These pressure cooker carnitas are the perfect dinner in the summer. They require so little effort and are made easy in the Instant Pot. Translation: no heating up the house and more time spent outside. Carnitas are versatile and keep well, perfect with salsas over lettuce, over cauliflower rice, in tacos, or on nachos. Even better, these carnitas are keto, paleo, Whole30-compliant, and low carb. These carnitas are tender, juicy, and full of flavor; they’re made with economical pork tenderloin and produce a bunch. The recipe is ridiculously easy, too. The cinnamon and orange juice is heady and just right. I rubbed the whole tenderloin with a rich, smoky spice mix, covered it with aromatics and fresh citrus juices. 15 minutes later? Carnitas perfection.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
Pork tenderloin – A lean cut of meat that is tender, juicy, and affordable.Onion – Aromatic and lightly sweet when cooked, onions pair perfectly with the saltiness of the pork.Garlic cloves – One of my favorite seasonings that helps give the carnitas the perfect flavor.Cinnamon stick – The strong, sweet, and warm flavor with a bit woodiness helps give the juices the pork is cooked in a little kick.Orange and lime juice – Fresh citrus juice as the base of the cooking juices makes the pork tenderloin extra zesty.
How To Make Instant Pot Carnitas
Mix all the rub ingredients together except the pork. Rub onto the pork tenderloin. Turn your Instant Pot on Sauté mode and add a drizzle of olive oil or avocado oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add rubbed pork tenderloin and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides. Add all the carnitas cooking juice ingredients to the Instant Pot over the browned pork. Secure lid and cook on Manual at high pressure for 15 minutes. Quick release, remove the pork and shred with a fork, potato masher, or a hand-held mixer on low.. Preheat your broiler. Place the carnitas you plan on serving on a parchment-lined baking sheet and ladle a bit of the cooking juice over them. Broil for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn, and stir if needed. Serve and enjoy!
Top Tips For Making
After rubbing the rub onto the pork tenderloin, if you have time, let it sit and dry marinade for up to two hours. I highly recommend it to let the seasonings soak in. Don’t ladle too much sauce in the broiling pan or the carnitas won’t crisp up! The secret to crispy carnitas is making sure to broil them long enough. If you aren’t cooking all of the carnitas at once, keep the pork with the juices in an airtight container in the fridge one week. Before serving each time, follow the broiling instructions. Don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker? This is one I have, and I highly recommend it!
More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Potato Salad Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken & Rice Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Thighs Instant Pot Dal
