This dish requires very little introduction. Tacos? Always. Carnitas? Yes, please. Done in under an hour? Duh. Plus the Instant Pot version beats out slow-cooking it. The appealing beauty of pressure cooking via the Instant Pot is that you can decide you want carnitas at 5pm and eat by 6pm! For me, that's 100 percent worth it. But alas, I need not convince you to buy an Instant Pot; you most likely own one already if you're taking a gander at this 35-minute gem of a recipe.
Recipe Notes: There's a lot of wiggle room in this recipe if you feel like experimenting a little. Add some dried Mexican oregano, ground cumin, and/or pickled jalapeño juice; this recipe's resilient. Serve the carnitas with your favorite taco setup or over steamed white rice and black beans for a taco bowl. It's so easy, you'll be making this dish all summer long.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 1/2 pounds bone-out pork butt/shoulder, cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 head garlic, cut in half
- 1/2 sweet onion, skin-on
- 1/2 orange, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Lawry's garlic salt
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 beer (IPA is our choice)
Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the pork butt for a few minutes on each side. Place pork in Instant Pot when browned. Repeat with the remaining pork.
Place all the other ingredients on top of the pork in the Instant Pot, secure lid, and double check that the vent (on the lid) is in the sealed position.
Choose the Meat/Stew setting (or Manual for 35 minutes on high pressure), and let cook.
Once it is finished, either let the pressure come down on its own (usually takes about 15 minutes) or carefully release the pressure by turning the vent (on the lid) to the venting position.
Shred the pork and other ingredients (in the pot) using two forks. If eating the skin of cooked oranges turns you off, remove the oranges before shredding.
Though the pork is ready to serve at this point, for a bonus, sear it. Press Cancel button on your Instant Pot, then select Sauté. Cook for 10-15 minutes, allowing the liquid to reduce and concentrate in flavor a bit. This step is optional but nice to do if you have the extra time.
Serve shredded pork with your favorite taco toppings. We used corn tortillas, avocado, watermelon radish, cilantro, and lime.
(Recipe and photos via Ashley Bare / Brit + Co)
Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.
This article has been updated from. a previous post.
From Your Site Articles
- Nom Nom Paleo's Cumin Cilantro Cauliflower Rice Recipe Is a ... ›
- 21 Quick + Creative Recipes to Make With Rotisserie Chicken - Brit ... ›
- Jackfruit Is the Newest Superfood You Need in Your Kitchen - Brit + Co ›
- 56 Easy Pressure-Cooker Recipes Even a Beginner Can Make - Brit ... ›
- 25 Super Healthy Paleo Dinner Recipes - Brit + Co ›
- 14 Empanada Recipes to Satisfy Your Cravings from Morning to Night ›
- 19 Instant Pot Recipes for When You're Even Too Busy for a Slow ... ›
- 45 Beginner Instant Pot Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners - Brit + ... ›
- This Easy, Weeknight Beef Stew Recipe Begins With Your Instant Pot - Brit + Co ›
- This Easy, Weeknight Beef Stew Recipe Begins With Your Instant Pot - Brit + Co ›
- This Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe Is Practically Magic - Brit + Co ›
- The Most Pinned Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich Recipe - Brit + Co ›
- Easy Instant Pot Tuscan White Bean Soup Recipe - Brit + Co ›
- Creative Taco Seasoning Recipes — Brit + Co - Brit + Co ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Ashley Bare
Ashley primarily works as a nomadic private chef happily serving her international clientele all over the world. She also does freelance recipe R&D, having recently worked with cookbook authors Mads Refslund, James Peterson, Candice Kumai, Tama Matsuoko, and Alison Cayne. In her former NYC life, she was a culinary instructor. Teaching people how to cook with confidence remains her professional passion. She hopes to open a cooking school in the next couple years. In addition to building a food and cooking empire, Ashley also obsesses over travel (see @cendrenue), learning languages, interior design, dance cardio, and amaro liqueurs.
