Instant Pot Carnitas
This recipe utilizes an Instant Pot to quickly cook pork butt seasoned with Mexican spices and orange juice. The pork is first seared, then pressure-cooked until tender, shredded, and finally crisped to create authentic carnitas, perfect for tacos, burritos, or bowls.
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Essential for rapid cooking
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 2 Forks or Shredding Claws For shredding cooked pork
- 1 Large Skillet or Baking Sheet For crisping the carnitas (optional, Instant Pot saute function can be used)
Ingredients
Main
- 1 6 pound pork butt roast
- 1.5 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon chile powder
- 0.5 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or more to taste
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic diced, or more to taste
Instructions
- Cut the pork butt into large chunks (about 2-3 inches) and pat them dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground black pepper, chile powder, and paprika.
- Rub the spice mixture generously all over the pork chunks.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode (High) and add the olive oil. Sear the pork chunks in batches until deeply browned on all sides, then remove them.
- Add the chopped onion and diced garlic to the pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Return the seared pork to the pot, pour in the orange juice, and add enough water or broth to come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
- Secure the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 60 minutes.
- Allow a Natural Pressure Release for at least 15-20 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the pork from the pot (reserve the cooking liquid), place it in a large bowl, and shred it using two forks or shredding claws.
- To crisp, heat some reserved cooking liquid/fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat or use the Instant Pot's Sauté function. Add the shredded pork in batches and cook until crispy edges form, then serve.
Notes
Ensure the pork butt is cut into manageable chunks for even searing and faster cooking. Don't skip the searing step in the Instant Pot, as it builds crucial flavor (Maillard reaction). After pressure cooking and shredding, reserve some of the rendered liquid/fat. Use this liquid when crisping the shredded pork in a hot skillet or under a broiler to achieve the signature crispy edges while keeping the meat moist.