Go Back
+ servings
Is there anything better than fall off the bone pork carnitas tacos? Learn how to make the most delicious and juicy Instant Pot Carnitas recipe with a few simple ingredients.
4.96 from 25 votes

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Is there anything better than fall off the bone pork carnitas tacos? Learn how to make the most delicious and juicy Instant Pot Carnitas recipe with a few simple ingredients.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 1 hour 30 minutes
Total 1 hour 50 minutes
Fat 30
Carbs 4
Protein 23
Yield 8

Ingredients

Spice Rub*

Carnitas

  • 2.5-3 lb. boneless pork shoulder roast
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-4 oz. can green chilis
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 lime juiced

Instructions

  • First, place pork shoulder on a large plate or cutting board.
  • Prepare pork dry rub by placing spices into a medium bowl. Mix until combined.
  • Pour spices over the pork shoulder and massage spices into the meat, making sure to be generous! This adds so much flavor. Set aside.
  • Turn on the Instant Pot's saute feature
    and add olive oil. When olive oil is fragrant, sear pork shoulder for 2-3 minutes on each side. The goal here is to get each side nicely browned.
  • Turn the Instant Pot's saute feature off and pour green chilis over the pork shoulder. Add water, and cover Instant Pot.
  • Turn pressure valve to seal >> turn the Instant pot to high pressure >> and set the timer to 90 minutes. It will take up to 15 minutes for pressure to build inside the Instant Pot. Once this happens, it will start counting down from 90 minutes.
  • When the Instant Pot beeps, quick release pressure by turning pressure valve to vent.
  • Take cover off Instant Pot and then remove any large fat chunks from the pork.
  • Use 2 forks to shred the remaining pork. It should be fall-off-the-bone and easy to shred. If it's not, consider pressure cooking for a longer amount of time.
  • Once shredded, squeeze on lime juice and mix.
  • Serve immediately OR make them extra crispy!
  • To make your carnitas extra crispy, spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Then, transfer carnitas onto baking sheet and evenly spread out. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes. Then, toss and continue broiling until the edges are nice and crispy!

Tips & Notes

  • Spice Rub: option to use 3 tablespoons of our homemade pork dry rub instead!
  • Burn notice: if you get the burn notice, you need to add a few more tablespoons of liquid to the pot.
  • Option to remove some of the liquid before shredding. Do note that you'll be getting rid of a lot of flavor if you do that!

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 30g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g