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Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe is Today's Delight
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Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe

Pork is braised for hours on the stove or a slow cooker but in an instant pot it takes less than an hour to cook.
Course Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 15
Calories 90kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt trim excess fat
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 big jalapeno diced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

My cooking instruction is very detail, so don’t be intimidated. This will help people not familiar with their Instant Pot yet.

  • Before turning on Instant Pot, install the condensation collector behind the cooker and plug the instant pot.
  • Press “SAUTE”, set time to 30 minutes and set temperature to “LESS” (press SAUTE repeatedly). After a few minutes, display will show”ON” then “HOT”. Note: Time can be set to any time, 30 minutes is long enough to saute all the ingredients. Press “CANCEL” when done.
  • Add oil and sear all sides of pork for 2 minutes or so.
  • Pour chicken broth and add onion, garlic, jalapeno, bay leaves,chili powder, gound pepper, salt, cumin, oregano and garlic powder.
  • Stir the mixture and simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Press “CANCEL” to cancel Saute program.
  • Place and close lid and turn the steam release handle to “SEALING”.
  • Press “PRESSURE COOK” and adjust pressure level to “HIGH”.
  • Set time to 20 minutes. Leave it alone until done. Note: Cooking time will vary depending on the cut & amount of meat. Experiment is key! I tend to set it for short cooking time. If not tender, you can repeat the cycle for less time. However, if you think you have set the time longer than it should be – you may cancel the program at any time.
  • Float valve will pop-up & the countdown begins.
  • When cooking time is done, “PRESSURE COOK” will no longer be lit & display will show the elasped time. Example: L000
  • Press “CANCEL”.
  • Wait when “FLOAT VALVE” drops, turn “STEAM RELEASE HANDLE” to “VENTING”. It is now safe to open lid.
  • Note: You can manually do a quick pressure release but be very careful when doing this. Cover “STEAM RELEASE HANDLE” with towel and turn to “VENTING”. Steam is released and liquid will splatter everywhere even on you. It is hot so make sure it is covered with towel.
  • Open lid.
  • Separate pork and sauce. Shred pork with 2 forks.
  • Transfer pulled pork into an oven safe baking tray lined with foil for easy cleanup.
  • Pour ¼ cup of juice from sauce over pulled pork.
  • Broil for 5 minutes or until pork is crispy.
  • Remove from oven and pour another ½ cup of juice for a moist and juicy carnitas.
  • Assemble pork carnitas on tortilla with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

1. You can crisp pork in the instant pot using the SAUTE program, but I prefer using the oven or the stove. Add oil if you use your instant pot.
2. Cooked pork can be refrigerated up to 3 days and freeze for about a month in a food saver. Freeze some sauce too.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 328mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg