Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

This Instant Pot Pork Carnitas recipe is full of wonderful flavors including orange, lime, chili, paprika, cumin, oregano, and garlic.

Course Instant Pot Recipes

Cuisine Mexican/Tex-Mex

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Additional Time 25

Total Time 1 35

Servings

Calories 4868kcal

Author Michelle Ordever

Equipment

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1, 6 Quart

Ingredients

¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup fresh orange juice approximately 2 large oranges
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
3½ - 4 lbs 1.5 - 1.8kg pork shoulder roast, trimmed and cut into 6-8 chunks
1 medium red onion diced
1 medium jalapeno diced
2-3 cloves fresh garlic peeled and chopped

Instructions

Place the chicken broth, fresh orange juice, lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, and ground cumin into a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside.
Push the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot. Once the display reads “On,” add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half of the pork shoulder pieces to the container. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook until pork is browned on all sides, approximately 1-2 minutes per side.
Note: DO NOT use the lid while using the “Sauté” function on an Instant Pot!
Once browned, transfer the seared pork to a plate and repeat this process with additional olive oil and the rest of the pork. Remove the browned pork from the Instant Pot and set aside.
Optional Step: Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the container, along with red onion, jalapeno, and fresh garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
Add the browned pork back to the pot and pour the chicken broth/orange juice mixture over top. Add the lid and seal, making sure the steam release handle is positioned toward “Sealing.”
Press the “Manual” button and set the time to 30 minutes at high pressure. Once the cooking time is up, allow 20-25 minutes for the “natural release” of the steam inside the Instant Pot. After that time, perform a manual “quick release” to vent any remaining steam to release the lid, if necessary.
A few minutes before the steam is fully released, preheat the oven broiler (grill) to high and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Transfer the pork to the prepared baking sheet and gently shred with two forks. Drizzle with ¼ cup juices from the Instant Pot and toss to combine before spreading into a thin, even layer.
Place the shredded pork under the broiler (grill) for 4-5 minutes, then remove from the oven and add a little more juice before turning the meat to brown the other side. Place back under the broiler for another 4-5 minutes or until the pork is nice and crispy on the edges.
Once the pork is under the broiler, press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot to reduce the cooking liquid by one-half while the pork is broiling (grilling).
When finished broiling, remove baking sheet from oven and serve immediately with the reduced cooking liquid, fresh lime wedges, and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Notes

Different Instant Pot models offer different features and buttons. (These instructions are for the IP-Duo series).

To cook in a slow cooker you don't need to cut the pork shoulder into chunks, but do remove the big layer of fat from the top of the meat.

Place the chopped onion, jalapeño, and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker pot.
Place the prepared pork shoulder into the pot.
Whisk together the chicken broth, orange and lime juices, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl then pour over the pork.
Cook on low for 8-12 hours then follow the recipe to broil/grill.

Nutrition