Instant Pot Pork Carnitas is a delicious and easy-to-make Mexican dish loaded with juicy flavor and mouth-watering textures – perfect for lunch or dinner.
This dish is made by pressure-cooking juicy pork in an Instant Pot with a combination of spices, soy sauce, and jalapenos, resulting in tender and flavorful meat that’s shredded and loaded into soft flour tortillas alongside homemade Pico de Gallo and a dollop of crema!
If you love meaty Mexican dishes like this Instant Pot Pork Carnitas recipe, check out my BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos, Taco Soup In Instant Pot Recipe, and Cheesy Taco Skillet With Rice.
(serves 8-10)
Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 40 min
Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
- Easy to make
- Customized with your favorite toppings
- Delicious hand-held meal
- Loved by all ages
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless pork roast
- Jarred jalapenos
- Garlic
- Salt
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Black pepper
- Soy sauce
- Cumin
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Tomatoes
- Red onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onion
- Lime juice
- Lime zest
- Yogurt
- Chili powder
How to Make Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Step 1: Cook the Meat
Mix the pork, spices, jalapenos, and soy sauce in the Instant Pot and cook on HIGH for 40 minutes.
Manually release, remove the meat and discard the jalapenos. Shred the meat and pour the juice left in the Instant Pot over the shredded meat, and toss.
Step 2: Prepare the Pico de Gallo and Crema
Mix the pico de gallo ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the crema and sprinkle chili powder over the top.
Step 3: Assemble and Serve
Add pork to the tortilla (either straight from the packaging or heated in the microwave or on the stovetop), top with the Pico de Gallo, and a dollop of cream. Fold the tortilla and serve!
Tips & Tricks
- Add extra heat: Keep the jalapenos instead of discarding them when removing the cooked pork from the Instant Pot if you want added heat in this dish.
- Crisp the meat: For crispy meat, place the cooked shredded pork in a heated skillet and allow it to caramelize and crisp on all edges on high heat.
- Chill the Pico de Gallo: The Pico de Gallo will intensify in flavor if allowed to chill in the fridge for a few hours. It’s an extra step that I highly recommend.
- Consider other toppings: Shredded cheese, olives, avocado, or extra jalapenos would be great as extra toppings.
- Make gluten-free carnitas: You can use corn tortillas instead of regular flour tortillas to make this dish gluten-free. I find that the 8” flour tortillas fold better.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between pulled pork and carnitas?
Pulled pork is a dish made by cooking pork (either slow-cooking or pressure-cooking) until it becomes tender and can be easily shredded. Carnitas, which translates to “little meats” in Spanish, is a variation of pulled pork seasoned with Mexican spices or salt before being cooked.
How Should I Store Instant Pot Pork Carnitas?
Ideally, leftovers should be stored in separate containers in the fridge instead of storing flour tortillas that have been filled with pulled pork, pico de Gallo, and crema.
These separate ingredients can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days and used to fill new tortilla shells or in other recipes.
What If I Have Leftover Pulled Pork?
If you have leftover pulled pork from making these carnitas, store the shredded meat in the fridge and use it as a filling for other meals that same week, such as tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, or as a topping for pizza and nachos!
More Recipes You’ll Love
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
Pork Carnitas
- 4 pounds pork roast boneless, cut into 2-4 chunks
- 8 slices jalapenos pickled or fresh
- 2 cloves garlic minced or diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Pico de Gallo
- 4 large tomatoes diced
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons jalapeno fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
Cook the Meat
- Mix the pork, spices, jalapenos, and soy sauce in the Instant Pot and cook on HIGH for 40 minutes. Manually release, remove the meat and discard the jalapenos. Shred the meat and pour the juice left in the Instant Pot over the shredded meat, and toss.
Prepare the Pico de Gallo and Crema
- Mix the pico de gallo ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the crema and sprinkle chili powder over the top.
Assemble and Serve
- Add pork to the tortilla (either straight from the packaging or heated in the microwave or on the stovetop), top with the Pico de Gallo, and a dollop of cream. Fold the tortilla and serve!
Notes
- Add extra heat: Keep the jalapenos instead of discarding them when removing the cooked pork from the Instant Pot if you want added heat in this dish.
- Crisp the meat: For crispy meat, place the cooked shredded pork in a heated skillet and allow it to caramelize and crisp on all edges on high heat.