I’ve perfected a Whole30-friendly and low carb porktastic Instant Pot Carnitas recipe that will rival what you’d order at your favorite taqueria! It’s so simple and delicious that you’ll make homemade carnitas all the time!
Our family always craves this tender Mexican shredded pork, particularly once it’s crisped up in a hot skillet. Whenever we go out for tacos, carnitas is our filling of choice.
At home, I’ve tried to pass off crisped-up Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Kalua Pig (or Slow Cooker Kalua Pig) as carnitas, but apparently, I didn’t raise no dummies.
My kids will happily gobble up the crispy, tender pork, but both of them will occasionally remark that the flavors just aren’t the same. “This is good kalua pig, mom. But it’s not carnitas!” They know that carnitas has a deeper, richer flavor profile—even if they don’t know exactly what goes in the recipe.
What is carnitas?
Carnitas is a traditional Mexican dish that consists of pork shoulder cooked with onions, garlic, oregano, orange, and warming spices like cumin—so yeah, it’s a little more complex than Kalua Pig. Typically, the pork is slowly braised on the stovetop or oven, but I’ve come up with a faster and just as tasty method with an Instant Pot!
Can you use another protein?
Although carnitas is normally a pork dish, you can a different protein if you don’t eat pork. I wouldn’t use anything too lean because you don’t want to choke down dry and powdery meat.
You can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs—just make sure to decrease the cooking time to 10 minutes under high pressure.
If you want to substitute beef, the best options are cubed chuck roast, boneless short ribs, or brisket and you can follow the recipe exactly the same.
Can you cook this in a slow cooker?
Yes! Cook the carnitas on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the meat is easily shreddable with two forks.
What are some good side dishes?
When I’m feeling fancy, I serve my carnitas with these dishes:
Leftover makeover ideas
I always make extra carnitas because you can use the leftovers in so many dishes!
Crispy carnitas can be featured in these dishes:
- Sprinkle it on a big green salad or a bowl of vegetable soup!
- Tuck it in frittatas, scrambles, and omelets!
- Add it to a cauliflower fried rice dish or simple stir fry!
- Use it as the filling for Egg Foo Young or Paleo Meat Pies!
The leftover carnitas can be stored in the leftover liquid in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. When I want to reheat the carnitas, I discard the fat cap and dig out the pieces of meat and throw them in a hot skillet. The reserved cooking liquid can also be a tasty base for soups and sauces!
Time to make Instant Pot Carnitas!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoons crushed dried oregano leaves, preferably Mexican
- 1 medium orange (I like using Cara Cara)
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon ghee, avocado oil, lard, or favorite high temperature cooking fat (optional)
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves removed, washed and spun dry (Siete’s grain-free tortillas are awesome as well.)
- 2 Hass avocados, peeled and sliced
- 1-2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced (optional)
- 1 cup salsa
- 3 limes, quartered
Equipment:
All my favorite kitchen tools are listed here. My favorite Instant Pot model is this one.
Method:
Grab your boneless pork shoulder roast (a.k.a. Boston butt) and cut it into 2-inch cubes.
Plop the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle on the salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
Toss well to coat. Then, transfer the seasoned pork to the Instant Pot insert.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips of zest off the orange. Stay close to the surface, making sure you don’t peel into the white pith, ’cause that stuff is bitter.
Add the strips of orange zest to the Instant Pot, along with the garlic, quartered yellow onion, and bay leaf.
Cut the bald orange in half and juice it.
Pour the juice into the Instant Pot insert…
…and stir to distribute.
Place the insert into the Instant Pot and lock the lid. Make sure the valve on the lid is pointed at the “Sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button or “Pressure Cook” and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. (Stovetop pressure cooker users should cook under high pressure for 30 minutes.) Then, let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes).
If the pressure hasn’t completely released after 20 minutes and you’re hungry, manually vent the pressure by turning the release valve on the lid. Open the lid and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf.
Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. You can shred and serve the pork as-is, or store it in the fridge (with all the liquid/fat) for up to 4 days (or in the freezer for up to 4 months).
