Carnitas Recipe (Instant Pot)
Our Instant Pot Pork Carnitas recipe is incredibly flavorful and always turns out mouthwatering tender and juicy. Cooked in an Instant Pot/pressure cooker, then quickly broiled to golden, crispy perfection. This recipe consistently delivers authentic-tasting Mexican Carnitas without the lard and in less time! Now that is a win-win!
Servings 8 people
Calories 363kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pounds) boneless pork shoulder roast trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Salt and ground black pepper (to season the meat)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
- 1 (12-ounces) Mexican beer (Pilsner or lager beer)
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Chopped cilantro to garnish (optional)
Suggestions for Serving (optional)
- Warm corn tortillas, chopped onions. chopped cilantro, salsa, crumbled Queso Fresco, lime wedges.
Instructions
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
- Click the "sauté" function of the Instant Pot and heat about 1 tablespoon of oil. Sear the pork for about 3-4 minutes or until it browns evenly on all sides. You may need to do this in 2 batches not to overcrowd the pot. Transfer the seared meat to a bowl or plate and set aside. Heat the remaining oil and sear the rest of the meat. Add additional oil if needed. Remove from the pot and press "cancel" to turn off the heat.
- Next, pour the beer, orange juice and lime juice into the pressure cooker and using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and return the pork and any collected juices to the instant pot.
- Close the lid and seal the pot making sure the valve is in the sealed position. Cook on HIGH pressure for 60 minutes. After the cooking time is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes then, release the remaining pressure and open the lid.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the pork from the pressure cooker leaving the cooking liquid in the pot. Click the "saute" function and reduce the cooking liquid for about 5 minutes then, press cancel. Taste for seasoning.
- Meanwhile, shred the pork. Return the meat to the instant pot and toss it until well coated with the cooking liquid. Press "cancel" to turn off the heat.
Crisp up the meat (Optional)
- Turn on the oven broiler. The oven rack should be at about 6 inches from the heat source.
- Transfer some of the pork to a baking sheet, spreading the meat into an even layer. Spoon about 2 - 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid over the pork and broil until the edges of the pork begin browning, about 2-4 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and with a spatula, flip the meat over. Broil until your desired doneness (about 2-4 additional minutes or until crispy and golden brown). Remove from the oven.
- Serve the carnitas pouring a bit of additional cooking liquid over the meat if desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro (optional).
Video
Notes
- I season the pork deliberately with salt and ground black pepper before searing the meat. I prefer using sea salt or Kosher salt. Regular table salt is harsher so if that's what you have at home, use less.
- Please keep in mind that your pressure cooker may take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking timer starts. The exact time varies depending on size, model, and the contents inside the pot. For this reason, we don't include it in the total time shown above.
Nutrition
Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 977mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 20.6mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2.5mg