My Instant Pot 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!
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?
Apparently, it was a big hit: I got a bunch of emails asking where to find the recipe. Surprise: it’s brand new! This Instant Pot 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!
How do you adjust the spice level?
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.
What about another protein?
This dish tastes great with cubed beef chuck roast. Use it in place of pork shoulder and keep the cooking time is the same.
Can you make it in a slow cooker?
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.
Time to make Instant Pot Spicy Pineapple Pork!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast (or beef chuck roast if you don’t eat pork)
- 2 teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 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:
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
- My favorite Instant Pot models are listed here.
Method:
Trim and discard the extra fat from the 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.)
Measure out the Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 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!)
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!
Enjoy!
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 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Spicy Pineapple Pork
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast or beef chuck roast if you don't eat pork
- 2 teaspoons Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crytal Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil ghee, or your preferred high temperature cooking fat
- 14 ounces canned 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.
- 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!
Video
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.
Ckpetunia says
Can I use pork loin for this recipe? Would I need extra time?
nomnompaleo says
I don’t love using leaner, low collagen pork cuts in my pork stews because they won’t ever get tender enough. I really do prefer pork butt/shoulder for this recipe (and my other Instant Pot pork stew recipes).
Ckpetunia says
Thanks for the answer. I also prefer pork butt but I have a loin and looking for an idea.
Kalua pig is a favorite in our house and I’m making it this week again.
DJDeeJay says
This looks so good! I know you mentioned that the leftovers taste good, but how long will they last? I worry about the pineapple enzymes breaking down the meat and ruining it.
nomnompaleo says
The enzyme is inactivated in canned pineapples so you don’t need to worry! Standard storage still applies: 4 days in the fridge, 4 months in the freezer.
DJDeeJay says
No way! I didn’t know that about canned pineapples. Total game-changer. Thanks so much!
Maria says
I only see plastic cup pineapple (likes snack cups of peaches or applesauce) at the store and no canned options. Would it still keep just as long or are the enzymes only deactivated in canned? Ingredients are Pineapple, Water, Pineapple juice from concentrate, Ascorbic Acid to maintain color.
Michelle Tam says
Those should work!
Mandy says
How very timely. I was going to try something similar with some leftover Kalua Pig I pulled out of the freezer for taco night.
Radha says
Do you find your pork shoulder/butt at Whole Foods? So hard to find clean sources of pork (without butcher box or comparable).
Emily Glidden Cohen says
My local WF usually has boneless pork butt but hardly ever boneless pork shoulder. 🙁
nomnompaleo says
Pork butt is the same as pork shoulder! You’re good!
Patty Neff says
I am new to instant pots, so my question is pretty basic. I am going to cook this for a crowd. How would I adjust the time for an instant pot or a slow cooker if I wanted to double or even triple the recipe? Thank you in advance for your time!
Linda says
I tried this at Whole Foods, and it was delicious. Thanks for posting the recipe. I will definitely try this.
Kay R. says
Kind of a silly question but what would you use as an alternative to the Diamond Crystal salt (which I would have to order online so it wouldn’t get here in time for when I plan to use this recipe), or Magic Mushroom powder (which I don’t believe is available in Canada)? Is there a spice/seasoning combination that would create a similar flavour? Thank you!
nomnompaleo says
You can use a different salt, but you need to cut the amount in half if it is a finer grain salt. If you are using Morton’s kosher salt, you should also use half the amount.
Melissa Crimmins Janes says
This looks amazing. No instant pot here so I’m wondering how long I’d cook it in the pressure cooker? Thanks!
nomnompaleo says
Same amount of time!
Maggie Grace Rasor says
This went into my Instant Pot this evening. Can’t wait to serve it!
ShallaNelprin says
I love this when I got it at Whole Foods, very excited I can now make it myself 🙂
Robin Claire says
This turned out delicious and it was so easy to do. I only used one serrano pepper but I put in everything, seeds and all. My family loved it and agreed it should go into monthly rotation.
Amy Austin says
This is very tasty! Next time I’ll leave the seeds and ribs in the peppers, as it didn’t turn out very spicy. I’ll definitely make it again.
Anna says
I made this with boneless pork ribs (on sale for $1.99 a pound) and left out the pepper for my little ones. My husband and I added chopped jalepano pepper to our bowls and ate it over greens instead of cauliflower rice. Fed my family of ten for $20 with leftovers!
