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This Instant Pot Carnitas recipe is quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker, perfectly crispy and juicy, and so delicious!
This Instant Pot carnitas recipe is a game-changer. ♡
After years and years of making my favorite Mexican-inspired crispy pork carnitas recipe in the slow cooker — letting the pork slowly simmer all day long until it is perfectly tender and shred-able — I’ve now become a total convert to making pressure cooker carnitas instead.
Why? Well, mainly because this Instant Pot carnitas recipe is just crazy fast. Instead of having to plan 5-8 hours in advance to make carnitas in the slow cooker, this pressure cooker carnitas recipe can be ready to go from start to finish in just over 1 hour, making this recipe legit do-able on a weeknight or anytime you’re craving some carnitas stat. It also succeeds in making carnitas that are extra-juicy and crispy, thanks to a quick broil in the oven and a toss in those leftover cooking juices after the Instant Pot has worked its magic. It’s seasoned with a zesty garlic-citrus mojo sauce, making each bite of pork extra flavorful even before any extra salsas or toppings are added. But more than anything, I just love this carnitas recipe because it is irresistibly, unfailingly, crowd-pleasingly, gotta-go-back-for-seconds-(and-thirds)-ingly, deliciously GOOD.
These carnitas are, of course, absolutely fabulous served up in soft corn tortillas as carnitas tacos. But if you’re looking for a different spin on carnitas (especially if you have leftovers and want to mix things up a bit for the second round), this flavorful shredded pork is also delicious served up in burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas, salads, or even in carnitas soup as well.
So if you are a fellow fan of carnitas, pull out your pressure cooker and let’s make a batch together!
Instant Pot Carnitas | 1-Minute Video
Carnitas Ingredients:
To make pork carnitas in the Instant Pot, you will need the following ingredients:
Pork: I recommend using boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks with the excess fat trimmed off.
Salt, pepper, oil: For seasoning and cooking the meat.
Mojo sauce: A citrusy garlic sauce that we’ll make with beer (or chicken stock), garlic, fresh orange juice, lime juice, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
Salsa: I love serving carnitas with a juicy fresh mango salsa or pineapple salsa (as pictured below). But any type of salsa that you love — red, green, fruit, etc. — will work.
Toppings: I recommend lots of chopped fresh cilantro and finely-chopped red or white onion.
How To Make Carnitas:
To make this pork carnitas recipe, simply…
Make the mojo sauce. Whisk together those garlicky citrus sauce ingredients until combined.
Season and sear the pork. Generously season the pork chunks with salt and pepper. Then use the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot to briefly sear the pork on all sides in a bit of oil. You might need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your Instant Pot.
Pressure cook. Add the sauce to the pork, then pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, followed by a natural release.
Shred. Once the pork is cooked, go ahead and give it a good shred with two forks.
(Optional) Broil. Then — if you want the carnitas to be nice and crispy — spread the shredded pork out in an even layer on a large baking sheet, and spoon about 1/3 of the remaining juices from the Instant Pot evenly on top of the pork. Pop the baking sheet into the oven for about 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork are golden and crispy. Then remove from the oven, give the pork a good toss with half of the remaining juices, and broil for 4-5 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss with the remaining juices and…
Serve warm. However you prefer — in tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, tostadas, quesadillas, in a soup or salad, or whatever sounds good!
Full instructions included in the recipe box below.
Possible Variations:
Want to customize your own homemade carnitas recipe? Feel free to…
Make it spicy. Add a diced jalapeño or serrano chile pepper (seeded, for less heat) into the Instant Pot if you would like to kick things up a spicy notch.
Make it smoky. I also love adding a diced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (with an extra tablespoon of sauce) into the Instant Pot to make the carnitas a bit more smoky.
Use chicken. If pork isn’t your thing, you’re welcome to make this carnitas recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) instead.
Ways To Serve Carnitas:
There are so many fun ways to serve this carnitas recipe! For example, they would be delicious in:
for serving: chopped fresh cilantro, diced white or red onion, and/or fresh salsa (I used the pineapple salsa recipe included below)
Mojo Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup beer (or chicken stock)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Instructions
To Make The Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the mojo sauce ingredients until combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Season pork chunks on all sides with salt and pepper.
