This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mission®. All opinions are entirely my own.
The BEST Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are easy to make at home with your electric pressure cooker. A quick pop under the broiler at the end ensures that the carnitas get nice and crispy!
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I’m all about quick and easy Instant Pot recipes. And while the name may imply otherwise, the Instant Pot doesn’t actually make everything in an “instant.” But it does make cooking so much easier and hands-free.
Traditionally, I would make these carnitas in the slow cooker, letting them cook for 10 hours while I’m away at work. That slow cooking process really gets the pork nice and tender, and shred-able, exactly what you want with pork carnitas. But you know, there are some days when I just don’t make the time to plan ahead for dinner.
That’s usually when the Instant Pot comes out. It can transform a tough cut of meat that would normally take all day to cook, in under an hour. Plus, while those juicy pork carnitas cook away in the Instant Pot, that’s the perfect time to prep your garnishes for these Instant Pot Pork Carnitas – pickled onions, some sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges. It’s also the perfect time to warm up some delicious Mission Organics® White Corn Tortillas.
These pork carnitas would take all day in my crockpot. But these Instant Pot pork carnitas cook in only 40 minutes. To that, you’ll need to add about 10 minutes for the pressure to build and 15 minutes for the pressure to release, so you’re looking at just over an hour from start to finish.
But there’s one last step – the most important part to get those carnitas nice and crispy at the end – popping them under the broiler with a sprinkle of salt for about 5 minutes to get that perfect texture and paired with Mission Organics® White Corn Tortillas. Yum!
Here’s how to make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas:
- Cut your pork shoulder into large cubes – This helps to cut down on cooking time.
- Season the meat well with loads of yummy spices – garlic salt, chili powder, dried oregano, dried basil, cumin, ground coriander, brown sugar, and sweet paprika.
- Add in the cooking liquids – This is what helps the pressure build in the instant pot, but it also flavors the meat – fresh squeezed orange and lime juice and bit of water to top it off.
- Then just seal the pot and set it to cook for 40 minutes. This is the perfect time to prepare those yummy quick-pickled onions and your other taco toppings.
I like to serve my Instant Pot pork carnitas in the traditional style of the street taco – dressed simply with cilantro, avocado and some quick pickled onions. And because of that, I want to be sure to use high-quality, flavorful tortillas since their flavor will really shine through. Mission Organics® White Corn Tortillas are my go-to. They’re USDA organic certified, non-GMO project verified, and have no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, meaning that they have an authentically great taste. The perfect tortilla to wrap around what I consider to be the BEST Instant Pot pork carnitas! You can find them at the tortilla section in your local grocery store! While shopping for this recipe, I also grabbed a bag of Mission Organics Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips as well! The chips have a wonderful taste that’s perfect for dipping. The ingredients are simple and they have a bold corn flavor. Mission Organics Tortilla Chips are crafted with the same care and quality you’d put into your homemade dip!
A note about those pickled onions –
You can make those pretty pink pickled onions up to two weeks ahead of time. In truth, I normally have a jar in my fridge at all times. I’ve even got an entire post dedicated to how I pickle my onions. I love having them on hand for topping all kinds of things – salads, my Instant Pot Split Pea Dal, even scrambled eggs.
I hope you agree that these are the BEST Instant Pot Pork Carnitas! I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments below!
The BEST Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
The BEST Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are easy to make at home with your electric pressure cooker. A quick pop under the broiler at the end ensures that the carnitas get nice and crispy!
Ingredients
- Mission Organics® White Corn Tortillas
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lime cut
CARNITAS
- 4-6 lbs. pork shoulder slightly trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 oranges sliced in half
- 1 lime sliced in half
- 1 cup water
PICKLED ONIONS
- 1 red onion halved and thinly sliced halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1/8 - 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
CARNITAS
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Combine garlic salt, chili powder, dried oregano, dried basil, cumin, ground coriander, brown sugar, and sweet paprika.
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Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork pieces and place in Instant Pot.
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Squeeze the juice from the oranges and limes over the pork. Place rinds pulp side down in Instant Pot and add 1 cup water.
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Make sure your sealing ring is in place on the lid. Lock the lid onto Instant Pot and set the steam release knob to the "sealing" position.
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Press the "manual" button and set Instant Pot for high pressure for 40 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer.
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Once the 40 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Open the lid.
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Preheat oven broiler. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork, and place on a baking sheet. Use two forks to shred the pork.
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Taste the pork for saltiness. You may want to sprinkle some additional salt on top. (I especially like using my homemade citrus salts at this stage of the recipe!
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Place underneath broiler until tips of pork are browned and slightly crisp, about 3-5 minutes. (Don’t walk away from it. Keep an eye on meat to make sure it doesn’t burn or become overly browned).
PICKLED ONIONS
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Add sliced onions to a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over them to fully cover and count to 10. Drain onions and place in jar or bowl.
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Heat vinegar, lime juice, 1/8 cup sugar, chili flakes and salt in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
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Taste for sweetness and add more sugar as needed.