Me? I prefer to eat crispy carnitas, so I always fry up the meat in a cast iron skillet until there are crunchy bits, before serving on lettuce leaves (or grain-free tortillas) and piled high with taco toppings.
How to fry up crispy carnitas
Heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of your favorite cooking fat. Grab the pork out of the fridge and dig out the pieces of carnitas.
Shred the meat up with your fingers.
Once the pan is hot, add the pork and fry, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired crispness.
While the pork is getting crispy, combine the diced white onion and cilantro in a bowl. Also, wash some butter lettuce leaves, slice up the avocados, radishes, and jalapeños. Grab your favorite salsa, and cut up some lime wedges.
Last but not least, grab your plate and assemble your own delicious tacos!
[Originally posted on April 18, 2017. Updated with new information and photos on January 27, 2021.]
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot Carnitas (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoons crushed dried oregano leaves preferably Mexican
- 1 medium orange I like using Cara Cara
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon ghee avocado oil, lard, or favorite high temperature cooking fat (optional)
- 1 small white onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro minced
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves removed, washed and spun dry (Siete’s grain-free tortillas are awesome as well.)
- 2 Hass avocados peeled and sliced
- 1-2 radishes thinly sliced
- 2 jalapeño peppers sliced (optional)
- 1 cup salsa
- 3 limes quartered
Instructions
- Grab your boneless pork shoulder roast (a.k.a. Boston butt) and cut it into 2-inch cubes.
- Plop the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle on the salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Toss well to coat. Then, transfer the seasoned pork to the Instant Pot insert.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips of zest off the orange. Stay close to the surface, making sure you don’t peel into the white pith, ’cause that stuff is bitter. Add the strips of orange zest to the Instant Pot, along with the garlic, quartered yellow onion, and bay leaf.
- Cut the bald orange in half and juice it. Pour the juice into the Instant Pot insert and stir to distribute.
- Place the insert into the Instant Pot and lock the lid. Make sure the valve on the lid is pointed at the "Sealing" position. Press the “Manual” button (or “Pressure Cook” if you have the new IP-DUO Plus60) and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. (Stovetop pressure cooker users should cook under high pressure for 30 minutes.) Then, let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes).
- If the pressure hasn’t completely released after 20 minutes and you’re hungry, manually vent the pressure by turning the release valve on the lid. Open the lid and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. You can shred and serve the pork as-is, or store it in the fridge (with all the liquid/fat) for up to 4 days (or in the freezer for up to 4 months).
- If you prefer crispy carnitas, heat up a large cast iron skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of your favorite cooking fat.
- Grab the pork out of the fridge and dig out the pieces of carnitas. Shred the meat up with your fingers.
- Once the pan is hot, add the pork and fry, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired crispness.
- While the pork is getting crispy, combine the diced white onion and cilantro in a bowl. Also, wash some butter lettuce leaves, slice up the avocados, radishes, and jalapeños. Grab your favorite salsa, and cut up some lime wedges.
- Last but not least, grab your plate and assemble your own delicious tacos!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are hands-down my favorite carnitas. So delicious and super easy. When I’m making for just my husband and me, I cut the recipe in half if I don’t think I can get through the leftovers. I love these carnitas!
FANTASTIC!!! Just 2 things I’d do differently… There’s no reason to dirty a bowl, just mix the pork & seasonings in the pot liner. Also, the garlic cloves that come out of that liquid are flavor BOMBS!!! For the love of yum, do not discard them! I salvaged them to add back to the tacos after I crisped the meat. And I’m so glad I tweaked the recipe by adding all the cloves I had on hand. I’m going to the store tomorrow to buy more garlic so I can pressure cook it in the leftover liquid. I’m salivating just thinking about it! Thanks for another great pork shoulder recipe!!!
I’ve been making this carnitas recipe for 5+ years now. It is my favorite!
I have a pork boneless center cut loin roast at 3.81 lbs. Could I use that, and would I need to alter the recipe at all being that it’s almost 4 lbs? Thanks!
I don’t like using boneless center cut loin roast for this recipe because it’s too lean and doesn’t have enough collagen to get tender and shreddable. Here’s a good recipe for your loin: https://www.seriouseats.com/rack-of-pork-loin-roast-recipe