Click the “Sauté” setting on the Instant Pot. Add the oil, followed by half of the pork, and sear — turning every 45-60 seconds or so — until the pork is browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a separate clean plate, and repeat with the remaining pork, searing until it has browned on all sides. Press “Cancel” to turn off the heat.
Pour in the mojo sauce, and toss briefly to combine with the pork. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.
Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a natural release (about 15 minutes).
Set the oven broiler to high heat.
Remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Shred the pork with two forks. Then transfer it with a slotted spoon to a large baking sheet. Spoon about a third of the leftover juices evenly on top of the pork and toss to combine. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, then half of the remaining juices from the Instant Pot evenly over the pork and toss to combine. Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat even more crispy. Remove baking sheet from the oven, then ladle the remaining juices over the pork, and toss to combine.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, then serve warm in tacos, burritos, salads, or whatever sounds good to you! Or, refrigerate pork in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Pineapple Salsa: To make the fresh pineapple salsa recipe, just mix together the follow ingredients until combined:
2 cups finely-diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup finely-chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely-diced red onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely-diced
fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Recipe updates: The amount of cumin was increased and the amount of garlic decreased slightly in January 2021.
This recipe is outstanding, however, the prep and cooking times are way longer than noted. Cutting a pork butt into inch. size pieces takes at least 30 minutes. Sautéing all of the meat in 3 batches takes another 20 minutes and then cooking is another 50 minutes between the quick pot cook time and broiling/tossing the meat.
David U —
Recipe says 2 inch pieces. I had a 4 lb. roast I cut into 6 or 7 piece. Probably more like 3-4 inch pieces. It was so good and tender. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Mémé —
Agreed. My family just LOVES this dish. But it takes me at least two hours to cut, brown, and cook the meat (including the broiling, which puts this meal over the top!)
Claudia Root —
This is a favorite in our household, but I have NEVER been able to get this on the table within an hour. Plan on at least 2 hours start to finish.
I don’t usually leave comments on recipes, but had to make an exception for this. I followed this recipe to a T and was rewarded with one of the best homemade meals I’ve made in a very long time. I followed every step exactly, every measurement and this was an absolute flavor bomb that somehow beats out the Carnitas served at a local authentic Mexican restaurant.
People in other comments were commenting that this was bland, which is laughable. They obviously missed a step or did not properly salt the pork before searing. I can’t recommend this one enough. Thanks for posting.
P.S. I made some homemade salsa Verde to go with this. It’s the absolute best compliment to carnitas and strongly recommend you do the same ( I’m sure store bought green salsa would be just fine as well but homemade takes it to the next level)
Made your carnitas in the instapot along with the pineapple salsa. Oh my!!!!! So delicious. Will most definitely make again another time. Don’t tell the others but your my fav food blogger. Side note, your hummus recipe is my go to. I like it better than my ex FIL’s and he was from the Middle East.
Delicious and simple. LOVED THIS. I’m from an area of California with great Mexican restaurants and this is better because it’s not deep fried, but just as tasty. I will make this over and over!
I am from California and now live in Boston, and good carnitas is hard to find, so I have been trying to make it myself- this recipe is the closest I have come to my carnitas order back home. Well done GimmieSomeOven!! :)
I’ve used this recipe for years, as-is, and it’s one of my favorites! I’ve seen some comments about the labor-intensiveness of the pineapple salsa, so I thought I would share a hack: buy pico de gallo at the fruit and veggie counter of your grocer and pineapple spears there. Dice the pineapple and combine with the pico, add more fresh lime and cilantro and a pinch of salt! It’s so good!
This was hands down the best Pork Carnitas I have ever had anywhere! Now I can make better than the best mexican restaurant carnitas at home1 5 stars- more like 10 stars!! I did make a slight modification and added 2 adobo chiles in adobo sauce and 3-teaspoons of the sauce to the mojo-sauce. This added a little heat to the meat and a nice smokey flavor. I also added mango to the pineapple salsa and a 1/4 teaspoon of Ancho chile powder. Delicious!
