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Crispy and Delicious Instant Pot Carnitas

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Published: Updated: by 30 Comments

This Instant Pot carnitas recipe will outperform your local authentic Mexican restaurant pork carnitas. And they’re delicious, easy and so much quicker than in a slow cooker.  Serve these shredded pork carnitas in tacos, burritos, nachos, lettuce wraps, or as part of a Mexican rice bowl.  This authentic carnitas recipe is great for a crowd especially as part of a taco bar.  It’s also paleo and keto friendly.

Instant Pot Carnitas portrait three open tacos topped with avocados and tomatoes on a black background - Paint the Kitchen Red

Pork carnitas tacos are one of my favorite kinds of tacos. This recipe for Instant Pot carnitas is based on my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe, except that in this recipe I use orange juice instead of beer and up the Mexican chili powder a bit.

 

Although they do take longer to cook than some Instant Pot recipes, these carnitas still get done in less than half the time as the slow cooker, and they taste just as delicious!

 

There’s enough filling here that you can feed 6 people easily and maybe even have some leftovers for the next day’s lunch or to freeze for later!

 

Instant Pot carnitas can be used to make shredded pork carnitas tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos or even a Mexican-flavored pulled pork sandwich.

 

If you’re following a keto, paleo or whole 30 diet you can omit the tortillas or use low-carb tortillas.

Tips and Substitutions

If you wanted to experiment with the timing for cooking these pork carnitas, you could cut the meat into smaller pieces and cook the carnitas for less time (about 45 to 60 minutes, and if the meat’s still not tender enough, just cook it a bit more.)

For the meat, I like to use fattier cuts of pork like pork shoulder because these cuts do so much better in the Instant Pot.  Making these carnitas out of a leaner cut of pork like pork loin or tenderloin just won’t give you the same results.

Once the meat is cooked, don’t skip the final step, which is to crisp up the pork on just one side. I learned this trick from the Recipe Tin Eats pork carnitas recipe.

I chose to crisp up the meat in a large nonstick frying pan, but you can also put it on a baking sheet and stick it under the broiler.

If you find that your Instant Pot carnitas are dry, just add a couple of tablespoons of the liquid to the meat.  This is especially useful when you’re reheating leftovers.

My family likes lots of spices and we really love the flavor of these Instant Pot pork carnitas, but you can reduce the seasonings to suit your tastes.

Or you can kick up the spice of this carnitas recipe even more by adding chopped jalapeno to the Instant Pot along with the onions.

To make Chipotle Pork Carnitas, add a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.

You can easily make this recipe without orange juice. Substitute beer, cola or broth for the orange juice.

If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot  DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this Instant Pot Pork Carnitas recipe.

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Instant Pot Carnitas Ingredients

Instant Pot Carnitas - Ingredients spices: black pepper, salt, Mexican chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano - Paint the Kitchen Red Instant Pot Carnitas - Ingredients flavoring: orange juice, onion, lime juice, garlic, broth - Paint the Kitchen Red

Instant Pot Carnitas Step-by-Step Instructions

Instant Pot Carnitas Instructions 1 collage - cut up pork shoulder, pork in Instant Pot, remaining ingredients on pork - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Cut pork shoulder into 3 pieces.
  • Mix together oregano, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and Mexican chili powder. Rub spice mix all over pork shoulder and place it in the Instant Pot.
  • Add onion, garlic, orange juice, broth, lime juice over the top.

 

Instant Pot Carnitas Instructions 2 collage - close lid, press manual, + or -, display says 90 minutes - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
  • Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ’90’ (90 minutes).

 

Instant Pot Carnitas Instructions 3 collage - display says on, float valve is down, display says L0:00 - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
  • Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
  • The display will count down from 90 to 0; it will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.

 

Instant Pot Carnitas Instructions 3 collage - float valve is down, cooked pork, shredded pork in bowl with 2 forks - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Allow the pressure to drop naturally (this can take up to 30 minutes).
  • When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
  • Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
  • Carefully remove pork shoulder from Instant Pot and place on a large plate or bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
  • Using two forks, shred the pork. It should be very tender.
  • Use a large slotted spoon to remove the onion mixture from the liquid in the Instant Pot and add it to the shredded pork.

 

Instant Pot Carnitas Instructions 5 collage - frying pan with oil, pork cooking, cooked pork- Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
  • Place desired amount of shredded pork in the frying pan and press down gently.
  • Pour 2 to 3 Tbsp of the juices from the Instant Pot over the meat to moisten the pork while it’s cooking.
  • Fry the pork mixture until it is crisp on the bottom. Don’t flip the meat over, just fry it on one side, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • To serve, place pork carnitas in a heated corn tortilla and add your choice of fillings.

