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 favorite 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.
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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.
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
If you have any questions about your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, I suggest you visit Instant Pot’s Official Customer Care Center.
How Hot Are the Peppers
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 |
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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 1/2 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.
Instant Pot Carnitas Made My Way
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Ingredients
- 4 lbs Pork Butt or Shoulder
- 2 Oranges
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Fresh Jalapeño, Stemmed
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- 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 pot along with bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, garlic quartered onion and jalapeño.
- Add 1 1/2 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 baking sheet and shred using two forks. Broil for approximately 5 minutes.
Notes
I love making meals in my instant pot and this recipe tops them all