Instant Pot Carnitas Tacos

a plate of 4 carnitas tacos topped with creamy avocado verde sauce and cilantro

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4.73 — Votes 11 votes

Instant Pot Carnitas Tacos

These carnitas come together quickly in the Instant Pot then are finished off in the oven to crisp.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Author: Brandi Schilhab

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!

Notes

If you want to make this in the slow cooker, simply put the seasoned pork in the slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low, until it shreds easily with a fork. The pork will release plenty of juice as it cooks so you don't need to add any!

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