Instant Pot Carnitas – Fill a warm corn tortilla with juicy, tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork shoulder and top it with fresh cilantro and red onion for restaurant-style Instant Pot Carnitas street tacos you can make in the comfort of your own home.
WHAT IS CARNITAS?
Carnitas are a popular Mexican dish made with pork butt or shoulder. The meat pressure-cooks or braises in the Instant Pot until it’s tender enough to shred, which is how it gets the name carnitas or ‘little meat’ in Spanish.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Pork Rub: Generously coat the pork in salt, cumin, chipotles en adobo, black pepper, cinnamon, and Mexican oregano.
- Pork Shoulder: Pork shoulder or butt is ideal for making our Instant Pot Carnitas recipe; the higher fat content helps the meat maintain its juiciness throughout the cooking process.
- Onion: Onions combine with shredded pork for the perfect bite.
- Garlic: I suggest using four cloves, but don’t let my recipe tell you how much garlic to use- measure with your heart.
- Jalapeño: Finely diced jalapeños bring the right amount of heat for most, but if you crave something spicier, use serrano chili instead.
- Aromatics: Cinnamon sticks and bay leaves infuse the meat as it cooks.
- Orange Juice and Lime: Tenderize the pork with orange and lime juice.
- Liquid Smoke: The secret ingredient for our carnitas is liquid smoke; it gives the pork a nice, smoky flavor without cooking it on the grill or over an open flame.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CARNITAS
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Combine salt, cumin, chipotles en adobo sauce, black pepper, cinnamon, and oregano in a small bowl to make the pork rub.
Remove the skin and bones from the pork and then cut it into 1-2 inch pieces. Add the meat to a mixing bowl and massage the rub into the pork.
Warm oil in an Instant Pot on saute mode until smoke. Add the pork and let it cook until it begins to brown, for about 5 minutes. Cook in batches and return the meat to the Instant Pot.
Add onion, garlic, jalapeño, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, orange juice, lime juice, and liquid smoke.
Secure the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes, and naturally release for 20 minutes before removing the lid.
Remove the pork from the Instant Pot using a slotted spoon, leaving the juices behind. Allow the meat to cool some before shredding it. Then, spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 500° F (260° C). Cover the meat with liquid smoke and cook for 4 minutes, until the top layer becomes crispy.
Serve the carnitas on corn tortillas and garnish with onion and cilantro.
COOKING TIPS
- When broiling the pork at the end, the crispier, the better- I say! After the first broil, I move the pork around on the baking sheet and repeat the process a few times to get the ends nice and crispy.
SEARCHING FOR MORE LIKE THIS?
If you love this recipe, try one of these Mexican favorites!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- Seasoned Black Beans
- Serrano Crema
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Simple Guacamole
- Grilled Zucchini
- Pico De Gallo, Chunky Salsa, Mango Salsa, Corn Salsa
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container; they will keep for 3-4 days.
- Freeze – I prefer to store the pork in a freezer-safe container or bag and reserve the juices in a separate bag. Instant Pot Carnitas will freeze for 3 months.
- Thaw – When you’re ready to eat, let the pork and marinade defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat – Reheat carnitas by frying the meat in a cast-iron skillet or frying pan or in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet. When the pork is thoroughly reheated, drizzle it with the reserved juices. Prepare your tortillas and toppings, and enjoy!
- Repurpose – Don’t feel like making tacos for the second night in a row? No worries, use the leftover meat to make enchiladas, nachos, sliders, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, or Mexican pizza.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are carnitas keto? Are they low-carb?
Yes, replace orange juice with water and add one teaspoon of Chicken Better than Bouillon for added flavor. These macros account for the pork in the taco and not the tortilla or any of the toppings. The serving size for this dish is three tacos.
• Carbs – 2 Net Carbs
• Protein – 44g
• Fat – 38g
We recommend serving the carnitas with a low-carb tortilla. I like Mr. Tortilla because they are only one net carb per tortilla. I tried to link them for you, but only the bulk order option was available on Amazon.
Instant Pot Carnitas
Equipment
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
For the Rub:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 tablespoon Chipotle en Adobo, sauce and 1-3 chillies
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
- 1 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
For the Carnitas:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 5 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-2-inch pieces
- 1 large red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ cup orange juice, no pulp
- ½ cup lime juice, about 2-3 limes
- Liquid Smoke, to taste
For the Assembly:
- corn tortillas, warmed
- cilantro, chopped
- red onion, finely diced
- lime wedges, to garnish
Instructions
- Combine salt, cumin, chipotles en adobo sauce, black pepper, cinnamon, and oregano in a small bowl to make the pork rub.
- Remove the skin and bones from the pork and then cut it into 1-2 inch pieces. Add the meat to a mixing bowl and massage the rub into the pork.
- Warm oil in an Instant Pot on saute mode until smoke. Add the pork and let it cook until it begins to brown, for about 5 minutes. Cook in batches and return the meat to the Instant Pot.
- Add onion, garlic, jalapeño, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, orange juice, lime juice, and liquid smoke.
- Secure the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes, and naturally release for 20 minutes before removing the lid.
- Remove the pork from the Instant Pot using a slotted spoon, leaving the juices behind. Allow the meat to cool some before shredding it. Then, spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 500° F (260° C). Cover the meat with liquid smoke and cook for 4 minutes, until the top layer becomes crispy.
- Serve the carnitas on corn tortillas and garnish with onion and cilantro.
Video
Notes
- When broiling the pork at the end, the crispier, the better- I say! After the first broil, I move the pork around on the baking sheet and repeat the process a few times to get the ends nice and crispy.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice
Lynne
Thursday 4th of August 2022
Love making pork! I used the leftovers on top of nachos!
Tressa Jamil
Friday 5th of August 2022
Ooo, I have actually never made nachos with the leftover carnitas. I need to try that; thank you for the reccomendation.
Giangi
Sunday 31st of July 2022
I am so in love with this recipe. And I LOVE that I can use my IP to do it. Life changing for me. The flavors are divine together. My family love it and will make it again soon. Thank you.
Tressa Jamil
Monday 1st of August 2022
I am glad it was easy for you to make and that you enjoyed it!
fede
Sunday 31st of July 2022
Super delicious! I made this carnitas and it was so super easy to make.
Tressa Jamil
Monday 1st of August 2022
Thank you, happy you enjoyed it!
Bianca
Saturday 30th of July 2022
Absolutely obsessed with this carnitas recipe! Will be making this many more times
Tressa Jamil
Saturday 30th of July 2022
Such high praise!Thanks for taking the time to comment.