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Home » Blog » Recipes » Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork

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An overhead shot of Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork topped with sliced scallions

Hey! Did you get a chance to taste my Spicy Pineapple Pork when it was available at the hot bar at Whole Foods Market stores in January of 2018?

A collage of photos of Nom Nom Paleo food featured at the hot bar at Whole Foods Market locations

Apparently, it was a big hit: I got a bunch of emails asking where to find the recipe. Surprise: it’s brand new! This Spicy Pineapple Pork is actually a riff on my classic Kalua Pig recipe, but I never bothered to publish the step-by-step instructions…until now. For those of you who demanded a simplified home-kitchen version of this succulent dish that can be made in your trusty Instant Pot, it’s your lucky day!

A collage of the cooking steps for Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork

This Whole30-friendly pork stew is savory, pineapple-y, a tad spicy, and so dang easy to make in a pressure cooker. If you don’t love spicy food, make sure you remove the ribs, pith, and seeds from the serrano peppers—or just leave ’em out entirely. Conversely, you can crank up the heat even more by adding cayenne pepper to the dried spices or increasing the amount of serrano peppers. The leftovers taste great simply reheated (I plop ’em in my Instant Pot and cook for 2 minutes under high pressure) or fried crispy in a skillet.

No Instant Pot? Don’t freak out: You can make it in a slow cooker—just cook the pork on low for 8-10 hours before adding the pineapple chunks at the end.

A closeup shot of the front of a slow cooker

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (or beef chuck roast if you don’t eat pork)
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee, or your preferred high temperature cooking fat
  • 1 (14-ounce) can pineapple chunks in 100% juice
  • 2 serrano pepper, diced (if you don’t like spicy, removed ribs, pith, and seeds and/or use less peppers)
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil  
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Note: If you’re doing a Whole30, make sure your canned pineapple doesn’t contain syrup or added sugar! This brand is the one I use: 

A closeup of the label of 100% organic pineapple chunks in pineapple juice

Equipment:

  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting board
  • 6-quart Instant Pot (I update this page with my favorite Instant Pot models.)
  • Measuring spoons
  • Measuring cup
  • Silicone spatula
  • Lime juicer

Method:

Trim and discard the extra fat from the roast…

Trimming the fat off of a pork shoulder roast

…and cut the pork into 2-inch cubes. (If all the available roasts are extra fatty at the butcher counter, buy a slightly larger one so you’ll end up with 3 pounds of meat.)

Cutting pork shoulder roast into cubes for Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork Stew

Measure out the Diamond Crystal kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder…

Seasoning the pork shoulder cubes with Magic Mushroom Powder

…and toss well to coat all the pieces. (Yes, Magic Mushroom Powder can be used as a 1:1 substitute for Diamond Crystal kosher salt in most of my savory recipes!)

Tossing the pork shoulder cubes with Magic Mushroom Powder.

Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot…

Someone pressing the Saute button on the front panel of an Instant Pot

…and add the coconut oil once the insert is hot. Toss in the seasoned pork cubes and cook, stirring, until the meat gets a bit of sear on the sides.

Adding coconut oil and the seasoned pork cubes to an open Instant Pot.

If you’re pressed for time, don’t worry about searing the meat carefully. I’ve tested this recipe both ways (diligently searing in batches and not), and the final result tastes great either way.

Browning the pork cubes on the sauté function in an open Instant Pot.

Drain the pineapple juice and set the pineapple chunks aside (or keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve and eat the pork stew). You’ll be adding ½ cup pineapple juice to the recipe.

Draining and reserving the juice from a can of pineapple

Turn off the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add the diced serrano peppers, basil, cumin, and black pepper to the pork.

Adding diced peppers and spices to the pork shoulder in the Instant Pot.

Give everything a good stir to distribute the seasoning.

Stirring the ingredients for Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork with a silicone spatula

Pour in ½ cup pineapple juice…

Pouring pineapple juice into the Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork

…and the lime juice. Give everything a good stir. (Make sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the insert. Otherwise, you might get a “BURN” or “OVHT” error message on your Instant Pot display as the stew reaches high pressure.)

Adding fresh lime juice to the Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork

Lock the lid on top and make sure the top valve is pointed to the sealed position. (If you’re using the Instant Pot Ultra, you won’t need to adjust the valve.)

