Flavor-Packed Instant Pot Carnitas

Craving carnitas but don’t have hours to spend slow-roasting? With the help of your Instant Pot, you can make this tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned Mexican-style pork dish in a fraction of the time. Whether you serve it straight from the pot or crisp it up in a skillet, these carnitas are an easy crowd-pleaser perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, or loaded nachos.

Ingredients You'll Need

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1½-inch pieces

• 1 pound pork belly, cut into 1-inch pieces

• ½ cup lager, homemade chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander

Serving Suggestions:

• Warm corn tortillas

• Pico de gallo

• Lime wedges

• Guacamole

• Chopped onion

• Chopped cilantro

• Shredded cabbage

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Pressure Cook the Pork
Place the pork shoulder, pork belly, liquid of choice (lager, stock, or broth), chili powder, cumin, coriander, 1 heaping tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper into a 6-quart Instant Pot. Lock the lid and follow the manufacturer's instructions to set your device to pressure cook on high for 60 minutes.

2. Quick Release and Shred
Once cooking is complete, use the quick release method according to your Instant Pot’s guide. Carefully open the lid, avoiding any remaining steam. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

3. Reduce the Cooking Liquid
Switch the Instant Pot to sauté on high and let the remaining cooking liquid reduce for 10 to 15 minutes, until almost fully evaporated. Turn off the pot and pour the reduced sauce over the meat, tossing to evenly coat.

Optional Step: Get Crispy
To achieve that classic crispy edge, transfer the sauced carnitas to a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Let them cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and cook for an additional 5 minutes until golden and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, scraping up the flavorful browned bits from the skillet.

4. Serve and Enjoy
Serve your carnitas in warm tortillas with toppings like guacamole, pico de gallo, lime wedges, onion, cabbage, and cilantro.

Nutritional Highlight:

Pork shoulder is a rich source of protein and essential B vitamins like niacin and B6. While traditional carnitas are high in fat, you can lighten the dish by reducing or skipping the pork belly and using chicken broth instead of beer.

Quick Tip:

For meal prep, store extra carnitas in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet for that fresh-off-the-pan crisp.

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