Great recipe, I’ve used the mojo sauce with an Aldi pre seasoned pork shoulder with great success. I would suggest doing a quick pickle of the red onions, really makes the dish pop.
Hands down, the BEST carnitas I’ve ever made. I added about a tbsp of dried juniper berries and 3 bay lesbes, along with the orange rind halves to the pot. To keep it carb-conscious, I served with pickled red onions and fresh avocado slices. SO GOOD!
Due to time constraints, I used combination of GOYA Mojo and GOYA Sour orange. This was perfect, so tender, flavorful, especially like the broiling idea. Some food you want to share to show others how it turned out, this pork I want to keep all for myself, it is so good. The instant pot was invented to make pork tender. Thanks for the recipe, I will make this again and again.
Can you make the pork a day ahead and then broil for dinner? We have people coming over, and I want to get things done ahead of time (if I can). Thanks for your help!
Katie T —
The leftovers are amazing, super easy to reheat either in the oven for extra crunch or throw back in the Instant pot to reheat. Save some of the leftover liquid to rehydrate the meat when you reheat it. Goes great over fries, chips, etc. Love this recipe
Stumbled upon this recipe and made it tonight. Followed it exactly and OMG! These came out perfectly! Crispy yet tender and flavorful. This is one I am definitely making again.
Just made this and it is perfect! Definitely a keeper!
I made some adjustments:
I did not bother “trimming” the meat because I wanted the extra fat for the meat to cook in. I also did not “sear” in oil because there was plenty of fat on the meat to use for browning. Beware, it smokes up the kitchen! I might try browning on the grill next time. I also omitted the cumin because I don’t like cumin very much. When broiling, I only did one side but on the baking sheet they were not very deep. I also only drizzled the drippings to taste once and sprinkled salt too. There was too much juice left over to put it all on the meat, I think I will save it for making collards or beans or a soup.
I get a better sear in my cast iron skillet so to speed up the process I sauteed in both my skillet and the instant pot. I just deglazed the skillet with some of the mojo sauce. Great recipe!
This was my first time making Carnitas. The best tasting meat I’ve ever had! So excited to get the flavor IN the meat instead of just on it. Because I was in a hurry I used a bottle of Goya Mojo Criolo marinade and added the called for garlic, lemon juice, oregano and cumin. Browned and pressure cooked. This is a keeper!!
Overall, an enjoyable dinner! The pineapple salsa, in my opinion, is what is the most flavorful part of this meal. The mojo just didn’t have enough of a punch for us. Additionally, I found it incredibly hard to shred chicken in the instant pot, so I spooned it on the baking sheet first, then shred. WAY easier. Obviously you have to be careful not to scratch your pan, but much less awkward to maneuver. I agree that the overall cooking/prep times on this are much longer.
This was pretty good!
The first thing is the prep is WAY off. Not 5 minutes and nowhere close to that and I cook often.
I saw a few comments saying it was a bit bland, so I did a fry marinade for a few hours and I feel it helped some. I’d make this again though!
This is a regular recipe in our house, and for good reason: it is delicious, freezes well, and can be enjoyed in many different ways (in a bowl on quinoa, in a taco, a salad, a sandwich….) It is wonderful with pork but we typically make it with boneless skinless chicken thighs to save on prep. We also use Mexican oregano, and have used pineapple juice instead of orange when that’s all we had on hand. Outstanding, and highly recommended!
Kaimana —
Did you freeze it cooked or raw? We love this recipe and I’m thinking of putting some into my freezer stash. Thanks
My husband’s all-time favorite! Easy and absolutely delicious, it’s great for an easy weeknight meal or for hosting a taco party. We like to double down on the broil time for extra crunch.
Made this, and…WOW! This is a keeper!! Amazing flavor, tender, and very very easy to make. I got carnitas a few days ago at a Mexican food place I’ve always loved, and it just completely fell short in flavor, after eating this! I’ll never order carnitas again, because this just blows it all away!
I deviated in a few ways…I went 1 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup lime juice, a few more cloves worth of garlic, a tsp cumin instead of a tbsp, maybe 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and set the instant pot for 65min for 5lbs of country ribs. And, Instead of putting it in the broiler afterwards, I put a couple tsp of bacon fat in a pan and pan fried it…doesn’t make it greasy or too salty, just adds a nice subtle flavor, and more like a “traditional” carnitas texture.
Even just pan frying with a touch of olive oil worked great! But the broiler method works great too! Just personal preference on the bacon fat/olive oil. Done either of these three ways….DELICIOUS! I do use a slotted spoon to drain off most of the liquid when I pan fry it, crisps it up nicely that way.
I vacuum sealed and froze 2lbs of it, and upon reheating it, the flavor was as good, or better, as fresh! So, it freezes PERFECTLY. I just threw the frozen vacuum sealed bag in not-quite-boiling water for 5-10 min (sous vide I guess?) and then pan fried. EASY quick dinner in about 15min.
I think a chipotle pepper and some adobo sauce blended up would put this over the top in flavor, but unfortunately my gf doesn’t like the chipotle heat. As-is though, it’s nothing short of amazing. THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe!
Made the carnitas today, and everybody loved it— from ages 14-58! I was nervous the broiling would dry the pork, but it did not. This is definitely going into the favorite recipes binder. The orange and lime juices definitely help break down the meat. One change: I had a bone in pork shoulder and cut it into larger chunks and left the bone in. Given the larger pieces and bone, I let it cook in the hot pot for about 48 minutes and natural release for another 20. It was perfect and shredding barely required forks! Yum. Make this.
This is so dang tasty. The recipe + broiling makes perfect meat. I agree with some of the other comments though, it takes much longer than stated between all the steps. The timing does not include cutting the meat and browning it, and shredding. Which is fine, but just don’t expect it to only take 55 minutes total.
Looking for something different for dinner, it was my husband’s first solo use of our IP and we were both so impressed with how tender and flavorful the meat turned out. This recipe is going into our weekly rotation it was so good!! Thank you :)
Wow! Used chicken stock, not beer. Added 1 cup chopped onion to Mojo sauce. (We like our onion cooked). Otherwise I followed recipe. Everyone came back for seconds!
Excellent recipe! Even my husband said so, and he’s extremely picky. He liked it so much that he had street tacos for breakfast. I also made your salsa verde and red sauce, and they’re both delicious too. 😋
Great texture with the timing suggested but I felt it was lacking in flavour…next time I would bump up the cumin anmd oregano and add an onion, a bay leaf and definitely some adobo chiles. It smelled so good but didn’t have the taste to back it up. I’m not giving up on it though.
Really great pineapple salsa!
I’m going to make this, but I have to say it always pisses me off when recipe creators don’t respond to earnest questions from the people that made the recipe or are about to. I suggest the recipe developer get inside their own site and get to work responding to some of the questions.
This recipe is so tasty and simple! The broiling is what takes it over the top. We typically use it in burritos the first night, and then with nachos for leftovers! It is delicious any way you serve it.
Can this be made a day ahead and then crisped under the broiler the day of? I have a big party and want to get some stuff made a day before. Thanks! BY THE WAY, made this last week and it was the best carnitas I’ve ever made.
I had excellent results experimenting with the Air Fryer lid on my Instant Pot Duo Crisp in place of the broiler.
Ladle out about 4 cups of liquid. The liquid level should be far below the meat. Do not shred the meat yet.
Run the air fryer lid in “roast” mode at 400° for 10 minutes.
Turn / stir the chunks of pork with a spoon to hide the browned meat. The meat should fall apart as you stir.
Repeat the process, roasting for 5 minute intervals and gradually adding back the liquid, as with the broiler process in the original recipe.
Now the oven is available to cook something else.
We love this carnitas recipe! I have made it several times but I wonder now if I can double the recipe for company coming? Will the cook time be the same in the instant pot or should I add a few minutes?
We LOVE this recipe and have used it many times. Could you use a beef roast with this instead? How would the time on the pressure cooker change if it was beef?
This recipe is outstanding, however, the prep and cooking times are way longer than noted. Cutting a pork butt into inch. size pieces takes at least 30 minutes. Sautéing all of the meat in 3 batches takes another 20 minutes and then cooking is another 50 minutes between the quick pot cook time and broiling/tossing the meat.
Recipe says 2 inch pieces. I had a 4 lb. roast I cut into 6 or 7 piece. Probably more like 3-4 inch pieces. It was so good and tender. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Agreed. My family just LOVES this dish. But it takes me at least two hours to cut, brown, and cook the meat (including the broiling, which puts this meal over the top!)
This is a favorite in our household, but I have NEVER been able to get this on the table within an hour. Plan on at least 2 hours start to finish.
I don’t usually leave comments on recipes, but had to make an exception for this. I followed this recipe to a T and was rewarded with one of the best homemade meals I’ve made in a very long time. I followed every step exactly, every measurement and this was an absolute flavor bomb that somehow beats out the Carnitas served at a local authentic Mexican restaurant.
People in other comments were commenting that this was bland, which is laughable. They obviously missed a step or did not properly salt the pork before searing. I can’t recommend this one enough. Thanks for posting.
P.S. I made some homemade salsa Verde to go with this. It’s the absolute best compliment to carnitas and strongly recommend you do the same ( I’m sure store bought green salsa would be just fine as well but homemade takes it to the next level)
Can I make this with mojo marinade?
Great recipe. Followed everything as written and came out terrifically!! Thanks!
My family loves this recipe! I follow it exactly and it never fails. Thanks for sharing! ✌🏻❤️
This is a keeper. I come back to this often. Always a hit!
Made your carnitas in the instapot along with the pineapple salsa. Oh my!!!!! So delicious. Will most definitely make again another time. Don’t tell the others but your my fav food blogger. Side note, your hummus recipe is my go to. I like it better than my ex FIL’s and he was from the Middle East.
Delicious and simple. LOVED THIS. I’m from an area of California with great Mexican restaurants and this is better because it’s not deep fried, but just as tasty. I will make this over and over!
I am from California and now live in Boston, and good carnitas is hard to find, so I have been trying to make it myself- this recipe is the closest I have come to my carnitas order back home. Well done GimmieSomeOven!! :)
I’ve used this recipe for years, as-is, and it’s one of my favorites! I’ve seen some comments about the labor-intensiveness of the pineapple salsa, so I thought I would share a hack: buy pico de gallo at the fruit and veggie counter of your grocer and pineapple spears there. Dice the pineapple and combine with the pico, add more fresh lime and cilantro and a pinch of salt! It’s so good!
This was hands down the best Pork Carnitas I have ever had anywhere! Now I can make better than the best mexican restaurant carnitas at home1 5 stars- more like 10 stars!! I did make a slight modification and added 2 adobo chiles in adobo sauce and 3-teaspoons of the sauce to the mojo-sauce. This added a little heat to the meat and a nice smokey flavor. I also added mango to the pineapple salsa and a 1/4 teaspoon of Ancho chile powder. Delicious!
Could beef be substituted for pork, and would that alter cooking time?
Thanks for all of the amazing recipes! Love GSO.
Maybe I missed it, but what is the size of the instant pot used for your recipe?
I have used 6 and 8 qt instant pots and it has worked with both.
Great recipe, I’ve used the mojo sauce with an Aldi pre seasoned pork shoulder with great success. I would suggest doing a quick pickle of the red onions, really makes the dish pop.
Hands down, the BEST carnitas I’ve ever made. I added about a tbsp of dried juniper berries and 3 bay lesbes, along with the orange rind halves to the pot. To keep it carb-conscious, I served with pickled red onions and fresh avocado slices. SO GOOD!
Made this a few times now and i swear it gets better every time!!
Due to time constraints, I used combination of GOYA Mojo and GOYA Sour orange. This was perfect, so tender, flavorful, especially like the broiling idea. Some food you want to share to show others how it turned out, this pork I want to keep all for myself, it is so good. The instant pot was invented to make pork tender. Thanks for the recipe, I will make this again and again.
Can you make the pork a day ahead and then broil for dinner? We have people coming over, and I want to get things done ahead of time (if I can). Thanks for your help!
The leftovers are amazing, super easy to reheat either in the oven for extra crunch or throw back in the Instant pot to reheat. Save some of the leftover liquid to rehydrate the meat when you reheat it. Goes great over fries, chips, etc. Love this recipe
One of my family favorite meals! We have been making this for years & love it every time!
Stumbled upon this recipe and made it tonight. Followed it exactly and OMG! These came out perfectly! Crispy yet tender and flavorful. This is one I am definitely making again.
Just made this and it is perfect! Definitely a keeper!
I made some adjustments:
I did not bother “trimming” the meat because I wanted the extra fat for the meat to cook in. I also did not “sear” in oil because there was plenty of fat on the meat to use for browning. Beware, it smokes up the kitchen! I might try browning on the grill next time. I also omitted the cumin because I don’t like cumin very much. When broiling, I only did one side but on the baking sheet they were not very deep. I also only drizzled the drippings to taste once and sprinkled salt too. There was too much juice left over to put it all on the meat, I think I will save it for making collards or beans or a soup.
Fantastic!
I get a better sear in my cast iron skillet so to speed up the process I sauteed in both my skillet and the instant pot. I just deglazed the skillet with some of the mojo sauce. Great recipe!
This was my first time making Carnitas. The best tasting meat I’ve ever had! So excited to get the flavor IN the meat instead of just on it. Because I was in a hurry I used a bottle of Goya Mojo Criolo marinade and added the called for garlic, lemon juice, oregano and cumin. Browned and pressure cooked. This is a keeper!!
Overall, an enjoyable dinner! The pineapple salsa, in my opinion, is what is the most flavorful part of this meal. The mojo just didn’t have enough of a punch for us. Additionally, I found it incredibly hard to shred chicken in the instant pot, so I spooned it on the baking sheet first, then shred. WAY easier. Obviously you have to be careful not to scratch your pan, but much less awkward to maneuver. I agree that the overall cooking/prep times on this are much longer.
How would you work this recipe differently using a crockpot?
This was pretty good!
The first thing is the prep is WAY off. Not 5 minutes and nowhere close to that and I cook often.
I saw a few comments saying it was a bit bland, so I did a fry marinade for a few hours and I feel it helped some. I’d make this again though!
This is a regular recipe in our house, and for good reason: it is delicious, freezes well, and can be enjoyed in many different ways (in a bowl on quinoa, in a taco, a salad, a sandwich….) It is wonderful with pork but we typically make it with boneless skinless chicken thighs to save on prep. We also use Mexican oregano, and have used pineapple juice instead of orange when that’s all we had on hand. Outstanding, and highly recommended!
Did you freeze it cooked or raw? We love this recipe and I’m thinking of putting some into my freezer stash. Thanks
My husband’s all-time favorite! Easy and absolutely delicious, it’s great for an easy weeknight meal or for hosting a taco party. We like to double down on the broil time for extra crunch.
Made this, and…WOW! This is a keeper!! Amazing flavor, tender, and very very easy to make. I got carnitas a few days ago at a Mexican food place I’ve always loved, and it just completely fell short in flavor, after eating this! I’ll never order carnitas again, because this just blows it all away!
I deviated in a few ways…I went 1 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup lime juice, a few more cloves worth of garlic, a tsp cumin instead of a tbsp, maybe 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and set the instant pot for 65min for 5lbs of country ribs. And, Instead of putting it in the broiler afterwards, I put a couple tsp of bacon fat in a pan and pan fried it…doesn’t make it greasy or too salty, just adds a nice subtle flavor, and more like a “traditional” carnitas texture.
Even just pan frying with a touch of olive oil worked great! But the broiler method works great too! Just personal preference on the bacon fat/olive oil. Done either of these three ways….DELICIOUS! I do use a slotted spoon to drain off most of the liquid when I pan fry it, crisps it up nicely that way.
