The Instant Pot really shines when you place tough cuts of meat in it because, in a short time, it breaks them down into perfectly tender, shredded meat. I’ve been having lots of fun creating Mexican-inspired recipes with the Instant Pot simply because it makes it so easy.
I started out with my Salsa Chicken , then there were these Chicken Tinga Tacos , and this Beef Barbacoa . And now today we’re moving on to carnitas! While I love every single one of these recipes, these carnitas have my heart since it’s nigh impossible to beat shredded/pulled pork.
This recipe makes a large batch, so it’s perfect for entertaining or for meal prepping. It’s not really a good option to make a small batch of carnitas since pork shoulders already come in large quantities. Also, I figure you might as well make the whole batch, and then freeze the rest if you don’t need it right away, for easier meals down the road.
What to make with all your carnitas
- These carnitas are perfect for burrito bowls. You can find all my Chipotle copycat options in my Carnitas Burrito Bowl recipe .
- Small amounts of leftover carnitas are perfect made into quesadillas with your choice of veggies, cheese, and toppings like salsa and guacamole.
- They’re also really great on nachos of any kind, with pretty much any topping you can think of.
- And finally, they make fantastic tacos, again with your choice of toppings, but salsa and guacamole are a must for me!
How to make this recipe
- Start by sautéing the onions and garlic until browned.
- Next up, blend the onion/garlic mixture along with the orange juice and spices.
- Then the sauce is poured over the seared roast and cooked to perfection.
How to cook Carnitas 2 ways
- You can sear the whole roast and place it in the Instant Pot . This way takes a full 2 hours to pressure cook.
- Or you can cut the roast into 2″ cubes, sear them. Then the pressure cooking time is only 45 minutes.
Either way you go, the end result is the same. I guess it just depends on how much time you have in the evening. By cutting up the roast first, which takes about 20 minutes, you save over an hour of cooking time. And by not cutting up the roast, you save about 20 minutes of hands-on time.
While your roast cooks, choose what you’d like to serve the carnitas with and prepare everything.
When the carnitas are done, remove the meat from the juices to cool a bit. While the meat is cooling, simmer the sauce until it’s reduced by half. Then, when the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it with 2 forks or your hands, discarding any tough bits or fat.
And finally, to go the extra mile, after the meat has been mixed back into its juices, you’re going to want to pan-fry it. I personally like to use bacon fat to pan-fry these carnitas for extra crispness. But you could use avocado oil instead. Traditionally, carnitas are fried in lard (pork fat), which I don’t always have on hand, but bacon drippings work wonderfully!
If you know you want to freeze some or all of this recipe, portion it out and freeze it without pan-frying it. Then, once you’ve removed the carnitas from the freezer and thawed them in the fridge, pan-fry them right before serving.
INGREDIENTS1x2x3x
- 4 pound pork shoulder roast - see notes
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
Serve with:
- Carnitas Burrito Bowls
- Taco style with your choice of shells - guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, & salsa
INSTRUCTIONS
- Brown the whole roast on both sides in the oil, or cut it into 2" pieces and brown the pieces (refer to the notes below).
- Set the meat aside, then use the sauté function on the Instant Pot to brown the diced onion and garlic in the oil remaining in the pot. When the onion is browned, turn off the Instant Pot , and spoon the onion/garlic mixture from the pot into a blender .
- Add the orange juice, coconut aminos, and lime juice to the blender as well. Blend until smooth, then add all the spices except the bay leaves, and blend just to combine.
- Pour a little of the sauce into the Instant Pot to help loosen any browned bits from the bottom. Be sure to carefully scrape the bottom, browned bits can cause the Instant Pot to have a ‘burn’ signal.
- Add the meat back to the Instant Pot , place the bay leaves on top of the meat, then pour the remaining sauce over it.
- Secure the lid, set to ‘sealing’, and pressure cook for 2 hours for the whole roast, or for 45 minutes if you cut the roast into 2" pieces.
- When the cooking time is over, use the quick -elease function. When the Instant Pot is safe to open, remove the meat from the juices and set it aside to cool.
- Using the sauté function, reduce the juices by half, about 10 minutes. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it, discarding the fat and gristle.
- Mix the shredded meat back into the juices. From here ,you can serve it as is, or cool and portion the carnitas to freeze for meal prep.
- Or for a true crispy carnitas flavor, pan-sear as much as you’ll need in batches in a cast-iron skillet until browned, with lots of crispy pieces. You can use avocado oil , lard, or bacon drippings.
- Serve the crispy carnitas with your choice of sides and toppings.
NOTES
nutrition facts
Instant Pot Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4 pound pork shoulder roast see notes
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
Serve with:
- Carnitas Burrito Bowls
- Taco style with your choice of shells guacamole, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, & salsa
Instructions
- Brown the whole roast on both sides in the oil, or cut it into 2" pieces and brown the pieces (refer to the notes below).
- Set the meat aside, then use the sauté function on the Instant Pot to brown the diced onion and garlic in the oil remaining in the pot. When the onion is browned, turn off the Instant Pot, and spoon the onion/garlic mixture from the pot into a blender.
- Add the orange juice, coconut aminos, and lime juice to the blender as well. Blend until smooth, then add all the spices except the bay leaves, and blend just to combine.
- Pour a little of the sauce into the Instant Pot to help loosen any browned bits from the bottom. Be sure to carefully scrape the bottom, browned bits can cause the Instant Pot to have a ‘burn’ signal.
- Add the meat back to the Instant Pot, place the bay leaves on top of the meat, then pour the remaining sauce over it.
- Secure the lid, set to ‘sealing’, and pressure cook for 2 hours for the whole roast, or for 45 minutes if you cut the roast into 2" pieces.
- When the cooking time is over, use the quick -elease function. When the Instant Pot is safe to open, remove the meat from the juices and set it aside to cool.
- Using the sauté function, reduce the juices by half, about 10 minutes. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it, discarding the fat and gristle.
- Mix the shredded meat back into the juices. From here ,you can serve it as is, or cool and portion the carnitas to freeze for meal prep.
- Or for a true crispy carnitas flavor, pan-sear as much as you’ll need in batches in a cast-iron skillet until browned, with lots of crispy pieces. You can use avocado oil, lard, or bacon drippings.
- Serve the crispy carnitas with your choice of sides and toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
The recipe Instant Pot Carnitas appeared first on Get Inspired Everyday! on April 22, 2019
https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/instant-pot-carnitas-whole30-paleo-keto/
