Meal Prep: Pressure Cooker Crispy Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
Directions
- Mix cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon together in a bowl; add pork and toss to coat. Transfer pork to your pressure cooker and let stand 15 to 30 minutes.
- Pour chicken broth, orange juice, and lime juice over the pork; add garlic and bay leaves.
- Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to Sealing.
- Select Pressure Cook (Manual) and cook for 50 minutes on High pressure.
- Once the cooking cycle has completed allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then set steam vent to Venting to quick-release remaining pressure.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (235°C).
- Remove the pork to a rimmed baking sheet, reserving juices in the pressure cooker. Breaking pork chunks slightly with a fork.
- Bake in preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes.
- Skim fat from the liquid in the pressure cooker. Remove and discard bay leaves. Pour liquid over the pork to serve.
Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats." This classic Mexican dish originates from the state of is a dish of Michoacán. For a traditional carnitas meal, serve with warm corn tortillas, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and chopped fresh cilantro, but you can also use this in a variety of applications. Make the meat in advance and have it ready for a quick reheat for a few easy weeknight meals.
Reviews
What others are saying
Chris S says:
Easy and tasty. Great for tacos. I finished it off under the broiler for extra crispiness.
Karin Cintron says:
Definitely making this one again! The pork was fork tender and full of flavor. The extra step of crisping it in the oven added great texture and authenticity.
Jean Carsey says:
I made it exactly by the recipe and we thought it was great!
Marieli Gomez says:
My family loves it, great taste Thank you
Jazzy Brewer says:
Instead of a meal prep I served this for dinner and we used to meat in burritos. Definitely one of our family favorites.
Hector Jonass says:
Taco Tuesday! The garlic and citrus were perfect in this. I did the finishing step under the broiler to get the pork extra crispy. It wasn't quite as "extra" as I'd hoped, but it was good! The taco truck up the street still has me beat, but I could give them a run with this, I swear! They still have better hot sauce, though. Might take too long to be a weeknight recipe depending on when you can start cooking, but you could certainly make this on a Sunday and reheat the meat on Tuesday.
Christina Galvan Thompson says:
So so yummy !! I did it over yellow rice for us and it was delicious! So easy too. Started it when I made the kids dinner and it was done in time for us to eat all together !
Laura Griffin says:
I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! My boyfriend is the biggest carnitas fan, and he loved it so much he thought I ordered it from his favorite restaurant. I'm still new to pressure cooking, but you wouldn't know it by how easy this dish was for me to make. The orange and lime juice addition was also perfect! I can't wait to make these again.
Jessica Scott says:
I made these carnitas the other night in my pressure cooker and they came out perfect! This is such an easy recipe to follow and the cooking method makes it quicker than slow cooking or smoking for hours. My husband couldn't figure out how I was able to get the meat crispy on the outside. Putting it on the oven for 10 minutes does the trick. You can use the meat for all sorts of things, like tacos, nachos, etc. Definitely one of my favorite dishes!