I enjoy going out to eat, but landing on this Carnitas Instant Pot recipe has changed my life!
I don’t know about you, but the way I judge a Mexican restaurant is solely by the quality of their carnitas. Why? Done right, carnitas is melt-in-your-mouth flavorful, has the ability to shine on its own, and should take hours to make. It’s a true testament to care and patience in the kitchen and probably indicative of the effort put into the rest of the menu.
My favorite format: the Carnitas Taco. Corn tortillas and carnitas are the perfect combination, like peanut butter and chocolate, and there’s no hiding among other ingredients.
Since moving out of California, I regret to admit that finding a great Mexican restaurant with carnitas you’d care to write home about has been difficult. Accordingly, I set out on a mission to see if I could satisfy my cravings at home.
There was a lot of trial-and-error testing that took place, but I think I’ve done it with these easy, crispy carnitas made in the instant pot.
Let’s get on with the goodness!
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WHAT MAKES THIS CARNITAS INSTANT POT RECIPE AMAZING?
Meat Choice
You need a cut of pork that has a good balance of flesh and fat marbling which help with shredded. Pork shoulder (also known as, pork butt) is the perfect cut. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but it’s also so tender and shreds with ease if given enough time to break down. Avoid leaner cuts like pork chops and pork lion.
Use of Citrus
I was surprised to find orange a common ingredient in this dish which I hadn’t noticed previously, but the moment I started using it, any lack of orange was readily apparent.
This was my “duh!” moment. Like any Mexican dish, the use of citric acid (oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit) is key to round out savory sweetness and add a pop of freshness. Oranges and limes are common ingredients in carnitas.
Season with Salt
Like they say about duct tape – it can fix anything – salt can improve the taste of just about any dish. Carnitas should be properly seasoned with enough salt to amplify its flavor.
Crispy, Browned Meat
Not only does it add a nice mixture of texture to every bite, but the Maillard reaction produced by either searing, frying, or broiling the meat creates a magical moment between those proteins and sugars that defines this carnitas dish. My preferred method is to broil the carnitas after it’s be pressure cooked and shredded.
HOW TO MAKE TACO TRUCK WORTHY CARNITAS
STEP 1: Pull out your ingredients:
- Pork Shoulder
- Orange
- Pork Lard
- Salt
- Garlic
STEP 2: Prepare the pork shoulder, cutting it into golfball or baseball size pieces (size doesn’t matter, just be sure they’re even), and create slits in 4 pieces to insert each garlic clove. Salt the pork shoulder liberally in a bowl and set aside.
STEP 3: Turn your pressure cooker on “Saute” mode and add your pork lard to the pot to melt. Once melted, turn the pressure cooker off and add your pieces of meat to the pot in a single layer. Halve your orange and squeeze the livin’ daylights out of each covering the meat in orange juice.
STEP 4: Turn on your pressure cooker with the following settings:
- Hit “Pressure Cook”
- “High”
- 1.5 Hours
- “Keep Warm” off
- Start
STEP 5: Once safely depressurized, remove the lid and strain the carnitas from the liquid into a bowl. Move your oven rack 8-10 inches from the broiler and set your oven to “Broil”.
STEP 6: Arrange the shredded carnitas on a baking sheet, spread out as to allow for increased crispiness. Move the baking sheet into the oven and set a timer for 3 minutes. DO NOT WALK AWAY!
STEP 7: Remove carnitas from the oven when the timer goes off or the carnitas has browned.
STEP 8: Ladle some of the leftover liquid in the instant pot over the crispy carnitas. Plate it in your preferred format (tacos here). Stuff your face.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
What’s the best type of pork meat for carnitas?
For the right combination of meat to fat ratio and then shred-ability, we recommend using pork shoulder (often referred to as pork butt)
What is the best way to serve carnitas?
The options are endless: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, over roasted potatoes, rice bowl, with eggs, by itself… I could go on and on. In short, you can’t go wrong.
What alternatives can I use for pork lard?
If you’re short on pork lard or just aren’t into the idea, feel free to swap it out for 1 cup of chicken stock/broth/bone broth (🙌🏼 my homemade chicken bone broth recipe is a perfect alternative). Beef stock or broth is okay, but I think the chicken flavor compliments pork the best. If you don’t have stock/broth/bone broth, use 1 cup of water. Yes, water! I’ve used water as an alternative many-a-time with great success.
I don’t have oranges. Can I use lemons or limes?
If you don’t have an orange, use 2 limes instead. Squeeze the juice from the limes over the pork shoulder prior to starting the Instant Pot. I’ve admittedly never tried lemons with this recipe, but I’d start by using juice from 1 lemon.
Can I add Chili Powder to this recipe?
Most certainly! I’d recommend 1-2 Tbsp of chili powder. Any additional seasoning you might add, do so alongside adding salt to the pork shoulder pieces prior to putting them in the Instant Pot to cook.
How do I make Mexican Relish?
Grab yourself a cutting board, knife, small bowl, and spoon for mixing. Dice 1/2 cup of yellow onion and chop ~1/8 cup of cilantro – add those to your bowl. Next, cut your lime in half and squeeze the juice over the onion and cilantro. Mix and serve!
📺 WATCH ME MAKE THIS CARNITAS INSTANT POT RECIPE
🍳 RECIPE
Carnitas
Equipment
- Pressure cooker / Instant Pot
- Baking Sheet
- Mixing bowl (large)
- Spider strainer / tongs
- Paring knife
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder / pork butt
- 1 cup pork lard
- 1.5 tbsp salt
- 2 medium oranges (juiced)
- 4 cloves garlic
Instructions
Prep
- Trim off excessive fat from the pork shoulder and cut it into roughly baseball size or slightly smaller pieces. Whatever size you choose, be sure all pieces are roughly the same size.2 lbs pork shoulder / pork butt
- Put pork shoulder pieces into a large bowl and cover in salt. Do this at least 30 minutes ahead of cooking or allow it to dry brine uncovered in the fridge overnight.1.5 tbsp salt
Cooking
- Turn Instant Pot onto "Saute" mode and add pork lard. Once it melts completely, turn off the Instant Pot.1 cup pork lard
- Peel all cloves of garlic and use a knife to make slits in 4 pieces of pork shoulder. Insert the whole cloves of garlic into each slit.4 cloves garlic
- Use tongs to add pork shoulder pieces to the Instant pot, evenly distributed in a single layer. Do not pile the pork shoulder pieces on top of one another.
- Halve both oranges and squeeze the orange juice into the Instant Pot.2 medium oranges
- Attach the lid to the Instant Pot and apply the following settings:– "Pressure Cook"– 1.5 hours– "High"– "Keep Warm" set to OFF– Start
- Let the pressure cooker naturally depressurize (~15 min.; can do it manually if pressed for time).
Broil
- Turn the oven on to "Broil" / "High"
- While it's warming, safely remove the lid from the Instant Pot and remove the carnitas, placing it into a large bowl. Use tongs or forks to shred the meat.
- Transfer your carnitas to a baking sheet and spread it out evenly. You want as much of the meat to be browned by the broiler as possible.
- Place baking sheet in the oven for ~3 minutes or until the carnitas starts to brown. Set a timer and and watch – seriously, do not take your eye off the meat!
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Spoon or ladle some of the rendered juice from the Instant Pot over the carnitas.
- Stuff your face!
Notes
- When broiling the carnitas, I like to set a timer and turn on the oven light to watch. The difference between perfection and burnt is a mere 30 seconds.
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