 

Instant Pot Carnitas - crispy and in white serving bowl on brown mat - Paint the Kitchen Red

Instant Pot Carnitas open tacos topped with avocados and tomatoes on a black background - Paint the Kitchen Red

Crispy and Delicious Instant Pot Carnitas

This Instant Pot carnitas recipe will outperform your local Mexican restaurant pork carnitas. And they're delicious, easy and quicker to make than in a slow cooker.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carnitas, instant pot
Main Ingredient: pork
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 296kcal
Author: Paint the Kitchen Red

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Cut pork into 3 pieces.
  • Mix together oregano, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper and Mexican chili powder. Rub spice mix all over pork shoulder and place it in the Instant Pot.
  • Spread onion and garlic over the pork and pour orange juice, broth, and lime juice over the top.
  • Cook in 'Manual' (or 'Pressure Cook') mode for 90 minutes. (Make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position.)
  • Allow the pressure to drop naturally (this can take up to 30 minutes.)
  • Open the Instant Pot and carefully remove pork from Instant Pot and place on a large plate or bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
  • Using two forks, shred the pork. It should be very tender.
  • Use a large slotted spoon to remove the onion mixture from the liquid in the Instant Pot and add it to the cooked pork.
  • Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
  • Place desired amount of shredded pork in the frying pan and press down gently.
  • Pour 2 to 3 Tbsp of the juices from the Instant Pot over the meat to moisten the pork while it’s cooking.
  • Fry the pork mixture until it is crisp on the bottom. Don’t flip the meat over, just fry it on one side, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • To serve, place pork carnitas in a heated corn tortilla and add your choice of fillings.

Notes

  • Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, etc.
  • If you want to cook the pork for a shorter time, cut the pieces into smaller 2-inch chunks and pressure cook for 50 minutes.
  • Add your choice of fillings: chopped onion, queso fresco (Mexican cheese), shredded cabbage, cilantro, guacamole, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, jalapenos. Adjust seasonings to taste. If you like your Instant Pot carnitas to be spicier, you could add chopped jalapenos or a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
  • See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of quantity | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 712mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your photos! Tag me on Instagram @PaintTheKitchenRed hashtag #paintthekitchenred

I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

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You might also like to try these Instant Pot Recipes:

 

Instant Pot Chicken Tinga rice bowl in orange bowl with chicken tinga tacos and nachos in the background - Paint the Kitchen Red

 

Instant Pot Chili in white bowl on green cloth with cornbread; topped with cheese, sour cream and green onions - Paint the Kitchen Red

 

Instant Pot Carne Asada - three tacos with purple cabbage, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro on a blue background with salsa, red chilis and cut lime

Instant Pot Chicken TingaInstant Pot ChiliInstant Pot Carne Asada


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandy

    June 12, 2019 at 8:12 pm

    I love this recipe. I make 8lb at a time in my pressure cooker then I leave the chucks large, add a few tablespoons of cooking liquid and seal them in dinner size portions after they cool. They freeze really well and I pull it out Monday night to defrost for taco Tuesday. Just cut in smaller pieces and heat it in a skillet to reheat, I stop moving it around and let it crisp. It’s the best.

    Reply

  2. Melissa

    February 9, 2019 at 7:48 pm

    These carnitas are amazing! I’ve made them multiple times over the last year and keep forgetting to tell you how much I love this recipe. With only my husband and me, it’s perfect to allow us to fry just what we’re going to eat the first night, then freshly fry what we want for leftovers until they’re gone. Thank you for such a great recipe!

    Reply

  4. Ducky

    January 23, 2018 at 10:27 am

    This was supremely delicious and simple to make! I am new to this cut of meat and standing in front of the packages of “pork butt”, I asked the grocery store employee if they carried “pork shoulder”. He shrugged and said “This is all we have”. So I “referenced the interscape” which informed me that pork butt = pork shoulder. It’s so versatile. I am so happy to have found your website!

    Reply

  5. Ika

    June 18, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    I stumbled ont your blog looking for Indian Instant pot curry and also checked out this recipe. is time though too long? I usually do 60 min and it seems fine to shred it. Maybe it would get even softer with 90 min. also can we use beer in this recipe like you do in your slow cooker recipe?

    Reply

    • Paint the Kitchen Red

      June 18, 2017 at 7:14 pm

      If you usually cook for 60 minutes and are happy with the results, I say go for it. That’s 30 minutes saved. 90 minutes works for me, so I never tried less time, but next time I might do that to see how it works out. And yes, you can use the beer instead of OJ. Let me know how it goes if you get a chance!

      Reply

  6. Jennifer

    April 25, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    My family really enjoyed these carnitas. I made nachos, with all the fixins’. I’m so glad I found this recipe – thanks!

    Reply

  7. Maria Young

    April 5, 2017 at 1:55 pm

    Received my instant pot yesterday and making your Carnitas right now. I do have a question, why are we using the manual button instead of meat/stew button?

    Reply

    • Paint the Kitchen Red

      April 5, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      Hey Maria, the meat/stew, poultry, etc buttons are pre-set buttons. So the meat/stew button might default to (I don’t remember the exact time) 30 minutes. I like to use the manual because I can set the time myself. If you used the preset buttons, you would have to adjust the time to be what you want it to be. So, you can do that too. I hope that answered your question.

      Reply

  9. Joyce

    January 28, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    These look FANTASTIC! I didn’t realize you could crisps up things in the Instant Pot! :O These look so delicious, and I love the use of orange juice in the recipe! 🙂 You know what’s funny? I finally went to check out the pressure cooker my mom bought me was, and it’s an Instant Pot! haha! 🙂 Now I NEED to learn how to use it! I’m so happy you have so many cool recipes that I can use with it!

    Reply

  12. romain | glebekitchen

    January 25, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    I had absolutely no idea you could pressure cook carnitas but it makes perfect sense as a fast alternative to using a slow cooker. One question. If you check the meat and it isn’t done enough do you have to depressurize normally the second time or is there a way to speed up the second cycle?

    Reply

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