Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
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The best Mexican pork carnitas! Juicy, fall-apart tender, and so flavorful. Made in just a fraction of the time!
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reasons to make instant pot pork carnitas
- Ridiculously easy. With the help of the Instant Pot, pork carnitas comes together so much faster than the stovetop and slow cooker (and tastes as if it’s been simmering for hours on end). Simply brown the meat, add your seasonings and close the lid. 30 minutes later, you have carnitas perfection.
- So tender, so crispy. You’ll have super tender, perfectly shredded, fall-apart juicy, crispy pork for the whole family to enjoy.
- Great for a large crowd. With its large serving size and minimal prep, this recipe is perfect for big parties, family gatherings and holiday get togethers.
- So many ways to serve. Carnitas can be enjoyed as tacos, quesadillas, burritos or burrito bowls, salads, enchiladas, nachos and so much more.
- Freezer-friendly. Pork carnitas is incredibly freezer-friendly, great for meal prep for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
pork carnitas vs. pulled pork vs. al pastor
Pork carnitas
Carnitas, translating to “little meats”, is a classic Mexican dish typically made from pork shoulder, a high fat cut of meat, braised and simmered until tender enough to shred, then roasted until crispy.
Pulled pork
Pulled pork is an American barbecue dish, cooked similarly to pork carnitas, but the former is much more tender and mixed with sauce such as BBQ sauce.
Al pastor
Al pastor is also a Mexican dish but is often times made with thinly sliced pork and marinated with pineapple for its sweet flavors.
tips and tricks for success
- Don’t skip the beer. The beer serves as a braising liquid, helping to tenderize the meat, provide moisture and add flavor.
- Add some heat. For a kick of heat, add 1 diced jalapeno or chipotle pepper in adobo sauce with a little bit of sauce for added smokiness.
- Broil for a few minutes. For that favorited crispy texture and all the flavorful brown bits, pop the shredded pork carnitas on a baking sheet with a little bit of the pan juices, broiling until nice and crisp.
- Mix it up. Swap out the pork for boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
- Freeze as needed. Divide the carnitas into meal-sized portions in freezer-safe bags, thawing overnight in the fridge for a quick and easy dinner.
what to serve with instant pot pork carnitas
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas: Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe works very well with pork shoulder or pork butt due to its fat marbling (the high fat content helps keep the meat moist and flavorful) as well as its easy shredding capabilities.
The beer will help tenderize the pork but water, chicken broth or plain soda water can also be used instead.
This can happen if the pork is not cooked long enough. Place the pork back into the Instant Pot, cooking in increments of 5 minutes as needed.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Yes! Pork carnitas is incredibly freezer-friendly. Let cool completely and portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating in the oven or stovetop in a skillet to crisp them up.
Yes! We have a recipe for that here.
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 pound boneless pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed and cut into 3-inch chunks
- 12 ounces pilsner or lager beer
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Set 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting.
- Heat vegetable oil; working in two batches, add pork and cook until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in beer, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 30 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Remove pork shoulder from the Instant Pot® and shred the meat using two forks; season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Preheat oven to broil. Place pork onto a baking sheet and broil until crisp and crusted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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This recipe alone should sell Instant Pots! Just prepared this (for like the tenth time!) for tomorrow’s dinner. Reduced the pot juices to half and poured it over the shredded pork. Tomorrow I’ll spread the pork on a sheet tray to crisp it under the broiler. Can’t wait!
As I go to make this for probably the 30th time, I figured I needed to write a review. This is hands down the best carnitas EVER. You don’t need to tweak this recipe at all. It’s legit perfect and the most incredible tasting carnitas ever. It will look like you slaved away at this for hours, but with the instant pot, it’s such a quick and fresh tasting meal. I know this will be one of those recipes that my kids will ask for long after they’ve moved out on their own.
Very good recipe. May I suggest the pressure cooker liquid be put to good use? Pour it into a fat separator fitted with a screen to prevent the detritus from clogging the spout. Carefully pour the liquid into a large skillet and crank up the burner, if they still exist, electric coil on induction unit to high and bring to a roiling boil. Reduce the liquid, stirring often, until it is nearly syrupy thick. When a trail is left behind as you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pain, you sauce is ready. Put the shredded meat on a sheet pan and ladle the sauce on top and mix if you like. Place the pan near the bottom of you oven and broil until bubbly.
How many tacos is considered one serving?
I keep this website as my secret weapon when I don’t know what to have for dinner. These recipes never fail me and this is one recipe I just treasure. I usually don’t have any oranges or orange juice, but pineapple juice is a great substitute. I open a can of pineapple and put the juice in with the other goodies in the Instant Pot but reserve the pineapple bits. Then once I am ready to crisp the pork, I add the pineapple bits in just after the meat crisps and it not only adds great flavor, it keeps the pork from getting too dry. I also add a ladle full of the liquids from the instant pot and once that cooks off it picks up all the carmelized bits and it ready to serve.
It’s delicious. If I want to double the recipe, do I double every other ingredient as well (as long as I don’t go over the fill line in my Instant Pot)?
OMG, the best pork carnitas I have ever had! I have made this 20+ times and my family and friends love them!! I only oven crisp what we will be eating right away and then I can save the rest to heat up later or tomorrow. They taste equally as good the next day!
This is the third time I have made this recipe with the same results each time. I get rave reviews and empty plates. Super easy to make. I accompanied the dish with flour tortillas, avocado, sour cream, and salsa. A corn salad rounded out the dinner.
I made this ahead for a taco bar. Broiling the meat just before setup. The previous reviews gave me an idea I transferred the broth to a sauce pan and reduced it a bit with an extra splash of orange juice so it could be drizzled on the tacos as they were built. It was still a bit thin and a little will go a long way for flavour. Super easy recipe too!
I have made this several times and it truly is one of the best IP recipes I have ever tried. If I don’t have an orange in the fridge, I use a half cup of Naranja Agria (Bitter Orange) It’s a bottled orange based marinade that I learned about from a friend who is Honduran. It makes a rich, delicious marinade, too, and I always have some on hand.
When I browse recipes, Damn Delicious is my go to. Thanks!!
Meat came out as suggested. REALLY DAM DELICIOUS!
i just got a new instant pot and this is the 2nd recipe i’ve used from this site. both were outstanding! the carnitas are so so good and the left over broth is a rich tasty treat. i used a pork shoulder cut and did have to increase the time in the pressure cooker – but then it was perfect. i made it ahead for guests and will put it under the broiler when we get ready to eat it.
the other recipe i used was the rotisserie chicken. the chicken was flavorful and again the broth was delicious.
i put off getting an instant pot for a couple of years because i had all the other things already – slow cooker, pressure cooker, saute pans, etc. now i know this is easier than any of them and so far, everything has turned out “damn delicious”
I would really love to make this but I only have a pork loin roast. Would it still work or would I have to add some type of fat?
I am making right now with pork loin. I know fat adds flavor but I think it will be fine. It smell heavenly!
Awesome recipe, quick and very tasty! Will make again and vacuum seal for future meals!
I’ve tried making carnitas many times and they’ve never turned out that great. I made these tonight and they were perfect! Tender, flavorful and crisped up nicely! Delicious!
This is one of my favorite recipes! Thank you so much for sharing! I just received a new 8 qt instant pot and am wondering how to adjust the recipe. What would you recommend?
No change. I have the 8 qt and all recipes work…most are created for 8 qt.
This was a little hit and miss. First, the pork came out perfectly tender. However, I found the flavor of the meat to be lacking. The broth that was left in the pot was amazingly flavorful, but I didn’t find that that flavor translated to the pork. And there was a ton of broth left. Easily three cups worth, which I’ll use as a soup base. Not sure why that much liquid is needed so I’ll cut down the beer next time. However, when i put the meat into a tortilla with some onion and cilantro, it tasted good.
I agree. The sour cream, scallions, and cilantro that I served with it gave it most of the flavor.
Amazing simple recipe. Everyone I’ve made it for loves it!
Made this a couple times now and followed the recipe exactly the first two times. Most recently I used tablespoons for the spice measurements and traded out pork shoulder for Chuck roast and it came out amazing. Either way you do it you can’t go wrong this always turns out great!
since I did not have any beer in the house nor orange juice what I did was I substituted beef broth 12 oz for the beer and I substitute lemon juice for the orange juice. Both of them worked together and the carnitas came out absolutely perfect.
I served it with diced avocado, fresh chopped cilantro, chopped tomato, and homemade Chipotle salsa.
I made fresh homemade corn tortillas while this was in the instant pot cooking away.
As they say, Magnifico!
My two teen boys LOVE this recipe! In fact, the carnitas are cooking in the IP as I type this since they are home for the Thanksgiving break…perfect lunch. Thank you for such great, easy recipes 🙂