Name: Crispy Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 lb pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 1 white onion, quartered; 1 orange, juiced, peel reserved; ¼ cup lime juice; 1 cup chicken broth; 2 bay leaves; Corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges to serve

Crispy Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

Pork shoulder pressure-cooked meltingly tender in under an hour, then blasted under the broiler for the crisp, caramelized edges carnitas are supposed to have.

Serves

Prep

15 min

Cook

75 min

Written

July 31, 2026

Method

Season the pork chunks all over with the salt, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon.

Set the Instant Pot to sauté, heat the oil, and brown the pork in batches until deeply colored on at least two sides, about 8 minutes a batch.

Return all the pork to the pot with the garlic, onion, orange juice and reserved peel, lime juice, broth, and bay leaves.

Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before opening.

Lift the pork out, discard the bay leaves and orange peel, and shred the meat with two forks, moistening it with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid.

Spread the shredded pork on a sheet pan, spoon some of the fat skimmed off the liquid over the top, and broil until the edges crisp and char in spots, 5 to 8 minutes.

Pile onto warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

The broiler is doing the job a three-hour simmer in lard usually does — the pressure cooker gets the meat fall-apart tender in under an hour, and a few minutes under high heat gives the shredded edges the same crackle and char without a pot to babysit all afternoon.

Skim the fat rather than pouring it off; it’s what crisps under the broiler and carries most of the flavor. Leftovers reheat by going straight back under the broiler for a minute — they crisp up better the second time than most things do.