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–+ servings
Instant Pot carnitas tacos on a plate.

Instant Pot Carnitas

Tressa Jamil
Fill a warm corn tortilla with tender melt-in-your-mouth pork shoulder and top it with fresh cilantro and red onion for Instant Pot carnitas.
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 28 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 58 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 321 kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
  
For the Rub:
For the Carnitas:
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 5 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-2-inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1½ cup orange juice, no pulp
  • lime juice, 2-3 limes
  • liquid smoke, to taste
Instructions
 
  • Combine chipotle en adobo, salt, Mexican oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and black pepper 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 the 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. Let the meat cool before shredding it. Then, spread it onto a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Preheat the oven to 500° F (260° C). Cover the meat with liquid smoke and cook for 4 minutes, until the top layer becomes crispy.
Notes
Serving Size: 2 Tacos
Expert 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.
Nutrition Disclosure:
  • The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 321 kcal | Carbohydrates: 8 g | Protein: 35 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g | Cholesterol: 116 mg | Sodium: 746 mg | Potassium: 727 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 151 IU | Vitamin C: 26 mg | Calcium: 51 mg | Iron: 3 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!