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Pour vinegar mixture over onions.
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Allow to stand at room temperature, until fully cooled. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
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ASSEMBLY
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Warm up Mission Organics® White Corn Tortillas in oven (best served warm for full flavor)
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Place carnitas in tortillas and serve topped with sliced avocado and cilantro. Pass around extra limes for garnish.
If you thought these were the BEST Instant Pot Pork Carnitas I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished carnitas tacos and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
Wine Pairings for the BEST Instant Pot Pork Carnitas:
- An authentic Mexican dish is always excellent with beer. Try a light Mexican lager.
- If you’d like to pair these tacos with a bottle of wine, a Tempranillo would be an excellent choice to compliment the spices in the pork carnitas.
- Margaritas – Try this one, this one, or this one.
Be sure to look for Mission Organics products at a store near you.
My Instant Pot is such a life saver for making quick, easy and flavorful food! Also making these pickled onions for our next taco night!
Totally agree! I love the Instant Pot so much!
I also love the quick picked veg as a topping on tacos—and on anything! I make a big batch of them but eat them all in a few days, meaning I have to make another batch. 😉
I want to try pickling some carrots and peppers too – I think those would be delish on top of these tacos as well.
These look great! I usually make pork carnitas in the slow cooker as well but love the time-saving with the Instant Pot for this recipe. Looks SO yummy!
Thanks Marlynn!
I should’ve eaten dinner before reading this post- my mouth is watering and now I am scrambling to figure out what could even compare over at my house. And furthermore – I need and Instant Pot!
Yes – The Instant Pot has definitely become my favorite cooking appliance!
I have to get an instant pot! I love the idea of being able to cook a tough piece of meat quickly and it still being tender and juicy. These carnitas look incredible – and side note, I am obsessed with the picked onions at mi mero mole in Portland, so I’m so happy you posted a recipe for picked onions 🙂 I never think to do them at home!
I hope you give the pickled onions a try Hillary – They’re super easy!
I love making carnitas in my pressure cooker and your recipe looks killer! I’m also adoring all of the fresh radishes right now. The PSU Farmers Market has had beautiful purple and watermelon radishes lately.
Ooohhh! I need to stop by the Farmer’s Market ASAP – I love watermelon radishes and I’ve really been wanting to try the purple ones too!
Well, this sure looks good and easy. I really need to get an Instant Pot, I think!
You definitely do Meg! It really is so handy!
Wow this sounds fantastic, I am definitely pinning to try!
Thanks Kelsey!
who thought you could use the instant pot to make pork carnitas? perfect for those busy days, and those pickled onions sound perfect with the pork
I love making carnitas in the Instant Pot – So quick and delicious! Thanks Albert!
Five star recipe! My husband cannot believe how great they were. pickled onions are the bomb! Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy that you guys liked them Kelly!
So I followed the instructions, but then went back and looked at your pictures. The pork doesn’t look like it’s cut into 2 inch cubes. As I’m listening to the pressure cooker I’m wondering if I cut it up too much….
I noticed the exact same thing. How did it turn out?
Hi Tracie – So sorry about that! The day I shot the photographs, I actually left the pieces whole. But after testing the recipe again, I did in fact find that it helps to cut the pork into those 2-inch cubes. Hope that clarifies things a bit!
This was a hit at my dinner party last night! Changed the way we will
Forever eat tacos. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that you liked them Adele!
Hi – These look great! I’m going to give them a try. But, question… the recipe says to put the oranges and limes pulp side down. The picture looks like they are pulp side up? Can you confirm how it should be? Thanks!
Hi Katherine – I do in fact put the citrus in pulp side down. Sorry for any confusion!
I’m making this for a dinner party tonight! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
I hope you and your guests love it Christina!
Made these last night (only my second time using my new instant pot, after making some black beans). They came out GREAT!!! Thanks for the fantastic recipe. My family loves spice, so I threw in 1 jalapeno and 1 chipotle pepper (in sauce) and subbed the garlic salt with 6 cloves of garlic and about 2 T of sea salt. My guests LOVED these and I was so happy that instead of an 8-hour crock pot dish, I could churn these out in just over an hour between the prep and the cook time.
A+ recipe!
I love your add-ins Laura – Sounds absolutely delicious! I love spice too!!!
If I’m making this for one adult and 3 young children (8, 6, and 2) should I have the recipe? I’m guessing cook time would be the same?
Hi Annie – Yep, cook time will be the same. This recipe does make a LOT, so I think you’ll be OK halving it. It is also great stored in the freezer.
Why the heck do people at in sugar in the meat?
I feel like it helps get everything nice and caramelized (and crispy) at the end.
Can you use a pork loin with this recipe?
Hi Allison – A pork loin won’t get tender and shred-able in this recipe. I’d stick with the pork shoulder or pork butt.
Can I make this ahead, then refrigerate and heat up again by broiling? Thinking of taking this to a taco party…
That should work Bekah! I would save some of the cooking liquid and toss a bit of that in there before broiling too.
