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Overhead image of yellow corn tortillas filled with pork and topped with radish, onion, and cilantro set on brown plates with lime wedges.

Crispy Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

  • Author: Lauren
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1½ hours
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 46 servings (4–5 cups) 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Description

Tossed in an orange-infused sauce that’s lightly flavored with cumin and oregano, these juicy pork carnitas are briefly finished under the broiler to give their edges a slight crisp.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 boneless pork butt roast (33 ½), fat cap trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 orange

To serve:

  • Corn tortillas
  • Minced white onion
  • Minced radishes
  • Sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • Cilantro
  • Lime wedges
  • Pickled onions

Instructions

Season pork with salt and pepper.

Set Instant Pot to highest sauté function and preheat 5 minutes. Starting with a third of the pork, brown pork on all sides, about 6 minutes; transfer to a bowl and repeat, in batches, with remaining two-thirds pork.

Transfer browned pork, and any residual juices, back to Instant Pot with water, onion, lime juice, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves. Zest and juice the orange; add zest (1 tablespoon), juice (¼ cup), and spent orange halves to pot; gently stir to combine everything.

Bring mixture to a simmer, then lock lid in place and close pressure valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and lest pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure, then carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Transfer pork to a baking sheet; remove and discard onion, bay leaves, and orange halves.

Set Instant Pot to sauté function and simmer liquid, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy, a spatula should leave a trail when pulled through, 30–34 minutes*.

Preheat oven to broil with rack set in lower-middle position. Using two forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread pork in an even layer on a wire rack set in a baking sheet (or on a broiler pan). Broil meat until top of meat is well browned (not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5–8 minutes. Using a large spatula, flip pork and continue to broil until top is browned and edges are crispy, 5–8 minutes more.


Notes

* if you want the simmering of the sauce to go faster, transfer sauce to a saucepan and simmer over high heat for 8–12 minutes.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
  • Calories: 419
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 514mg
  • Fat: 28g
  • Saturated Fat: 10g
  • Carbohydrates: 3g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 32g
  • Cholesterol: 118mg

Keywords: Instant pot pork carnitas, instant pot carnitas, pork carnitas instant pot, pork carnitas

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