The Best Crispy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe

These richly spiced Instant Pot Carnitas are full of flavor and ready in a fraction of the time. Orange zest, cumin, and guajillo chiles make these pork carnitas exceptionally delicious. Finishing them in the Air Fryer (or under the broiler) gives incredibly crisp edges. You are going to love this recipe! {Last updated, November 22, 2021}

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What if I told you I could make your favorite Instant Pot Pork Carnitas even easier?!

This orange zest and guajillo spiced carnitas meat doesn’t only have the tenderness you love, but also the crispy edges that you could only get by transferring the meat to the broiler or stove top—until now.

introducing the instant pot duo crisp + air fryer

When it comes to kitchen appliances, I like to keep things to a minimum. I have a tiny kitchen so if it doesn’t make my life significantly better, I don’t buy it.

That being said, I’m going to go out on a limb here and declare the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer to be the most useful addition to my kitchen in a long time.

It really is the best of all possible worlds. Its eleven functions do just about every kitchen task.

This one device can saute, pressure cook, fry, roast, I’m not going to name them all, but you get the picture.

It would be absolutely perfect for anyone with very little kitchen skills or space—I’m thinking dorm room or studio apartment kind of situation. Let me demonstrate with our carnitas recipe.

the problem with pork carnitas instant pot recipes

A traditional Instant Pot does make deliciously tender pork carnitas in a fraction of the time, I give you that. Way faster then you could ever make in a Dutch oven.

However, if you are used to an authentic carnitas recipe you know the best part is the combination of juicy tender insides and crispy, crackling edges.

You used to have to take the meat out of the Instant Pot and place it under the broiler. With the new Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer you can get the crispy edges you crave right in the same pot!

what you’ll need to make it

equipment

Obviously the Instant Pot is key. Other than that you’ll need:

• Kitchen Tongs
• Wooden Spoon
• Microplane (for zesting the orange)

ingredients

• Fresh pork lard, for that authentic carnitas flavor. Most Latin markets sell rendered lard at the butcher counter. I don’t recommend the shelf-stable white blocks of lard which have lots of preservatives and can be very waxy. If you can’t get fresh lard substitute vegetable oil instead.
• Pork Shoulder (scroll down for more info on what cut of pork is best).
• Onions
• Orange zest or substitute 1/4 cup orange juice
• Guajillo chile powder or your favorite chili powder
• Salt and pepper
• Ground cumin
• Dried epazote

but how do you make a pork carnitas recipe in one pot?

The secret to the new Instant Pot Duo Crisp +Air Fryer is its two different lids. You start with the traditional pressure cooker lid then switch to the air fryer lid for the final crisp. Here’s how it works:

step 1:

Combine your spice mix and season the pork on all sides. It will seem like a lot but use all the spice mix.

Sauté the onions with the lard on the sauté setting to bring out their sweetness.

step 2:

Add the pork. You won’t need to add any extra liquid like chicken broth as the pork will release fat as it cooks.

Place the Instant Pot pressure cooker lid on and set the pressure cooker setting to high.

Cover and cook. It will take about 15 minutes for the machine to come to pressure then cook on high pressure for 1 hour and 15 minutes (scroll down for which cut of pork to use and how to cook the pork even faster).

Natural release pressure for at least 10 minutes (I think it’s best to wait 30 minutes if you have the time) then you can quick release the remaining pressure.

Carefully remove the pressure cooker lid and transfer pork to a large plate or baking sheet with a slotted spoon or kitchen tongs. Pour the cooking liquid into a heatproof container and save for later. Remove the bone (if using) and shred the meat.

step 3:

Return the shredded pork to the stainless steel Instant Pot insert, cover with the Air Fryer lid and set to Air Fry at 400°F for 12 minutes. Fry until the edges are nice and crisp. #DinnerDone

what kind of pork to use for carnitas

The cut of meat I like to use is a bone-in pork shoulder with the skin-on, for maximum flavor, but cooking a whole bone-in shoulder takes longer.

The cooking times are different for boneless pork butt. If you are in a super rush, use boneless pork shoulder or boston butt, and cut into pieces. 2 inch-thick pieces of pork take 15 minutes per pound.

If you are starting out with frozen pork, that’s okay too, just add 20 minutes to the cook time.

did I mention this instant pot pork carnitas recipe is healthier too?

The reason we love our Instant Pot is in the name—Instant! It saves us buckets of time and helps get dinner on the table quicker but crisping the carnitas meat in the Air Fryer uses a fraction of the fat as well.

Less excess fat means the whole meal is lower in saturated fat but just as delicious.

how to serve the carnitas

All you really need to devour these Instant Pot Carnitas are some warm corn tortillas, a minced red onion for sprinkling on top of your carnitas tacos and some pickled jalapeños and carrots alongside.

They also make amazing burrito bowls made with Coconut-Cilantro Rice and lots of limes for squeezing lime juice over everything.

Pile the carnitas on a soft bolillo roll with—hear me out—Pickled Avocado (!) for an incredible Mexican pulled pork sandwich.

A few of my favorite salsas to serve with the carnitas are my Super Simple Salsa Verde or my homemade Salsa Morita.

As far as sides to serve with the Pork Carnitas Tacos, my favorites are a doctored up can of black beans or this Beet and Persimmon Salad with Candied Peanuts is really good too.

how to make it with a standard instant pot

If you don’t have a traditional Instant Pot without the Air Fryer functions you can still make deliciously crisp pork carnitas. You will have to turn on your broiler though. Here’s how:

1. Follow the instructions for cooking the pork in the Instant Pot using the sauté and pressure cooker settings.
2. Heat the broiler to high.
3. Shred the pork and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Crisp the pork under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the edges of the pork are crisp. Watch carefully and stir often to get all of the pork cooked.
5. Toss with a 1/2 cup or so of the reserved cooking liquid then tuck into warm corn tortillas and dig in!

variations

I love this recipe for two reasons: it’s simple and it has an incredible spice mix with orange zest and cumin that I just adore. There are other spice blends you could go with for a different flavor. Here are a few suggestions:

• SPICY BLEND: Instead of using guajillo chili powder used chipotle chili powder or arbol chili powder instead for a spicy kick.
• SMOKEY BLEND: Add 2-3 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo to the onions after they are done cooking. Stir the chipotles in then add the pork.
• SWEET BLEND: Add 1/4 cup brown sugar to the spice mix for a sweet finish.

more easy instant pot recipes to try!

• Instant Pot Pork Chili Verde with Cheese
• Beef and Chipotle Chili (Instant Pot instructions included)
• Pork Tinga Instant Pot Recipe
• Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Tacos with Peach Salsa
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Shredded Beef Tacos (Instant Pot instructions included)

the ultimate kitchen gift this holiday

If you are looking for that perfect something for the harried cook in your life, this is it (available on Amazon and Instantpot.com!). And if you’d like to be gifted one yourself, you know what to do. Already own an Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer? Even better! Try out this pork carnitas recipe, snap a photo and share it with me by tagging #holajalapeno and @holajalapeno on Instagram or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !

This Pork Carnitas Recipe post was created in partnership with Instant Pot. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make ¡Hola! Jalapeño possible.