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Leigh Anne Wilkes

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Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Instant Pot Pork Carnitas {Crock Pot Pork Carnitas}

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas {Crock Pot Pork Carnitas}

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 3/22/17Updated: 10/19/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas give you the slow roasted flavor with none of the time and hassle.  You can use make this in the slow cooker.

Some of my other favorite Instant Pot recipes include Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, Mongolian Beef Instant Pot Recipe, and Instant Pot Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Although this recipe is an Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe, it can also be made in the slow cooker.  With just a few changes, you can enjoy these pork carnitas in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.  Either way, they will taste amazing.

So don’t worry if you don’t have an instant pot.  Both cooking methods create a delicious meal that usually takes a lot more time and work to cook!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

How to Make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

  • Cut pork into 2 inch pieces.
  • Brown the meat before cooking.  You can do this right in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting with oil.  If you are using a slow cooker, go ahead and brown the meat in a pan with oil first before putting it in the slow cooker.  I don’t recommend using the slow cooker feature on the Instant Pot, use your regular slow cooker.
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
  • Mix together orange juice, lime juice, cinnamon, Mexican oregano and chili powder.
  • Pour liquid into Instant Pot with meat.
  • Add in remaining ingredients including onion and cinnamon stick.
  • Put on the lid and use the meat setting, high power for 35 minutes.

Now go do something else, about an hour later dinner will be ready.  Once I take out the pork, I put it on a cookie sheet and shred it. I like to leave the pieces fairly large.

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
  • Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and shred on a baking sheet.
  • Put the meat under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the edges before serving it.  I save the juices from the pot to pour over the meat and rehydrate it a bit.  

How to Serve Pork Carnitas

I love to serve it with fresh corn tortillas or flour tortillas, topped with with avocado, salsa, queso and just about anything! I also love serving it over lime cilantro rice and it is also perfect to use in burritos or on nachos too!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Garnish with some cilantro and you are good to go!

For all my other favorite kitchen products and tools visit my Amazon Store.

Did you know I wrote a cookbook?  Check out the Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook for 100 delicious recipes. Be sure and follow  me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.`

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Recipe

5 from 6 votes
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas {Pork Carnitas Slow Cooker Recipe}

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
This Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are fast, easy, and delicious. Don't have an Instant Pot, use my Crock Pot recipe instead!
serves: 8 servings
Prep:10 minutes
Cook:35 minutes
Total:45 minutes
nbsp;
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp dried Mexican Oregano
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice fresh or reconstituted
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Mix together oil, salt, cumin, chile powder and pepper.
  • Coat pork pieces in mixture.
  • Brown in pressure cooker on saute setting or in a pan on the stove.
  • Place meat into Instant Pot or slow cooker.
  • Add in onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick and juices.
  • In a pressure cooker, cover and lock on lid. Use Meat setting allow to come to pressure, auto setting will cook for 35 minutes. Do a 10 minute natural release.
  • In the slow cooker, cover and put on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Shred meat and place on a baking sheet under broiler for 5 minutes to crisp up edges.
  • Reserve juices to pour over meat before serving if desired.

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Brown pork. Place it and all ingredients into the slow cooker
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours until meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 66kcal (3%) Carbohydrates: 9g (3%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 4g (6%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Sodium: 586mg (25%) Potassium: 141mg (4%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 5g (6%) Vitamin A: 151IU (3%) Vitamin C: 29mg (35%) Calcium: 20mg (2%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine:Mexican
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
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  1. Adair says

    Posted on 8/25 at 5:11 pm

    What a wonderful recipe! The spices used along with the OJ & lime juice create an amazing flavor. I made a double batch & had a great deal of liquid left. I am going to freeze the liquid to use for another batch of carnitas. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Kristin says

    Posted on 2/2 at 1:44 pm

    Do you let it do a natural release on your instant pot or release it right after the 35 minutes? I’ve made it before and it’s DELICIOUS but I can’t remember what I did on that part.

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 2/13 at 6:57 pm

      I do a 10 minute natural release and then a quick release – so glad you loved them too!

      Reply
  3. Sara Watt says

    Posted on 9/26 at 7:42 pm

    looks like you need to clean up your subscription page

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 10/1 at 10:30 am

      Sara, I am curious where you are clicking that you think needs cleaning up – please let me know – thanks!

      Reply
  4. Suanne Harns says

    Posted on 8/24 at 11:14 am

    What does it mean 1 cilantro? 1 sprig? 1 bunch? I am making this today…..please help

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 8/24 at 1:32 pm

      The cilantro is listed as a garnish, meaning you can add some cilantro on top as a garnish if you like. Just sprinkle on as much as you like.

      Reply
  5. Lynn says

    Posted on 3/7 at 8:29 pm

    Made this tonight and it was fantastic! It was my first time making carnitas and I’m also an Instant Pot newbie, so I’m feeling on top of the world right now 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne says

      Posted on 3/7 at 8:55 pm

      I am so glad it was a success for you. Be sure and check out the other Instant Pot recipes i have on the blog. The pork is one of my favorites!

      Reply

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