Instant Pot Carnitas Made My Way

Instant Pot Carnitas is the easiest & quickest way to make pork carnitas for your tacos or burritos. If you love carnitas then try this recipe

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Mexican food is my favorite. I could eat it every day. And one of my favorites Mexican dishes is Pork Carnitas. So making Carnitas in my Instant Pot Pressure cooker was really a no-brainer for me.

You can eat carnitas as an entrée with a side of Mexican Rice and Beans or in tacos or even burritos. There’s a little Mexican joint down the street here that makes some of the best Carnitas. Every chance I get I order Carnitas from them and it’s interesting how there are so many different ways to make it.

This recipe is super easy to make with a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot. All you need is a few ingredients and about 1 hour and you will have delicious pork carnitas!

For a complete meal don’t forget the Mexican Rice, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole! If you prefer chicken tacos over pork, you MUST try my Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Chicken Street Tacos. You won't regret it.

🌶 How to Handle Hot Peppers

The capsaicin in hot peppers is what makes peppers hot. If you handle hot peppers gloveless, it’s a guarantee that you’re in for a nasty case of chili burn, both on your fingers and anywhere you rub. Like your face. Ouch!

Even if you wear disposable gloves, be careful about what you touch. The gloves are going to protect your fingers, but touching any part of your body with the gloves after you’ve handled hot peppers can lead to severe chili burn.

Resist the temptation to rub your eyes. Wait until you’ve removed your gloves and washed your hands thoroughly with soap.

If you've ever wondered what part of the pig the Pork Butt comes from check out the picture below. Surprised?

💭 Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

The Instant Pot is a combination pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer with a few other capabilities.

With an Instant Pot, you can make some recipes in minutes compared to hours the traditional way. While not always the case, it's a very handy appliance if you are always on the run.

The Instant Pot comes with several safety features. If you happen to encounter an error message on the display of your IP, I suggest you visit Instant Pot's Official Customer Care Center.

If you frequently use your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, you've probably experienced a "smelly" lid. Here's a simple way to get rid of the smell.

Fill the Instant Pot with 2 Cups of White Vinegar. Seal the lid. Use the steam setting for 2 minutes. Remove the rubber ring from the lid and let dry completely before using it.

The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.

Pepper Type	Scoville Rating (Heat)
Bell Pepper	0-0
Banana Pepper	0-500
Poblano Pepper	1000-1500
Jalapeño Pepper	2500-8000
Serrano Peppers	10,000-25,000
Manzano Pepper	12,000-30,000
Tabasco & Cayenne	30,000-50,000
Habanero Pepper	100,000-300,000
Ghost Pepper	855,000-1,000,000
Carolina Reaper	1,500,000-2,300,000

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Carnitas recipe in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker (see recipe card for quantities): Pork Butt or Shoulder, Orange, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Sticks, Garlic Cloves, Jalapeños, Yellow Onion, Ground Cumin, Salt and Ground Black Pepper.

🥣 How to Make Instant Pot Carnitas

Cut the pork into medium-sized chunks. Rub salt, pepper, and cumin into the pork. Place pork in Instant Pot.
Cut oranges in half and juice them into the pot. Place juiced oranges in the pot along with bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, garlic quartered onion and jalapeño.
Add 1 ½ Cups of water to the instant pot.
Cook on manual for 35 minutes with natural pressure release for 20 minutes then quick pressure release for the rest.
Place pork on a baking sheet and shred using two forks. Broil for approximately 5 minutes.