I forgot to cut the pork into pieces and curious how much longer that would effect the cook time
Hi Marissa – I would probably add 10 minutes to the cook time. Hope that helps!
I made this mistake and I didn’t adjust the cooking time – they turned out perfect. But, to be fair my pork was right at 4lbs so the smallest size suggested in the recipe. It was soooo delicious.
I loved how quick the insta pot cooked this, but I am disappointed in the flavor. It just doesn’t have enough taste for me.
I’m sorry to hear that Lisa – Did you reduce the cooking liquids at the end?
This was really good the second time I made it, so the first wasn’t luck! Next time I’ll try key lime, see if that cuts the bitterness or maybe half a lime. It wasn’t bad just more noticeable than I like.
Trying this recipe out right now! What do you suggest to do with the all the juice that comes out from cooking? It seems like it would be a waste to discard it.
Wow, my mother’s family is Mexican so I am extremely picky with my carnitas tacos and these came out AMAZING. The pickled onions definitely added extra flavor, but I also added some fresh salsa verde, lime, as well as sour cream. Delicious!
So happy to hear that you liked them Kristen!
These are the absolute best carnitas ever!! I have made this recipe several times and have shared it with many friends!
Thanks for the feedback Renee – I’m so happy you like them!
This recipe is the real deal. It’s the recipe that fully sold me on the Instant Pot, as well. I’ve cooked 2.5-3.5 lbs using this recipe and haven’t adjusted timing…it’s been fine. I would highly recommend dousing the meat in the juice. Tonight after I removed the meat and citrus, I used the saute function for 20+ minutes to reduce the sauce, then dumped it all over the meat before broiling. I also salted the meat after shredding.
If you’re using <4 lbs of meat I’d half the citrus (juice and the parts in the Pot), just b/c I found it a tad bitter with full citrus. Experiment to your heart’s content – you can’t get this wrong. Oh and the pickled onions are mandatory.
Thanks for the great feedback Dave!
I just made these, my first time making carnitas. I think it turned out well, but it seems bitter to me. In retrospect I’m wondering about putting all that citrus rind in there… isn’t the white part between the skin and the fruit actually pretty bitter? If I make them again I’ll definitely use just orange juice. I had to add some more sugar (which you suggested in the recipe anyway) to cut down on some of the bitterness, but it’s still too bitter for my taste. 🙁
The pickled onions are fantastic! They totally complete the recipe! I added blended chipotle in adobo to the roast during the cooking process. I then tossed the pulled pork in the chipotle infused cooking juices. It turned out to be the best carnitas I’ve ever had. I also suggest making your own corn tortillas- 2 cups masa harina to 1.5 cups water, with a teaspoon of salt. Excellent addition!
I’m so glad you liked them Sasha!
Thanks for a great recipe. It’s a keeper!
I’m so happy you liked them Adrianne!
This was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. The prep was fast and easy and broiling the meat after it came out of the pot is a great touch. Thank you!
Is the cumin whole or ground?
Hi Scott – It should be ground cumin.
Overall, very good. This was my First try with an Instapot and I was pleasantly surprised to find the pork cooked perfectly. My only comment is that the amount of citrus doesn’t produce a typical carnitas flavor. It is very good, but has a strong floral, citrus flavor. For me, I am going to drop the oranges and add more chili and cumin.
This looks so good! However, I haven’t jumped on board the instant pot bandwagon yet. Is there anything I would do different with the ingredients to make in the crockpot?
Hi Lisa – I’ve got a slow cooker carnitas recipe too that’s super similar! Here you go: https://www.platingsandpairings.com/slow-cooker-carnitas-street-tacos/
Love this recipe. Delicious tender pork with layers and layers of flavor! Will definitely be adding these into the rotation. The citrus adds a lot of flavor.
This was a great recipe for my new instapot we got for Christmas! I xamnot beliwve how tender it turned out and how little time it took.
I wish i had the onions…because those look yummy. Will make them this weekend!
I’m so happy you liked it LC – Happy Holidays!
Great Carnitas, but with the quantity this recipe produces I typically take a portion and serve bbq pork sandwiches as well. Just add your favorite bbq sauce and serve on a bun. The carnitas flavors are an interesting variation to a family favorite.
I decided to add a little chipotle powder as well and then cook down the leftover liquid using the saute button to a concentrated sauce to coat the meat in a second time. This gives the meat even more flavour after it cames out from under the broiler.
I love that idea James – Thank you for sharing!
Made your carnitas for dinner tonight and everyone loved them
Would you adjust the cooking time for the meat if you were using less pork? I want to do this but I’ve got a 3lb pork shoulder to work with. Thank you in advance!
Hi Nayda – Cook time should be the same!
My family loved this recipe. It has become a new favorite in my household of 11.
I’m so happy to hear that Wendi!
How high do you put the oven on to brown it?
Hi Michelle – I place it a few inches under the heating element.