Description
Indulge in the mouthwatering flavors of these Easy Instant Pot Carnitas. Tender, juicy pork shoulder is infused with citrus, spices, and beer, then shredded and crisped to perfection. A versatile dish perfect for tacos, burritos, or simply enjoyed on its own.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder/Boston butt, cut into chunks
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to season
- 2–3 tablespoons high-heat oil (avocado oil)
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 10–12 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle/can of beer (Modelo) or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock
- Optional: tortillas, chopped onion, sliced radish, cilantro, lime wedges, for tacos
Instructions
- Season the Pork Shoulder:
- Season pork with salt and pepper.
- Massage seasoning into pork.
- Brown the Pork:
- Heat oil in the Instant Pot on high sauté.
- Brown pork on all sides, in batches.
- Transfer to a plate.
- Assemble the Braise:
- Return pork to the pot.
- Add orange juice, lime juice, onion, cumin, oregano, garlic, brown sugar, and bay leaves.
- Pour in beer (or broth).
- Stir to combine.
- Pressure Cook:
- Seal the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook on high for 45 minutes.
- Natural pressure release.
- Shred the Pork:
- Remove pork and shred with forks.
- Reserve some cooking liquid.
- Crispy Carnitas (Optional):
- Oven: Broil until crisp.
- Stovetop: Pan-fry until crisp.
- Add some cooking liquid to the meat before crisping.
- Serve Carnitas:
- Season to taste.
- Serve in tacos or as desired.
Notes
- Slow cooker: Brown meat, then cook on low for 6-7 hours.
- Storage: Refrigerate with cooking liquid for 4-5 days, freeze for 3-4 months.
- Reheat: Stovetop over low heat.
- Read the blog post for additional tips and tricks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
