• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simply Happy Foodie
  • Home
  • Recent Posts
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures / Disclaimers / Copyright
    • Contact Me
    • Meet Gizmo, Our Foodie Pug
  • Cook's Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recent Posts
  • Recipes
  • My Cookbook
  • About
  • Cook’s Shop
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recent Posts
  • Recipes
  • My Cookbook
  • About
  • Cook’s Shop
×
Home » Blog Recipe Posts » Paleo

Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas

November 26, 2017 by Sandy 19 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Tender, flavorful Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas are a taco meat, burrito filling, or whatever you want them to be! Carnitas are my favorite because they are easy to make and so delicious! This next recipe in my continuing "Mini Series" for the 3 quart electric pressure cooker I'm sharing is my recipe for a 3 quart pressure cooker Pork Carnitas.

Pork Carnitas in small tortillas on a white platter garnished with lime and cilantro

 

Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas

Carnitas means "little meats" in Spanish. The dish is usually braised with oil, or lard, and are often crispy (I prefer less crispy, but you can crisp them under the broiler). Use Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas for tacos, burritos, on a salad, or whatever you want! The Instant Pot® makes it really easy to make carnitas tender and full of flavor. They cook from start to finish in under an hour!

The best cut of meat to use to make Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas is a pork shoulder. It comes out very tender and has lots of flavor. One tip for making a smaller quantity for your 3 quart pressure cooker is to use Country Style Ribs, which are just pork shoulder cut in strips! You can often buy these in smaller quantities than a pork shoulder/butt roast.

Close up of Pork Carnitas in small tortillas on a white platter garnished with lime and cilantro

I always have some in my freezer as I buy when the price is good. I just got a pork shoulder/butt roast for .97 a pound (usually $2.99-$3.99)! I cut it up and put recipe portions in the freezer in freezer bags.

If you want to crisp them up, just pop them under the broiler at the end!


orange graphic for mini Instant pot 3 quart recipes
Instant Pot Mini - Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Mini - Sweet Potato Chili
Instant Pot Mini - Jerk Thighs and Rice
Instant Pot Mini – Tasty Black Beans
Instant Pot Mini - Tortellini Soup
Instant Pot Mini - Cornish Game Hen
Instant Pot Mini - Game Hen Noodle Soup


4.8 from 10 votes
Pork Carnitas in small tortillas on a white platter garnished with lime and cilantro
Print
Instant Pot Mini – Pork Carnitas
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Instant Pot Mini – Pork Carnitas are my favorite because they are easy to make, so flavorful, and fall apart tender!

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: pressure cooker pork carnitas recipe
Servings: 3 - 4 servings
Calories: 363 kcal
Author: Sandy Clifton
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsps Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Mexican Oregano (or regular)
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • ⅛ tsp Cayenne Powder (use ¼ tsp or more for spicier)
  • 1 to 1 ½ lbs Pork Shoulder / Pork Butt,* cut in 3" chunks (can also use Country Style Ribs)
  • ½ small Onion, chopped
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • ½ Cinnamon Stick, about 2-3 inches long
  • 4 cloves Garlic, pressed or minced
  • ½ cup Orange Juice
Instructions
  1. To a mixing bowl, add the oil, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, coriander powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

  2. Add the pork chunks to the spice mixture and toss to cover all of the meat with the mixture.

  3. Press the Sauté button 2 or 3 times until "More" is highlighted. When display reads “Hot” add the meat. Cook until browned on all sides, but not done. Remove from pot and set aside.

  4. Add onion, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick  and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze (get those brown bits off the bottom) You might need to add a splash of water to help the deglazing.

  5. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, stirring constantly.

  6. Add the orange juice and stir.

  7. Add the meat back in to the pot and just nestle it down into the juice (it won't be covered).

  8. Place the lid on the pot and set the Steam Release Knob to Sealing.

  9. Cancel the Sauté function by pressing Cancel

  10. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the time to 30 minutes using the + or - button.

  11. When the cooking cycle has ended and the pot beeps 10 times, let it sit for 15 minutes. It will start naturally releasing the pressure. The counter on the display will begin counting up in minutes.

