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pork carnitas on blue plate
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Instant Pot Carnitas

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas, juicy with just the right amount of spicy heat. Top them with homemade Pico de Gallo and a dollop of homemade Crema.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword carnitas,instant pot,mexican,pico de gallo,pork carnitas
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 362kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

Meat

  • 4 lb boneless pork roast cut into 2-4 chunks (Boston Butt works well for this)
  • 8 slices jarred jalapenos
  • 3 lg garlic cloves (diced)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

Pico de Gallo

  • 4 lg tomatoes (diced)
  • ½ c diced red onion
  • ½ c chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp diced cilantro stems
  • ⅓ c diced green onion
  • 1 tsp diced fresh garlic
  • 2 tbsp diced jalapeno
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp fresh lime juice

Crema

  • 10½ oz plain greek yogurt
  • juice of 1 med. lime
  • zest of 1 med. lime
  • ½ tsp chili powder

Instructions

Meat

  • Place pork and all spices, jalapenos and soy sauce into the Instant Pot. Toss meat around in the spices to coat.
  • Seal Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes.
  • Release pressure manually and remove meat to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Remove jalapenos and discard. (If you prefer extra hot, just leave the jalapenos in the meat.)
  • Using your hands or two forks, shred the meat. Pour juice from the Instant Pot over the meat and toss to mix. I use the meat as it is at this point but if you prefer a crispy meat, place in skillet over high heat until edges of the meat starts to caramelize and crisp.

Pico de Gallo

  • Mix together all ingredients. This is even better if chilled for several hours to allow flavors to meld.

Crema

  • In a bowl, whisk yogurt with the lime juice and zest. Sprinkle the chili powder over the top.

Serve

  • You can serve the tortilla right out of the package or heat lightly in the microwave, oven or stovetop.
  • Place pork on your tortilla shell, top with Pico de Gallo and finish with a dollop of the crema. Fold up.
  • Add cheese, olives or extra jalapenos if you desire.

Nutrition

Serving: 1carnita | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 2324mg | Potassium: 1155mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1955IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 4mg