Instant Por Pork Carnitas

These Instant Pot pork carnitas are tender, juicy, and full of authentic flavor—made fast with citrus, spices, and a quick broil for crispy edges. Perfect for tacos, bowls, and easy weeknight dinners.

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 66kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

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.

Video

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Notes

Cut the pork into large, even chunks so it cooks evenly and stays tender.
Don’t skip the broil—spreading the shredded pork on a sheet pan creates those crispy, caramelized edges.
Drizzle a little of the cooking liquid over the meat before broiling to keep it moist and extra flavorful.
Broil in batches if needed so the pork has space to crisp instead of steam.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas 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