and filled with flavor every single time you try them.

• Course: Main Dish
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cooking Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Servings: 18 servings

Ingredients

• 4 Ibs. Pork butt
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 2 jalapenos (sliced)
• 1 large orange (sliced)
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 lime (sliced)
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 cup of broth

Laid-Out Instructions for Instant Pot Carnitas (Pressure Cooker)

Carnitas Pressure Cooker Instructions

• First, you are to get your pressure cooker and add in the pork butt and broth. Then, proceed to slice the pork butt into 3 to 4 large pieces. However, this step is optional based on your preference.
• With that being done, get a different bowl and mix the dry spices together. After that, coat the pork butt with a mixture of dry spices.
• Proceed to rub the garlic and top it with oranges, onions, and jalapenos. Afterward, cook on high for 1 hour.
• Allow it to release the pressure naturally. Put it back and cook for an extra 30 to 45 minutes if the pork is still tough.
• When done, you can now remove the meat and shred it. Then, proceed to heat a few tablespoons of oil until it is hot.
• You can do this in a separate pan or simply use the sauté mode. With that being done, add the shredded carnitas and let them crisp in the hot oil.
• Avoid stirring it until you can see the meat darkening. You can also turn over if you desire. Now, you can serve immediately.

Instructions for Slow-Roasted Carnitas

• Get a 9×13 pan and then proceed by placing 2 pieces of foil perpendicular to each other. When that is done, you can now center the roast in foil and top it with all the ingredients, excluding water.
• With that being done, you are to fold the foil around the roast. Then, add the broth to the pan.
• Afterward, proceed to cook for at least 4 hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. And, if you are cooking a pork butt of above 3 Ibs, you will have to add an extra hour per pound.

Notes

Here’s a trick: seal the lid and cook for an extra 45 minutes if, after the 60 minutes, the pork butt is not pulled apart tender.

Meat softness can differ, as it depends on the amount of fat and freshness of the cut.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

Do I Have To Crisp Up The Carnitas?

Well, the short answer to this is no. You don’t have to crisp up the carnitas. The crisping up is totally optional.

You can decide to serve your juicy carnitas right out of the pressure cooker after shredding them.

Looking For a Leaner Option?

Instead of the pork butt, you can use the pork shoulder, a center-cut pork loin, or a pork sirloin roast.

Although, unlike the pork shoulder, the flavor won’t be exactly the same since it is not a very fatty cut.

However, you will still be able to shred them and even use them in the same way in burritos and tacos.

Furthermore, since they are very likely to dry out, I will strongly advise you to stay away from crisping them up under the broiler.

Don’t Have Chicken Broth?

Rather than chicken broth, you can use beef or vegetable broth, and if these are not your preferences, you can just go with plain water.

How Long Should Carnitas Be Cooked in an Instant Pot?

This easy and quick Instant Pot carnitas recipe cooks for around 1 hour and 5 minutes rather than around 6 hours or more.

Here’s the breakdown of the total cooking time of these healthy carnitas:

15 Minutes

The Instant Pot takes time to come to pressure, so 15 minutes is my estimated time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure; after that, the timer will begin.

45 Minutes

You will need to cook the pork butt for 45 minutes under high pressure. However, this might not appear to be “instant” to you, but compared to the 6 hours or more you should spend cooking this, you are still saving time here.

15 Minutes

You are to let the pressure release naturally. And, remember, you are to do this before you open the Instant Pot.

10 Minutes

Although this is an option, which means it is based on your preference. You can crisp the pork under the broiler for 10 minutes, and I can assure you that this will be so worth it.

Final Thoughts: Carnitas Pressure Cooker

These crunchy carnitas can be served as tacos in fresh corn tortillas, topped with minced onions, cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.

There are also some other mouth-watering options that will be given in this guide.

Serve your crispy carnitas stuffed in enchiladas made from flour tortillas and topped with red enchilada sauce.

You can also place them on top of tostada shells along with cotija cheese and some refried beans.

Another tasty option is placing them in a Mexican sandwich known as a torta ahogada, which is soaked in tomato sauce and red chile.

It will also pair well in a burrito bowl with some black beans, shredded lettuce, Mexican rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

So, with all that being said, this will be the conclusion of this guide, as you now have the best recipe for carnitas pressure cooker.