Today’s Instant Pot Carnitas taste restaurant-worthy—but they’re also quick and easy. Because no matter how extensive the taco menu, whenever I have a chance to build my own taco flight, the crispy carnitas taco always makes the cut.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe

• Authentically Inspired. Thanks to my extensive sampling of carnitas (including authentic carnitas in Mexico), the carnitas taco has become my baseline for judging the overall quality of a taco joint. I am VERY familiar with what the best carnitas taste like. (I do the same thing with Instant Pot Pulled Pork when comparing BBQ establishments.)
• Faster. Traditionally, carnitas are prepared on the stovetop like this traditional carnitas recipe or in the crockpot like Slow Cooker Carnitas. This easy Instant Pot carnitas recipe gives you the same classic carnitas, in a fraction of the time!
• Freezer-Friendly. This recipe is great for a crowd, but I love making it just as much for our household of two, because the pork is so easy to freeze and reheat.
• So Many Ways to Enjoy. Tacos are the traditional way to serve carnitas, but they are not the only option! Make a Burrito Bowl, turn them into a quesadilla, make a torta…I have even more ideas below!

About This Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe

Put simply, caritas are a Mexican version of pulled pork.

• Pork shoulder (or pork butt) is the meat typically used for carnitas.
• The pork is cooked with Mexican spices like chili powder and cumin, oregano, and citrus juice until fall-apart tender.

Pork shoulder and pork butt are tough, fatty cuts of meat, meaning they traditionally need a long, slow cook time to tenderize (like this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork).

The fat breaks down and turns the pork melt-in-your-mouth juicy.

• Pros: it’s basically impossible to overcook pulled pork in the Instant Pot or anytime you are cooking it over low heat.
• Cons: pulled pork can take forever to cook.

SOLUTION: The Instant Pot!

The Instant Pot locks in moisture and makes it possible to cook traditionally low-and-slow cuts of meat in a fraction of the time.

How to Make Instant Pot Carnitas

The Ingredients

• Pork Shoulder. This tough cut of meat becomes fall-apart tender and cooks in the pressure cooker in a fraction of the time compared to other methods.
• Orange Juice. Freshly squeezed citrus juice will set your carnitas apart from the rest. It balances the spices and gives the meat needed acidity.
• Garlic + Onion. These aromatics give the carnitas depth. One of my favorite parts about cooking with an Instant Pot is that everything sautés in the same pot, saving dishes.
• Apple Cider Vinegar. This bright acid helps cut the fat in the pork and makes for extra scrumptious cooking juices. For an additional level of citrus flavor that still provides the necessary acidity, use 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice in place of the apple cider vinegar.
• Chili Powder + Chipotle Chile Powder + Cumin. This trio of smoky spices gives the carnitas cooked-all-day flavor. Reduce the amount of chipotle chili powder if your family is sensitive to spice.
• Oregano. Used often in traditional Mexican cooking, oregano gives a subtle herbal note and one more dimension.
• Jalapeño. To make sure everyone is awake. Be sure to remove the seeds and membrane or your carnitas will be VERY spicy.
• Chicken Broth. Combined with the pork’s juices, it makes for a STELLAR finishing sauce to spoon over the juicy pork. (Forget Instant Pot carnitas Dr. Pepper style. Using the pork’s own liquid is a serious upgrade and better for you too!)

The Directions

1. Season the pork and let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Add the liquid and seasoning to a measuring cup.

3. Sauté the oil, onion, and jalapeño in the Instant Pot.

4. Add half the broth and scrape any stuck-on bits.

5. Add the pork, then pour in the remaining liquids. Cook on HIGH pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven’s broiler to HIGH, then shred the pork directly in the Instant Pot.

7. Broil the pork for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges begin crisping.

8. Lightly toss and return to broil for 3 to 5 minutes more. Enjoy hot, piled into warm tortillas or with toppings of choice!

Ways to Eat Carnitas

• Tacos. The way we most often enjoy our carnitas.
• Bowl. Make it a Taco Salad! Pile rice (or lettuce), carnitas, veggies, avocado, salsa, and other toppings into a bowl.
• Nachos. Swap the chicken in these Chicken Nachos for carnitas.
• Breakfast. Top scrambled eggs with carnitas, black beans, avocado, salsa, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and any other toppings you love for a hearty breakfast. These carnitas would also be a tasty addition to Breakfast Tacos.
• Fries. No one can resist a plate of Homemade Fries (or Air Fryer French Fries) topped with carnitas. Add cheese, sour cream, and other toppings as desired.
• Quesadilla. Carnitas make a delicious quesadilla filling.

Storage Tips

• To Store. Refrigerate leftover shredded pork in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers on the stovetop in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat or in the microwave.

• To Freeze. Freeze pulled pork in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

What to Pair with Carnitas

• Measuring Cups. Made with thick, durable glass.
• Tongs. The locking feature is great for no cluttering kitchen drawers.
• Baking Sheet. This commercial baking sheet is made with aluminum so it won’t rust.

I brought these Instant Pot carnitas over to friends for a group dinner, and I thought we’d have leftovers.

Wrong. The meat VANISHED.

My pals (also taco night regulars) declared this recipe some of the best carnitas meat they’d ever eaten. I can’t wait for you to try it too!