Crispy and perfectly seasoned, these Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are a cinch to make and sure to please the whole family!
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What is Carnitas?
Carnitas, or shredded and then crisped pork shoulder, are one of those proteins that really give pork the delicious reputation it deserves. In Texas, there’s no shortage of carnitas, but there’s just something about making them myself that makes them extra special. Plus, they are quite possibly one of the easiest, tastes-a-whole-lot-harder-than-it-is proteins out there, especially when made in the Instant Pot!
Looking for more taco recipes? Check out our crispy taco trio: crispy ground beef tacos, shredded chicken tacos, and black bean tacos!
Ingredients
With just three main ingredients + a few spices that are likely hanging out in your spice cabinet, the ingredient list couldn’t be simpler! Do note that if you are making the Creamy Salsa Verde to drizzle on your finished carnitas (which we HIGHLY recommend!), you’ll need to add those ingredients to your shopping list as well!
- Pork Shoulder – we’ll use a 4-5 pound pork shoulder for this recipe. If you’re having trouble finding a pork shoulder, look for a pork butt…it’s the same thing! This cut is preferable because it has enough fat to keep the meat nice and tender once cooked.
- Butter – don’t skip the butter! Once the pork has been cooked and shredded, it gets tossed with ¼ cup of melted butter before going in the oven. This is what gives our carnitas that quintessential crisp.
- Lime Juice – this adds a nice bite of acidity to the carnitas that really brings the flavor out. Use fresh limes if you can!
- Spices + Seasonings – chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper all contribute to the flavorful carnitas that we know and love.
How to Make
The Instant Pot makes this recipe as easy as they come and super hands-off for the cook. That means that you get more time with your family, getting to-dos checked off your list, or doing a little bit of at-home pampering while dinner cooks!
- Cut the pork shoulder. Because we want the pork to cook evenly in the Instant Pot, it’s important to cut it into 4-5 equal (just eyeball it!) pieces. Once cut, place the pieces into the Instant Pot.
- Season + add liquid. Sprinkle the pork with 2 teaspoons of sea salt and add a cup of water to the Instant Pot. It’s important to add a bit of liquid (water in this case) to the Instant Pot to prevent burning and sticking!
- Set the Instant Pot to high pressure. Once you’ve added the salt and water, go ahead and place the lid on the Instant Pot (making sure the pressure valve is set to ‘sealed’), press ‘manual’ and set to cook for 90 minutes on high pressure. Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure by turning the valve to ‘vent.’
- Shred and season the pork. Either with your stand mixer or two forks, shred the pork into 1-inch pieces. Once shredded, toss the pork with the melted butter, lime juice, and seasonings and spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Crisp the carnitas. Place the carnitas into a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until the tops look crispy.
- Make the creamy salsa verde (if using). While the pork is crisping, blend together the creamy salsa verde ingredients until smooth.
- Assemble + enjoy! Add the crispy carnitas to the tortillas and top with creamy salsa verde and cilantro, and enjoy!
Why season afterward?
First, we find that the flavor from the seasonings just doesn’t absorb as well in the Instant Pot as they would using the oven or slow cooker. This is because of the pressure cooking method. In the oven or slow cooker, moisture slowly evaporates as the pork cooks, allowing it to brown, but the Instant Pot typically creates more moisture, which can often dilute the flavor of your food.
Don’t worry though, you’ll get plenty of flavor by adding the lime juice and seasonings before the crisping step! As a bonus, keeping the seasoning simple for the pork allows you to use the leftovers however you want!
How to Serve
Here we included a recipe for creamy salsa verde to top your carnitas tacos with, but you can also top with sour cream (or the cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk), pico de gallo, or salsa verde. If you aren’t feeling tacos, carnitas are also really yummy in quesadillas, burrito bowls, nachos, salads, or on our Al Pastor Plantain Crust Pizza (YUM!) Leftovers make for a really yummy egg scramble or breakfast hash!
Frequently Asked Questions
We prefer using a pork shoulder (sometimes called a pork butt) because it has enough fat to keep the meat tender + juicy when cooked and crisped.
The pork shoulder will need to cook for 90 minutes in the Instant Pot. Keep in mind that it takes a little bit of time (think: anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes) for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, so be sure to add that time onto the total time when planning this meal!
It’s all about that butter, y’all! Tossing the shredded pork with melted butter not only provides another layer of absolutely delicious flavor, but it also allows the pork to crisp up in the oven. I’ll say it again for those in the back: DON’T SKIP THE BUTTER! If you don’t have butter, toss with a cooking fat that you do have (ghee or avocado oil will both work here).
EVERYTHING! No, really…this carnitas meat can be used in *so* many different ways (tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and salads to name a few). Read on below to find our very favorite way to serve Instant Pot carnitas.
Definitely! If you plan on doing this, though, we recommend waiting to crisp the pork in the oven until you’re ready to enjoy. That’ll ensure the crispiest pork possible on the day of! So, go ahead and cook the pork in the Instant Pot ahead of time, store the cooked + shredded pork in the fridge, and then before serving, toss the shredded pork with the lime juice, butter, and seasonings, crisp in the oven, and serve!
