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Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe

The easiest Instant Pot Carnitas - juicy, quick, and just a few simple ingredients to the perfect weeknight meal. These shredded pork carnitas are great in tacos, enchiladas, burritos, burrito bowls or salads. It's one of our favorite ways to eat pork – with the crispy edges, citrus juices, and short cooking time, it's a great recipe overall!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: carnitas, instant pot meal, Instant Pot pork, instant pot pork carnitas, Pork Carnitas
Servings: 8
Calories: 189kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds  boneless pork shoulder (or pork butt roast)
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

  • Cut pork into 2" cubes and place in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Toss pork with olive oil, then sprinkle spice mixture overtop and toss again.
  • Place pork in the instant pot, then add orange juice, onion, and garlic.
  • Place lid on instant pot and move vent to SEALING.
  • Cook on MANUAL on HIGH PRESSURE for about 60 minutes until the pork is cooked all the way through.
  • QUICK RELEASE pressure, then remove pork from the Instant Pot with a slotted spoon and shred.

Video

Notes

How to make this a freezer meal: Place roast, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, olive oil, orange juice, onion and garlic into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last up to 90 days.
When ready to use, dump ingredients from bag into Instant Pot and add 1/2 cup chicken broth or water in with the frozen food. Place the lid on top, move the valve to SEALING, and press the MANUAL button. Set timer for 90-100 minutes (or about 30 minutes per pound of your roast).
Do a NATURAL RELEASE when the timer is done – I even like to let it sit in the Instant Pot for a few hours so that it falls apart so easily. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 664mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg