Easy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe - Crispy And Juicy!
Instant Pot Carnitas are the ultimate way to get crispy, juicy traditional pork carnitas in a fraction of the time. Perfect for tacos or burrito bowls, this easy recipe delivers bold flavor and tender meat with irresistibly crisp edges.
Servings: 10
Calories: 208kcal
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs boneless pork butt trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- ½ cup orange juice
- zest from 1 orange
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Add the trimmed pork, cumin, oregano, salt, onion, and garlic to the Instant Pot and stir to coat.
- Add 2 chiles from the can of chipotle chiles and reserve the rest for another use. Pour in all of the adobo sauce, the orange juice, orange zest, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Stir again.
- Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow 15 minutes of natural release, then manually release remaining pressure.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a large bowl, then use two forks to shred the pork.
- Broil the carnitas on high for 5 minutes, flip, and broil 3 to 5 minutes more until the edges of the pork are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, or salads.
Notes
- Trim the meat, but leave a little fat on for added flavor.
- Make sure not to overpack the cooked pork onto your baking trays when boiling - it should be in a single layer. Do this step in batches if needed to ensure you're crisping it up evenly.
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg
