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Rebecca Blackwell
Pork Carnitas Recipe ~ Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
24 days ago
User-posted content
I have made this Carnitas Recipe more times than I could possibly count for more occasions than I could possibly remember. The meat is crispy on the outside, super flavorful, fall-off-the bone tender, and couldn't be easier to prepare.
The recipe makes enough for a crowd or for plenty of leftovers that you can use throughout the week or freeze for later, and includes instructions for making them in your slow cooker or instant pot. And, crisping the carnitas in the oven all at once instead of frying them in batches makes this recipe even easier.
"Best carnitas I have ever made! This is the only recipe I will use from now on, Thank you!!!" - Cynthia
This recipe is super easy and requires very little hands-on time to prepare. Dump all the ingredients in a slow cooker or instant pot and let the meat cook until falling apart tender. Shred, crisp in the oven, and you're done.
Carnitas are the ultimate crowd pleaser. I have made these carnitas for graduation parties, birthday parties, back yard cookouts, open houses, and every other situation in which I am tasked with feeding a large number of people. Everyone, and I mean everyone, loves them.
Leftover carnitas in my refrigerator and/or freezer is the BEST THING EVER. I love making Carnitas for a crowd, but I also love to make them when it's just my husband and I at home to eat them because it means there will be plenty left over. Leftover carnitas can be used to make burritos, tacos, soup, nachos, quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps, grain and veggie bowls, anything and everything.
These carnitas have been a favorite meal around our home for a really long time. A few years ago I served them for Thanksgiving, right along side the turkey.
At the end of the day, we had tons of leftover turkey, while only a few lonely pieces of carnitas remained. Next year, I skipped the turkey altogether and just doubled the amount of carnitas.
Besides being SO good, this recipe is also SO easy. Put a pork roast in your Slow Cooker or Instant Pot, dump everything else on top, and go about your day while the roast transforms into deliciously tender pieces of pulled pork heaven.
Carnitas are simply Mexican pulled pork. The traditional way of making carnitas is to cook pork shoulder slowly in a large pot filled with lard until the meat is tender and crispy on the outside.
It's freaking fantastic and not something I would ever say no to, especially if I was actually in Mexico or lucky enough to find myself in an authentic Mexican restaurant.
But, I am not in the habit of keeping vats of lard in my pantry. Nor do I want to deal with the storage and disposal of a giant container of pork fat.
So, when I make carnitas at home, I take a different approach and rely on my slow cooker or instant pot. The result is really, truly genuinely delicious and extremely similar in flavor and texture to traditional carnitas.
Even better, the process requires very little effort and makes enough carnitas for a crowd or to ensure you have enough left over to freeze or use throughout the week.
NOTE ABOUT THE COOK TIME FOR THIS RECIPE: The amount of time these Carnitas take to cook will depend on whether you cook them in a Slow Cooker or Instant Pot (or using the slow cooker setting on an Instant Pot).
Using a Slow Cooker, the pork will take 8-9 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high. In an Instant Pot set to pressure cook at high pressure, the pork will take 2 hours and 30 minutes.
2 cups (500ml) beer or chicken stock (use any kind of beer except "light")
1 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoon minced garlic (6-8 cloves)
4 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced (*See note)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoon ground oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt + plus more for sprinkling
Instructions
Put the pork roast into the bowl of an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.
Dump all of the remaining ingredients into a large bowl, whisk to combine, then pour over the pork roast.
To cook in a Slow Cooker (or using the slow cooker setting on an Instant Pot): Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or on high for 6-7 hours, until the roast is extremely tender and falling apart.
To cook in an Instant Pot: Pressure Cook on high pressure for 2 hours and 30 minutes, then 15 minutes natural release. After 15 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to venting position. Remove the lid carefully.
Set the cooked pork roast on a large platter or cutting board and let rest until cool enough to handle.
Pour the cooking liquid through a strainer into a bowl. Discard solids and reserve the liquid.
Place a rack in the top position of your oven and preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Using a couple of forks, shred the pork roast, removing the bone and any super fatty pieces. Spread the pork out into a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle about 1 & ½ cups of the reserved cooking liquid over the pork. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of salt.
Place the pan under the broiler and cook for 5 minutes, until the edges of the pieces of pork begin to brown and crisp. Remove from the oven, and use metal tongs or two large spoons to toss pieces around on the sheet. If there is little to no liquid on the bottom of the pan, douse with a bit more. Spread out into an even layer and put the pan back under the broiler for another 5 minutes until more of the pork edges are brown and crispy.
Taste a piece of meat and sprinkle with a bit more salt if desired.
Notes
If you want your carnitas to be very mild: There are two ingredients that turn up the heat level on these carnitas: Chipotle peppers and chili powder. Used in the amounts recommended in the recipe, the carnitas will be at a medium to medium-low heat level. If you'd like them to be mild or spicy, adjust those ingredients accordingly.
How to store leftover Carnitas: Carnitas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place some of the meat in a freezer zip top bag or other airtight container. Douse with a bit of the reserved cooking liquid (if you have any left), seal, and place in the freezer. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or by placing the bag in a bowl of cold water and letting it sit for a couple of hours.
What can you do with leftover cooking liquid? If you like, you can save the leftover liquid that the carnitas have been cooked in to use in any kind of soup or stew. To save some freezer space, pour the liquid into a saucepan and let it boil until it's reduced by at least half and as much as ¾. This will allow the water to evaporate and concentrate the liquid's flavor. Then, you can freeze it in small portions (using an ice cube tray works well) and use the concentrated liquid to add a burst of flavor to soup or stew.
What to serve with Carnitas: If you really want a treat, make a batch of Homemade Flour Tortillas to go with your Carnitas. If you've never made them before, Homemade Tortillas are much easier to make than you might expect. And, they are so much better than prepared, packaged tortillas they deserve their own category.
What To Do With Leftover Carnitas
Use as the filling for tacos, or as a topping for nachos or tostadas
Make Burritos: Fill flour tortillas with carnitas, beans, cheese, and anything else you like in your burritos. Heat and serve smothered in Pork Green Chili.
Use to make Spanish Potato Soup."This soup is absolutely amazing!! My parents will spend all day crafting carnitas for a fine dinner on it’s own, and then beg me to make this soup with the leftovers. The soup gets all the glory and love. I feel like I’m practically cheating because they did all the hard work the day before. I just swoop in with potatoes, cheese, bacon, and broth." - Mike
+ Check out Let's Get Lost, my Substack newsletter for more new and exclusive recipes in your in-box every month! As a full time traveler, living, working, cooking, and baking from a 5th wheel RV, it's also where I share our experiences of life on the road.
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