FAQs
Carnitas seasoning – rub pork with a simple spice mix of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Flavour for cooking – top pork in slow cooker with onion, garlic and jalapeño, then pour over orange juice (the secret ingredient!).
What is the best meat to use for carnitas? ›
Pork shoulder: Traditionally, carnitas is made with pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) because of its higher fat content. The fat helps to keep the meat extremely juicy and tender while cooking.
How many people does 1 pound of carnitas feed? ›
Carnitas 1 lb Cooked(6-8 servings) - Menu Ordering - Tuesdays Street Tacos & Burritos - Mexican Restaurant in Columbus, GA.
Why do you put orange juice in carnitas? ›
The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy.
Why do you add milk to carnitas? ›
Adding the oranges is very much like braising pork Cuban-style for the traditional cubano sandwich. The milk acts as a tenderizer, a secret I learned while growing up watching dad make his carnitas which, by the way, were always exceptionally tender.
What is the difference between pulled pork and carnitas? ›
Pulled Pork. Both carnitas and pulled pork are cooked slowly for several hours, and great to make in the slow cooker or instant pot. Unlike pulled pork, however, carnitas are finished by roasting the meat in the oven until browned and crisp.
What is the difference between pastor pork and carnitas? ›
The Difference Between Carnitas, Carne Asada, and Al Pastor
Carnitas is made with pork that has been braised or slow-cooked until it's fork-tender. Carne asada is made with beef that has been grilled to perfection. Al pastor is made with pork that has been grilled and then sliced off the spit.
How do you keep pork carnitas moist? ›
You'll see the pork slowly cooked in a big pot of lard in many authentic recipes (Woah and yum!). However, to make our carnitas recipe a little more home-friendly, we slow-cook our pork with a few aromatics and a few tablespoons of oil to keep it moist.
How many pounds of carnitas do I need for 2 people? ›
Making a big batch of carnitas is a great way to feed a crowd. Boneless pork butt loses about half of its weight during the cooking process. For a party, you want to plan for about ⅓-1/2 pound of pulled pork per person.
How many pounds of carnitas do I need for 12 people? ›
About four pounds is enough to serve eight to 12 people once the meat is cooked. You can easily make a half batch, but carnitas freeze extremely well, so think about making the full order!
Up to 3 Days Ahead: Braise the Double-Pork Carnitas; cover and chill in the braising liquid and rendered fat. The flavor gets better with time.
What tortillas are best with carnitas? ›
SERVE CARNITAS TACOS WITH TRADITIONAL GARNISHES
First of all, you need a tortilla to place the amazing carnitas into. You can use corn or flour (we love corn, but that's up to you). Gently heat the tortillas before serving. TRICK: Turn on your grill or gas burner, and quickly heat them over the heat.
What sauce goes well with carnitas? ›
However, creamy tex-mex sauce is what I love to put on top of my pork carnitas tacos and pork carnitas sliders. It's such a great combination of a little spice with a lot of flavor, and I found it to be really great with the insanely delicious flavors of the tacos.
What vegetables go with carnitas? ›
Try serving your carnitas with roasted or smoked vegetables like sweet potatoes, peppers and onions for something more unexpected. The sweetness of these veggies pairs well with the salty, savory flavor of the pork.
How do you keep pork carnitas from drying out? ›
Just go for water, then. Water and a touch of neutral flavoured vegetable oil or lard or suet if you have any of those. And don't overdo the water, just sprinkle a few spoonsful and keep the meat covered. Another alternative is to add a bit extra water and then cook off the water when you're ready to serve.
How do restaurants cook carnitas? ›
They are braised until they are fall apart tender. Then they get roasted in the oven to make the outside crisp. So part of them should be soft, and part of the outside should be crusty. Some recipes don't crisp up the meat at the end but authentic carnitas should be crispped.
What is the best oil for carnitas? ›
Vegetable oil: Traditional carnitas recipes use lard as their cooking fat, but we'll use vegetable or canola oil today. Pork shoulder roast: The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder AKA pork butt AKA Boston butt because it is well-marbled with fat and cooks up incredibly tender with a long braise.
