Description
This Instant Pot Carnitas recipe offers tender, flavorful pork shoulder cooked to perfection under high pressure, then crisped to golden perfection for delicious, cheesy tacos served with a zesty chipotle sauce and fresh cilantro. Perfect for a quick yet indulgent meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Instant Pot Carnitas
- 3.5 lbs. boneless pork shoulder cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh orange juice (2-3 oranges)
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (or any broth or water)
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. ground oregano
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Crispy Cheesy Carnitas Tacos
- 18 white corn tortillas
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chipotle Sauce
- 3/4 cup 0% nonfat Greek yogurt (e.g., Fage)
- 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (adjust for heat preference)
- 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce (from the can of peppers)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Toppings
- Fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the spice mixture: In a small bowl, combine chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Set up the Instant Pot: Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the bottom of your Instant Pot. Place pork shoulder pieces on top of the onion mixture, then sprinkle the prepared spice mixture evenly over the pork. Pour orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth over the pork.
- Cook the carnitas: Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the pressure release valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook mode. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Release pressure and shred the pork: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to venting to release any remaining pressure. Remove the lid and use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked pork to a baking sheet. Shred the pork using two forks.
- Crisp the pork: Preheat your oven’s broiler. Spread the shredded pork evenly on a baking sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes until crispy. Alternatively, crisp the pork in batches in a hot pan with cooking spray.
- Make the crispy cheesy tacos: Heat a pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Use tongs to briefly dip corn tortillas in the sauce from the Instant Pot to moisten. Place soaked tortillas on the hot pan, top each with 2 oz. of cooked pork and about 14 grams of shredded cheddar cheese, then fold in half. Cook until both sides are crispy and cheese is melted, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat for remaining tortillas.
- Prepare the chipotle sauce: While the pork cooks, combine Greek yogurt, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, ground cumin, salt, and fresh cracked pepper in a bowl. Mix until smooth, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Assemble and serve: Serve the crispy cheesy carnitas tacos topped with chipotle sauce and fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy your flavorful meal!
Notes
- All nutrition facts are estimates based on ingredient quantities.
- To store leftover carnitas, add some of the Instant Pot cooking liquid to keep the meat moist when refrigerated.
- Leftover cooking liquid can be used to moisten tortillas, for sandwiches, or as an au jus sauce.
- The recipe yields 18 servings of approximately 2 oz. cooked pork each.
- To reduce fat content, omit the cheese in tacos.
- For lower carbohydrates, substitute corn tortillas with low-carb tortillas or use lettuce wraps.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 296 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 226 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 109 mg
