Make restaurant-style carnitas right at home with this Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe! Tender, juicy pork is seasoned with bold spices and cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot, then crisped up for a flavorful, mouthwatering finish. Perfect for tacos, burritos, or a tasty topping for salads!
Place pork and all spices, jalapenos, and soy sauce into the Instant Pot. Toss meat around in the spices to coat.
Seal the Instant Pot and pressure 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 heat, you can choose to leave the jalapenos in with the meat.)
Using your hands or two forks, shred the meat.
Pour juice from the Instant Pot over the cooked pork and toss to mix.
I use this shredded pork as it is at this point, but if you prefer crispy meat, place it in a skillet over high heat until edges of the meat start to caramelize and crisp.
Mix together all ingredients.
This is even better if chilled for several hours to allow flavors to meld.
In a bowl, whisk yogurt with the lime juice and zest.
Sprinkle the chili powder over the top.
Fill each tortilla with Carnita Meat, Pico de Gallo, and Carnitas Crema.
Notes
Using Knife: Use a sharp knife to finely dice the ingredients, ensuring even distribution of flavors in every bite.Carnitas: For the juiciest carnitas, choose boneless pork shoulder meat (also known as pork butt) with good marbling for tender, flavorful meat after slow cooking. Pork tenderloin isn’t ideal for Instant Pot carnitas as its lean nature lacks the fat needed for traditional flavor.