I vacuum sealed and froze 2lbs of it, and upon reheating it, the flavor was as good, or better, as fresh! So, it freezes PERFECTLY. I just threw the frozen vacuum sealed bag in not-quite-boiling water for 5-10 min (sous vide I guess?) and then pan fried. EASY quick dinner in about 15min.
I think a chipotle pepper and some adobo sauce blended up would put this over the top in flavor, but unfortunately my gf doesn’t like the chipotle heat. As-is though, it’s nothing short of amazing. THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe!
Made the carnitas today, and everybody loved it— from ages 14-58! I was nervous the broiling would dry the pork, but it did not. This is definitely going into the favorite recipes binder. The orange and lime juices definitely help break down the meat. One change: I had a bone in pork shoulder and cut it into larger chunks and left the bone in. Given the larger pieces and bone, I let it cook in the hot pot for about 48 minutes and natural release for another 20. It was perfect and shredding barely required forks! Yum. Make this.
This is so dang tasty. The recipe + broiling makes perfect meat. I agree with some of the other comments though, it takes much longer than stated between all the steps. The timing does not include cutting the meat and browning it, and shredding. Which is fine, but just don’t expect it to only take 55 minutes total.
Looking for something different for dinner, it was my husband’s first solo use of our IP and we were both so impressed with how tender and flavorful the meat turned out. This recipe is going into our weekly rotation it was so good!! Thank you :)
Wow! Used chicken stock, not beer. Added 1 cup chopped onion to Mojo sauce. (We like our onion cooked). Otherwise I followed recipe. Everyone came back for seconds!
Excellent recipe! Even my husband said so, and he’s extremely picky. He liked it so much that he had street tacos for breakfast. I also made your salsa verde and red sauce, and they’re both delicious too. 😋
Great texture with the timing suggested but I felt it was lacking in flavour…next time I would bump up the cumin anmd oregano and add an onion, a bay leaf and definitely some adobo chiles. It smelled so good but didn’t have the taste to back it up. I’m not giving up on it though.
Really great pineapple salsa!
I’m going to make this, but I have to say it always pisses me off when recipe creators don’t respond to earnest questions from the people that made the recipe or are about to. I suggest the recipe developer get inside their own site and get to work responding to some of the questions.
This recipe is so tasty and simple! The broiling is what takes it over the top. We typically use it in burritos the first night, and then with nachos for leftovers! It is delicious any way you serve it.
Can this be made a day ahead and then crisped under the broiler the day of? I have a big party and want to get some stuff made a day before. Thanks! BY THE WAY, made this last week and it was the best carnitas I’ve ever made.
My family loved it!! Bought pork that was already in chunks (recommended for carnitas) and followed recipe to a tee! So easy for outstanding carnitas!
I had excellent results experimenting with the Air Fryer lid on my Instant Pot Duo Crisp in place of the broiler.
Ladle out about 4 cups of liquid. The liquid level should be far below the meat. Do not shred the meat yet.
Run the air fryer lid in “roast” mode at 400° for 10 minutes.
Turn / stir the chunks of pork with a spoon to hide the browned meat. The meat should fall apart as you stir.
Repeat the process, roasting for 5 minute intervals and gradually adding back the liquid, as with the broiler process in the original recipe.
Now the oven is available to cook something else.
Any idea how long to cook the pork per pound? I have about a 2 pound roast! TY!
This is labor-intensive, but worth the work. The recipe is pretty mild, but easily made spicier. It’s a definite keeper!
Lots of work, but worth it!
These were AMAZING!!
This recipe is a crowd pleaser when I cater to our board meetings.
So so good and so fast!!
We love this carnitas recipe! I have made it several times but I wonder now if I can double the recipe for company coming? Will the cook time be the same in the instant pot or should I add a few minutes?
We LOVE this recipe and have used it many times. Could you use a beef roast with this instead? How would the time on the pressure cooker change if it was beef?
Do you know how one would cook this in a crockpot?
Best Mexican recipe we’ve ever made. It’s now a bi-weekly ritual!
Is there a CrockPot verson of this recipe? I don’t have an InstaPot.