Locking the lid on the Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork

Program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 35 minutes, and let the pressure drop naturally. If you’re feeling impatient and hangry, you can manually release the pressure after 20 minutes.

Programming the Instant Pot to cook 35 minutes under high pressure

Open the lid and check that the pork is fork tender. If the pork is still tough, cook for 5-10 more minutes under high pressure.

Opening the Instant Pot and checking that the pork is fork tender

Stir in the pineapple chunks until warmed through. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, Magic Mushroom Powder, or lime juice. 

Adding the canned pineapple to the cooked Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork

Ladle up the pork and pineapples…

Ladling Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork into a bowl

…and garnish with scallions. Spicy Pineapple Pork tastes great served over cauliflower rice!

A close up of Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork in a bowl.

Enjoy!


Wanna watch the replay of me cooking this dish live from my kitchen on February 7, 2018?


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) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

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Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork by Michelle Tam / Nom Nom Paleo https://nomnompaleo.com
Print Recipe

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork

My Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork is the homemade version of the same popular Nom Nom Paleo hot bar dish at Whole Foods Market! This Whole30-friendly pork stew is savory, pineapple-y, moderately spicy and so dang easy to make in a pressure cooker!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 20 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Instant Pot, Nom Nom Paleo, Paleo, Pork, Pressure Cooker, Primal, Whole30
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast  or beef chuck roast if you don't eat pork
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil ghee, or your preferred high temperature cooking fat
  • 1 14-ounce can pineapple chunks in 100% juice
  • 2 serrano pepper diced (if you don’t like spicy, removed ribs, pith, and seeds and/or use less peppers)
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil  
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

  • Trim and discard the extra fat from the pork roast and cut it into 2-inch cubes. (If all the available roasts are extra fatty at the butcher counter, buy a slightly larger one so you’ll end up with 3 pounds of meat.)
  • Measure out the Diamond Crystal kosher salt or Magic Mushroom Powder and toss well to coat all the pork pieces. (Yes, Magic Mushroom Powder can be used as a 1:1 substitute for Diamond Crystal kosher salt in most of my savory recipes!)
  • Turn on the Sauté function on your Instant Pot and add the coconut oil once the insert is hot. Toss in the seasoned pork cubes and cook, stirring, until the meat gets a bit of sear on the sides. If you’re pressed for time, don’t worry about searing the meat carefully. I’ve tested this recipe both ways (diligently searing in batches and not), and the final result tastes great either way.
  • Drain the pineapple juice and set the pineapple chunks aside (or keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve and eat the pork stew). You’ll be adding ½ cup pineapple juice to the recipe.
  • Turn off the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add the diced serrano peppers, basil, cumin, and black pepper to the pork. Give everything a good stir to distribute the seasoning.
  • Pour in ½ cup pineapple juice and the lime juice. Give everything a good stir. (Make sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the insert. Otherwise, you might get a “BURN” or “OVHT” error message on your Instant Pot display as the stew reaches high pressure.)
  • Lock the lid on top and make sure the top valve is pointed to the sealed position. (If you’re using the Instant Pot Ultra, you won’t need to adjust the valve.)
  • Program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 35 minutes, and let the pressure drop naturally. If you’re feeling impatient and hangry, you can manually release the pressure after 20 minutes.
  • Open the lid and check that the pork is fork tender. If the pork is still tough, cook for 5-10 more minutes under high pressure.
  • Stir in the pineapple chunks until warmed through. Taste and adjust for seasoning with additional salt, Magic Mushroom Powder, or lime juice. 
  • Ladle up the pork and pineapples and garnish with scallions. Spicy Pineapple Pork tastes great served over cauliflower rice!

Notes

  • If you’re doing a Whole30, make sure your canned pineapple doesn’t contain syrup or added sugar! This brand is the one I use.
  • If you don’t love spicy food, make sure you remove the ribs, pith, and seeds from the serrano peppers—or just leave ’em out entirely. Conversely, you can crank up the heat even more by adding cayenne pepper to the dried spices or increasing the amount of serrano peppers.
  • The leftovers taste great simply reheated (I plop ’em in my Instant Pot and cook for 2 minutes under high pressure) or fried crispy in a skillet.
  • No Instant Pot? Don’t freak out: You can make it in a slow cooker—just cook the pork on low for 8-10 hours before adding the pineapple chunks at the end.
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

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