Scrumptuous Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas (Recipe)

Recipe Highlight: I recently stumbled upon this amazing instant pot recipe from Gimme Some Oven. This recipe is for pork carnitas that are cooked in the instant pot in a flavorful sauce and then finished off under a broiler so that the sauce evaporates and concentrates into each delicious bite of caramelized pork.

Link: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/instant-pot-crispy-carnitas/

Please click on the link above for the original recipe.

The original recipe consists of detailed instructions for both the instant pot carnitas and a mojo sauce. The recipe below includes the changes I made due to personal taste or availability of ingredients based on what I had in my pantry at the time.

If you use the recipe below, let me know how you feel about these changes!

PORK:

4-5 pounds of lean, boneless pork, trimmed & cut into chunks
salt & pepper (to generously season pork)
1 Tbsp oil of your choice
1 batch of sauce (see below)

SAUCE:

2 cups of water or chicken broth
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon (if using water instead of broth)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 a large red bell pepper
1 whole jalapeno, top removed (can remove seeds if sensitive to heat)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (can remove seeds if sensitive to heat)
A fist full of cilantro (measure by your heart)
1 Tbsp ground cumin (measure by your heart)
1 Tbsp dried oregano (measure by your heart)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make your sauce by tossing all the ingredients in a blender and combining. Set aside.
Sear your seasoned pork in the oil of your choice by using the “sauté” feature on your Instant Pot.
Once all sides of your pork is browned, add your sauce to the seared pork.
Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a natural release.
Once the pork is cooked, shred the pork using two forks.
Line a baking sheet with foil and turn on the oven’s broiler.
Evenly spread the shredded pork with the sauce onto the lined baking sheet, broiling for about 5 minutes before removing from oven and stirring. Repeat the process until you have reached desired crispiness and most of the sauce has absorbed into the meat. I believe it took me about 3 cycles. This will ensure a deliciously concentrated flavor and caramelized, crispy edges that are simply to die for!
Serve warm as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowl … etc.

NOTES:

This recipe is definitely worth the effort of lugging your instant pot out of the forgotten corner in the pantry.

I served these mouth-watering morsels of crispy pork over Mexican rice with black beans and topped with sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, and additional cilantro. My family made quesadillas with the carnitas, and I can’t imagine how amazing they would taste served traditionally in corn tortillas.

Choose your own vehicle for these unforgettable carnitas … I won’t judge!

Stay tuned for a photo of my spin on this delicious dish! The next time I summon up this mouth-watering meal in the kitchen, it’s photo shoot time! In the meantime, head over to the link provided for the original recipe and stunning photos of this hearty meal that is sure to grace your table (or at the very least your thoughts) again and again.