Emily Satterfield says
I made this and my husband and I both loved it! We ate it over regular white rice to balance the heat, and we both ate leftovers over baked potatoes (regular for him and sweet for me) with BBQ sauce last night. Definitely a hit!
Kristen Hurley says
Would this same recipe work with chicken? Possibly thighs or breasts? I am making it with pork for myself but my husband doesn’t eat pork. Let me know if I could do chicken instead. Thanks!
Jen says
Looks Amazing!
Leslie Faye says
Just in case you were wondering, it still tastes good if your pepper mill explodes and an uncounted number of black peppercorns make it into the insert…
Cushy says
I could only find pork shoulder that was rather thinly sliced “for bbq.” Should I adjust the cooking time?
nomnompaleo says
Yes, the size of the meat matters and you should decrease the cooking time.
SFSpotless says
This looks awesome and I’m off to the store momentarily to obtain ingredients! But I have a question about liquids:
I see you’re using 1/2 cup of pineapple juice and a splash of lime juice. I thought that the IP needed at least 1 cup of liquid to reach pressure?
Also, I’m guessing there’s MUCH more liquid by the end of cooking – do you discard it, just top the pork with a little, use it all? If there’s a lot, and I have the time, I will try reducing it as much as possible to make a kind of glaze out of it.
nomnompaleo says
The pork will release a bunch of liquid as it cooks and as long as nothing burns on the bottom of the pot ahead of time, you don’t need to add any extra liquid. There will be a lot of liquid at the end of cooking and I normally discard it. You can try reducing it, but it might get too salty!
Heather Fry says
This is my new favorite! Sorry kalua pork!
Definitely will be in our rotation!
Molly Gafford says
Michelle we love your recipes, but we weren’t prepared for this one. It took us 1.5 hours to cut up the pork, we tried a bunch of different knives. We ended up having paleo waffles for dinner, and saving this for another night. Is there a pre-cut pork option that would work with this recipe? Or any other thoughts?
CityRunner says
Is there a vegetable i could add to this dish to make it a one pot meal, like bell peppers or zucchini or anything else that will hold up to the heat so I don’t have to make a side dish? Thanks!
Michele Pytleski says
This looks great! Can I use pork butt instead of shoulder?
LucyDC says
Hot damn, this recipe is awesome! The pork came out unbelievably tender and tasty, even when reheated for leftovers! My family is still talking about it a month later. Will definitely make this one often.
Ginny S says
I made this last night. The only substitution I made was to use 1 jalapeno pepper instead of 2 serranos, because my husband can’t do a lot of heat. I made it in a stove top pressure cooker and perhaps because of this, I had some burning on the bottom. I needed to add another 1 cup of juice/water half way through the cooking. The flavors were very good and I would definitely make this again, although I would add more liquid and some veggies at the same time I add the pineapple. We had it served over rice.
Martha Anderson says
I have 2 fresh pineapples on my counter begging to be used. Can I sub. fresh for canned?
Michelle Tam says
Fresh pineapple has an enzyme that breaks down protein. If you do use it, I’d quickly cook it first to inactivate the enzyme.
Kate says
Two of my favorite things: Pork and pineapple! The lime juice, pepper, and spices are just right. I have a smaller amount of pork this time around, about 1.5 pounds. I can adjust the other ingredients’ amounts accordingly, but what about cooking time? Would I cut that in half, too?
Thanks, Michelle!
Michelle Tam says
Keep the cooking time the same and still use 1/2 cup of pineapple juice!
Diane says
I understand that searing the meat is best, but to really make this more no muss no fuss, would it be possible to simply trim and cut the meat, season and mix in the other ingredients in as directed and plop it in the slow cooker for 8-10 hours? Thoughts as to end result?
Michelle Tam says
Yes! It will still taste great without the searing!
Doug Youngwith says
I used half fatty pork and half very lean so I shredded the pork when it was done. This spicy yum is getting rave reviews from the fam. I used 3 serranos as I thought they were small and the spice is definately there but doesn’t blow you away. It’s so good as tacos, burritos or in lettuce cups for my own dieting self. My only warning is that next time I will lighten up on the amount of magic mushroom powder I use because it finished a little salty for my tastes. I think the juice could easily be leveraged for a new soup or some such (if I hadn’t made it too salty). By the way, I’m the only one is a family of 5 that thinks it’s too salty. Great Recipe Michelle (NomNom Lady).