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How to make the most delicious moist pork carnitas in the Instant Pot

Instant Pot Carnitas


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  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Description

Carnitas are simply pulled pork that have tons of Mexican spices and is finished under the broiler for those delicious crispy edges.  This highly versatile and fall-apart-tender pork recipe can be served in so many ways. It is delicious in lettuce wraps, tacos, salads, on a bun, burritos, served over rice, or even nachos!


Ingredients

Scale
  • Âľ Cup Chicken broth (low sodium or no sodium)
  • Âľ Cup Fresh orange juice (approximately 2 large oranges)
  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp. Chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 23 Tbsp. Olive oil, divided
  • 3½4 lbs. pork shoulder roast, trimmed and cut into 68 chunks
  • 1 Medium Red onion, diced
  • 1 Jalapeno, diced
  • 23 Cloves Fresh garlic, peeled and chopped

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken broth, fresh orange juice, and lime juice with the chili powder, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, and ground cumin. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside.
  2. Push the “Sauté” button on Instant Pot. Once the display reads “On,” add 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the pork shoulder pieces to the container. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and cook until pork is browned on all sides, approximately 1-2 minutes per side. Note: DO NOT use lid while using the “Sauté” function on an Instant Pot!
  3. Once browned, transfer seared pork to a plate and repeat this process with additional olive oil and the rest of pork. Remove browned pork from the Instant Pot and set aside.
  4. *Optional Step: Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the container, along with red onion, jalapeno, and fresh garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add browned pork back to the pot and pour chicken broth/orange juice mixture over top. Add lid and seal, making sure the steam release handle is positioned toward “Sealing.”
  6. Press the “Manual” button and set the time to 30 minutes at high pressure. Once the cooking time is up, allow 20-25 minutes for the “natural release” of the steam inside the Instant Pot. After that time, perform a manual “quick release” to vent any remaining steam to release lid, if necessary.
  7. A few minutes before the steam is fully released, preheat oven broiler to high and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer pork to the prepared baking sheet and gently shred with two forks. Drizzle with ÂĽ cup juices from the Instant Pot and toss to combine before spreading into a thin, even layer.
  8. Place pork under broiler for 4-5 minutes, then remove from oven and add a little more juice before turning the meat to brown the other side. Place back under broiler for another 4-5 minutes or until the pork is nice and crispy on the edges.

TO REDUCE THE LIQUID:

  1. Press “Sauté” on the Instant Pot to reduce the cooking liquid by one half while the pork is broiling.
  2. When finished broiling, remove THE baking sheet from THE oven and serve immediately with the reduced cooking liquid, fresh lime wedges, and chopped cilantro.
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 55

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: Serves 4

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