Absolutely! We recommend freezing the meat right out of the Instant Pot (once cooled, of course). When you’re ready to enjoy crispy carnitas, simply set the frozen shredded pork in the fridge to thaw overnight, and then proceed to the crisping step just before serving!
More Favorite Taco Recipes
Blackened Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
Tacos Al Pastor Recipe
Carne Asada Tacos Recipe with Adobo-Lime Marinade
BBQ Chicken Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Easy Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Citrus Sauce
Shredded Chicken Taco Recipe
Easy Chicken Tinga Tacos
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Cream SauceInstant Pot Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
For the Shredded Pork:
- 1 4 to 5-pound pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
For the Carnitas tacos:
- ¼ cup butter melted (substitute avocado oil for dairy-free)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice from about 2 limes
- 1-2 teaspoons fine sea salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Corn tortillas for serving
- Cilantro for garnish
For the Creamy Salsa Verde (optional):
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cup sour cream or cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about 1 lime
- 16 ounces salsa verde
- ½ cup water
Instructions
For the Shredded Pork:
- Cut the pork shoulder into 4 to 5 large pieces and place in the Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle with the sea salt and add 1 cup water to the Instant Pot.
- Fix lid into place, press “Manual,” and program to cook for 90 minutes on high pressure. Once the timer is finished, release the pressure by turning the valve to “vent.”
- Once cooked, shred into 1-inch pieces by using the paddle attachment and the bowl of your stand mixer (on low) or by using two forks to manually shred.
For the Carnitas:
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Toss the shredded pork with the butter, lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are starting to look a little crispy.
- If you’re making the creamy salsa verde, simply blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
- Assemble the tacos with the carnitas, top with salsa verde and cilantro, and serve!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Cassy Joy Garcia
Recipe Developer and Copywriter
This was soo easy and delicious! Instead of using the oven for the last step, i put my tray of shredded pork on the smoker. Amazing!
Ooooh, great idea, Reba!
Made this tonight and it was so easy and my husband LOVED it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Amazing, Danielle! We’re so glad to hear that. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!
how long will this keep in the freezer?
Hi Kayla! The carnitas should keep for 3 months in an airtight container. Enjoy! -Team FF
Hands down best (and easiest) carnitas recipes out there. I’ve tried a few and always come back to this one. The creamy salsa is to die for and so good on breakfast tacos too!!
Wahoo! So glad you love it, April!
Made this last night, topped with my own tomatillo salsa from the garden. It was so quick and as my husband stated, “…soooo yummy!” Thanks for a real winner dinner, both in ease and taste.
Wahoo! That’s amazing, Liz. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I bet that salsa was delicious!
We love this recipe and have made it twice in the last couple of weeks! Has anyone tried it with beef? I’m curious.
Should I keep the liquid (the cup of water) with the pork as I shred it? Or should I remove the pork and shred it without the leftover liquid?
Without the liquid, Pete! Enjoy!!
How do I finish this in the air fryer instead of the oven? I have the Duo Crisp + Air Fryer on your rec and I’m loving it! Thank you!
We haven’t ever tried it, Brittany! Definitely something we’ll put on our list of things to test, though!
Would the cooking time need to be adjusted for a roast about 2.5-3 pounds?
The time should stay the same, Bridget!
I do my 3 lb for 75 min and it comes out great!
Hey! My butcher box had a pork butt (bone in)… think that would work well for this recipe? I’ve been dying to try this recipe!
Yep! I’d just cut it off the bone into equal size (just eyeball it) chunks before putting it into the Instant Pot!
Can I make this with frozen pork in the Instant Pot of Crockpot?
Not in the Crock Pot, Sarahi, but using frozen pork in the Instant Pot should be okay. You’ll likely need to add a bit of time since your pork will be frozen and in one large chunk rather than cut into smaller pieces (like you’d do for a thawed pork shoulder). I’d start with 90 minutes still, check it once the time is up and the pressure is released, and then add a bit more time if needed.
When do you add the other spices? Cumin, garlic, chili powder?? I’m didn’t see it in the recipe. Thanks!!
Thanks for catching that, Vicki! I just fixed it. You’ll add the spices in at the same time as the butter + lime juice!
Made this last night and it was unreal! Easy to make and SO SO good! Definitely making again next week.
SO GOOD, right?! We’re glad you love it!!
These are amazing! My family said it was better than any Mexican restaurant we’ve ever had!
Served with homemade tortillas, delicious! Thank you for always amazing recipes.
Wow! That’s awesome! We’re so glad you guys enjoyed these! And I bet the homemade tortillas really took it to the next level…YUM!
I made these carnitas last night and they were delicious! I’ve actually tried several of your recipes and they are ALWAYS on point. Keep up the good work!
That’s so great to hear…thank you for sharing this with us, Michelle! These carnitas are one of my favorites!