🍖 Pressure Cooker Carnitas
Tender pork with crispy edges, this pork carnitas recipe is prepared in a pressure cooker in around 50 minutes, from start to finish.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 647kcal
Ingredients
- 4 lb. pork butt roast (cut into 3" pieces)
- 1 large yellow onion (cut into quarters)
- 8 cloves garlic
- ½ cup water (or broth)
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (omit if using broth)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1-2 cayenne peppers (or 1 jalapeno pepper) (optional)
Instructions
- Chop meat into 3" pieces and add to your pressure cooker. Top with a quartered onion, crushed garlic, bay leaves, and spicy peppers.
- Combine water (or broth) and orange juice into a large measuring cup. Add all the remaining spices and whisk to incorporate.
- Pour liquid over the pork. If some of the spices remain in the cup, swirl a ¼ cup of water into the cup and pour into the pot. Cover the pot with the lid and set the valve to "seal."
- Lock lid into place, and set the lever to "seal." Turn the pressure cooker on and choose "Pressure." Set the timer to "20 minutes." It will take approximately 15 minutes for the pressure cooker to seal.
- After 20 minutes, do a Natural Release for 15 minutes. If the pin doesn't drop, release the remaining pressure and carefully remove the lid. Take the pork out of the pot and break it into smaller chunks. Do not over-shred.
- Pour liquid into a large measuring cup and set it aside. If using a Ninja Foodi, place the pork back into the pot and pour 1 cup of the broth over it. Air Crisp at 400 degrees F for approximately 5 minutes. Otherwise, add shredded pork to a pan, pour 1 cup of cooking liquid over it, and broil until slightly crispy around the edges.
- Serve carnitas in corn tortillas, over nachos, Mexican rice, or rolled into a burrito.
Notes
- Don't discard the bone from the roast but add it with the pork cubes for a richer flavor.
- Brush the meat with the broth before serving. This not only adds more flavor but makes the carnitas glisten and look even more appetizing.
- Carnitas freeze well. Place the cooked carnitas in a ziplock bag and make sure all the air is pressed out first. Freeze for up to three months.
- You can reheat the carnitas in a microwave, in an air fryer, or in a pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 74g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Sodium: 1410mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g