  12. When the display reads L015, turn the steam release knob to Venting and release any remaining steam/pressure. There may not be any left, and that's okay. When the pin in the lid drops down it is safe to open the lid.

  13. BEFORE you stir, take a spoon or a small measuring cup and skim off the extra fat that is on top and discard. It's a lot easier doing it this way than pouring it into a fat separator!

  14. Stir the meat and transfer to a serving dish. If you like your carnitas in tacos, you might want to drain them a little. That sauce has a lot of flavor, so use it if you can!

Optional
  1. You can broil the carnitas to get some crispy bits if you want to. Just put them on a baking sheet and pop them under a 450 degrees (F) broiler until they reach the desired crispness.

  2. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, cheese, avocado, and serve in tortillas, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*1 ½ pounds makes about 4 servings of 2 tacos each, by my measurements. If you want less, only use 1 pound of meat, but keep the recipe as is.

pink button with the words follow my pinterest board

Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas is a very flavorful meat seasoned with tasty Mexican spices. Use this versatile meat for tacos, burritos, sandwiches, and more. simplyhappyfoodie.com #instantpotrecipes #instantpotminirecipes #instantpotcarnitas #instantpot3quart #pressurecookercarnitas

Resources to make Instant Pot Mini - Pork Carnitas and more

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

More Paleo

  • Boiled Eggs cut in half on black plate on wood board
    Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
  • Three jars of Instant Pot Bone Broth with lids on and pressure cooker in the background
    Instant Pot Bone Broth
  • Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
    Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
  • Air Fryer Boiled Eggs
    Air Fryer Boiled Eggs

Sharing is caring!

3426 shares
  • Tweet
  • Share

My Instant Pot Cookbook is Here!

Instant Pot Cookbook Cover

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Trish

    June 24, 2023 at 3:18 pm

    Good recipe and meat comes out tender and sheds easily, if that’s what you prefer. Instead of putting the meat under the broiler, I put it in the air fryer. Came out evenly crispy and not burned in certain spots as with the broiler.

    Reply
  2. RL

    August 17, 2020 at 6:52 am

    This was delicious! I didn't have OJ so used some apricot preserves, bottled lime juice & water mixed together and it worked great. I think I prefer using these to pork shoulder as these ribs seemed leaner and easier to shred later for burritos. I had no idea they were interchangeable until I googled and found your recipe. Will gladly make again!

    Reply
  3. Michelle

    May 11, 2020 at 12:34 pm

    I made this in the instantpot mini while on a travel assignment, (I’m a traveling nurse). It was amazing!
    Now I’m home with my husband & our 6 qt instantpot. How to make this recipe using the same amounts of ingredients in a 6 qt?
    Thanks! 😃

    Reply
    • Sandy

      May 11, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      Hi Michelle! Just double the amounts and keep the cook time the same. Cutting the meat into chunks is what allows the time to stay the same. Stay safe, and thank you for all you do as a nurse! <3

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth Culberson

    January 28, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    5 stars!!!!! it won't let me leave a star rating. OMG this is an awesome recipe!!! Just made them and I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth Culberson

    January 28, 2020 at 12:23 pm

    5 stars!!!!! it won't let me leave a star rating. OMG this is an awesome recipe!!! Just made them and I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you so much!!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi there! I’m Sandy - foodie with a passion for cooking and sharing my tasty recipes. My hubby Paul, our Pug Gizmo, and I live in Washington.

Sandy wearing a black shirt and a red apron

More about me →

Reader Favorite Recipes

  • Easy Slow Cooker Meatloaf on a white plate garnished with parsley
    Easy Slow Cooker Meatloaf
  • Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
    Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
  • Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
    Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
  • Short Ribs over mashed potatoes on a black plate next to a bunch of fresh parsley
    Instant Pot Short Ribs

More favorites

Footer

↑ back to top

Copyrighted Content
This website and its contents are the copyright of Simply Happy Foodie LLC – © 2016-2025.  All rights reserved.

Disclaimers

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

About

  • About
  • Contact
  • Meet Gizmo, Our Foodie Pug

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT