See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.


Instant Pot Carnitas are irresistibly tender and juicy with the best crispy edges! This easy recipe makes delicious Mexican shredded pork for serving in tacos, burrito bowls and nachos.

Crispy Instant Pot carnitas on a baking sheet.

If you haven’t yet tried Instant Pot carnitas, you are missing out. This Mexican shredded pork is seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin, orange juice and lime juice. It’s mouthwateringly flavorful, with the most delicious crispy edges.

After the pork cooks in the Instant Pot, it is fall apart tender and shreds easily. The shredded pork is placed under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp it up before serving. I can never resist sneaking a few bites, straight from the pan.

My favorite way to serve carnitas is wrapped in warm tortillas, topped with chopped onion, cilantro and avocado. Everyone always goes back for seconds when Instant Pot carnitas are on the dinner table!

Close up of instant pot carnitas taco.

These carnitas are one of our all-time favorite Instant Pot recipes. Typically pork carnitas are slow cooked like my classic Carnitas Recipe. By cooking carnitas in our Instant Pot we speed up the process without sacrificing any of the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture or delicious flavor.

Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for instant pot carnitas recipe.

You’ll need just a few ingredients to make this carnitas recipe:

  • Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt: The best cut of pork to use for carnitas (and Instant Pot Pulled Pork!) is a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt. The meat will become incredibly tender in the pressure cooker, and the fat marbling will make the carnitas especially flavorful.
  • Seasonings: Dried oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper are used to season the meat as it cooks. 
  • Orange Juice & Lime Juice: The acidity of citrus brings delicious flavor and provide the cooking liquid to allow the Instant Pot to pressurize. Some recipes use chicken broth or beer as well as citrus, but I’ve kept this recipe as simple as possible. I recommend using fresh squeezed orange and lime juice. 
  • Onion & Garlic: Chopped yellow onion and minced garlic are flavor essentials.

How to Make Instant Pot Carnitas

If you’re new to Instant Pot cooking, see my guide on How to Use an Instant Pot to help you get started.

  1. Cut the pork into 2 or 3-inch chunks and place in the Instant Pot. Raw pieces of pork in instant pot.
  2. Combine the seasonings in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the seasoning over the pork in the Instant Pot and rub it over all sides of the meat. Seasonings added to pork in instant pot.
  3. Pour in the orange juice and lime juice, and add the onion and garlic. Two side by side photos that show adding orange juice to pot and onion, garlic and pork in pot.
  4. Pressure cook on high pressure for 1 hour. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will start counting down.
  5. When the cook time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. This natural release makes for more tender meat. Then quick release any remaining pressure before opening the Instant Pot lid.
  6. Shred the pork, discarding any excess fat.
  7. To get the carnitas nice and crispy, spread the shredded pork out on a rimmed baking sheet. You can line the baking sheet with foil to make clean-up easier. Add a little bit of the juices from the Instant Pot to the pork. Put the carnitas under the broiler in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until the edges get nice and crispy. Shredded pork on baking sheet.
  8. Serve the carnitas wrapped in tortillas, in a burrito bowl, on a salad, or as desired. 

Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

Instant pot carnitas in tongs held over baking sheet.

How to Serve Carnitas

These carnitas make the best pork tacos, wrapped in warm flour tortillas or corn tortillas. They’re also perfect for making pork nachos or burrito bowls, served over Instant Pot rice (also see how to cook rice on the stove) with your favorite toppings. Or serve them on a salad. Whether you’re making tacos, burrito bowls or salad, try a few of these flavor-boosting toppings:

Instant pot carnitas served in corn tortillas with jalapeno, avocado, red onion and cilantro.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Instant Pot carnitas are very make-ahead friendly, perfect for meal prep. Here’s how to store and reheat them:

  • Refrigerator: Store carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: Once completely cool, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • To Reheat: Reheat on a baking sheet in the oven or in the microwave.

More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes

Check out these Healthy Instant Pot Recipes, or try one of these favorites:

Instant pot carnitas on serving plate.

Shredded crispy Instant Pot carnitas on baking sheet.
5 from 10 ratings

Instant Pot Carnitas

Servings: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
These Instant Pot Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) are flavorful and juicy with the best crispy edges! The Instant Pot works its magic to make fall-apart tender pork, perfect for serving in tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, and more!

Ingredients

  • 4 pound boneless pork butt or pork shoulder*
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ¾ cup orange juice, from 2 oranges
  • ¼ cup lime juice, from 2 limes
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • tortillas, chopped onion, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, sliced jalapeno, limes, etc., for serving, as desired

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork into large 2 to 3-inch chunks. Place in the Instant Pot.
  • In a small bowl, combine the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the pork and rub over all sides of the pieces of pork. Add the orange juice, lime juice, onion and garlic to the Instant Pot.
  • Close the lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Use the Pressure Cook or Manual function to set the cook time to 60 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
  • When the cook time ends, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes (just leave the Instant Pot alone).
  • Quick release any remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position using the handle of a long spoon. Once all steam has escaped and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid.
  • Use two forks to shred the pork, discarding excess fat. You can serve the pork now, or (the best way!) crisp it under the broiler. To crisp pork, spread it out in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Add a little of the juices from the Instant Pot to the pork, but not too much. Put pork under the broiler in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the edges start to crisp.
  • Serve in tortillas or as desired.

Notes

  • You can use a 3 to 5 pound pork butt/pork shoulder in this recipe.
  • Leftover carnitas may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Recipe updated 10/10/22 to increase the pressure cooking time from 45 to 60 minutes since I've found that a longer cook time makes for more tender carnitas.
Calories: 263kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 594mg, Potassium: 718mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 113IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Main Course
Tried this recipe?Mention @kristines_kitchen on Instagram or tag #kristineskitchenblog.
This site contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Kristine's Kitchen!