• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Keeping It Simple Blog

  • All Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • About Us
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here Home » Recipes » food

    By: Melissa

    Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas

    Pork Carnitas is the perfect filling for so many recipes and finding time to cook an entire roast pork for this can be challenging. That's where this pressure cooker pork carnitas recipe comes in handy! In less than 45 minutes (including the rest time) you can have an entire pork butt roast cooked up nice and tender and meat that will last you all week for so many different meals. This pressure cooker carnitas recipe is definitely one to add to your meal rotation!

    pressure cooker pork carnitas
    Jump to Recipe
    Total Time: 43 minutes minutes

    About these pressure cooker pork carnitas

    I love making pork carnitas because it is so versatile in how it is used and so big on flavor. I normally make carnitas in the oven or slow cooker but sometimes you just want a quicker cooking meal and that is where these pressure cooker carnitas come in.

    For this pressure cooker carnitas recipe, I seasoned my the pork for the carnitas with Ancho Chile to give it a nice kick of heat and wonderful flavor. I also know that I will be using the meat throughout the week in different dishes that go well with this flavor.

    If the dishes you are using are different in flavor profiles, then just leave out the spices until you are ready to use the meat. For some inspiration on what to serve with these pressure cooker pork carnitas, you may like my Pulled Pork bowl , pulled pork sliders or if you just want a delicious side to go along with it then you may like my Cumin and Lime Slaw or pulled pork side dishes, all really easy to make and delicious.

    Ingredients you will need

    There are not many ingredients in this pressure cooker carnitas recipe. Here is what they are:

    1. Pork butt. Pork butt, is what I prefer to use when making carnitas but you can also use pork shoulder. Both are great cuts for slow cooking, roasting and stewing.
    2. Ancho chiles. This will give the pressure cooker carnitas a nice smoky flavor.
    3. Garlic
    4. Olive oil
    5. Kosher salt and pepper 
    6. Orange juice

    How to make pressure cooker carnitas

    Making these pressure cooker pork carnitas is as simple as adding everything into the pressure cooker and closing the lid to cook.

    Here is what the steps look like:

    1. Cut the pork into large cubes. Cutting the pork up into large pieces allows the pork to cook faster and evenly.
    2. Brown the pork pieces in the pressure cooker for just a couple of minutes.
    3. Add remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker.
    4. Place the lid on and seal.
    5. Cook for about 40 -45 minutes or until the meat is nice and tender.

    Crisping up the pork carnitas

    pressure cooker carnitas

    Technically, carnitas should be crisped up to be considered carnitas. This is the main difference between pulled pork and carnitas.

    If you want to crisp up these pressure cooker carnitas, here is what you do:

    • After the pork is done cooking and being shredded, add it back to the pot with the juices and mix well.
    • Now remove the shredded pork from the pressure cooker with tongs and place on to a large sheet pan.
    • Place under a broiler set to high for 2-3 minutes or until crisped up nicely.

    Using a pressure cooker for the carnitas

    There are many different types of pressure cookers available today but I prefer the stovetop kind because it offers better searing and faster cooking which yields a better and more nutritious dish.

    Whatever model you decide on using to make the pork carnitas, always make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions since they all vary greatly.

    Tips and variations

    You can add more spice to the carnitas to add to the depth of flavor. This recipe utilizes ancho chiles as the main spice to keep things simple. Here are some great spice additions you can add as well:

    • Extra Citrus. I love using fresh squeezed oranges in my carnitas.
    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Cumin
    • Chili powder

    Whether you make these pressure cooker carnitas your own or make it as is, it will be delicious.

    Pairing ideas

    Here are some of our favorite things to serve with these pressure cooker pork carnitas:

    • creamy cilantro dressing top view
      Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
    • poblano cream sauce
      Poblano Cream Sauce
    • closeup of Mexican rice
      Quick Spanish Rice (Mexican Rice)
    • chips and pico de gallo top view
      Easy Pico de Gallo Recipe

    More like this

    If you love these pressure cooker carnitas, you may also like these:

    • roast pork tenderloin
      Baked Pork Tenderloin with Mesquite Rub
    • juicy boneless pork chops after pan sear
      The Best Juicy Boneless Pork Chops
    • pulled pork bowl
      Pulled Pork Bowl (Pulled Pork with Sides)
    • Mexican barbacoa
      Mexican Barbacoa
    pressure cooker pork carnitas
    Print Recipe
    5 from 4 votes

    Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas

    A quick and delicious pork dish perfect on its own or in so many dishes
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time38 minutes mins
    Total Time43 minutes mins
    Servings: 6 people

    Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

    Author: Melissa

    Equipment

    • pressure cooker

    Ingredients

    • 1 3-4 pound pork butt (shoulder) cut into large chunks
    • 1 small can of ancho chiles in their juice
    • 5 cloves of garlic
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt and pepper plus more to taste
    • ½ cup orange juice
    Follow Keeping It Simple Blog On Pinterest

    Instructions

    • In your pressure cooker, add your olive oil over medium heat and pre-heat for about 2-3 minutes
      2 tablespoon olive oil
    • Add your pork that has been cut up into large pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brown them on all sides
      1 3-4 pound pork butt (shoulder) cut into large chunks, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and pepper
    • Now add your ancho chiles, garlic and orange juice.
      1 small can of ancho chiles in their juice, 5 cloves of garlic, ½ cup orange juice
    • Close your pressure cooker by placing the lid on and sealing it and cook your meat set to high pressure cooking for about 40 minutes. Each pressure cooker will be different so follow the manufacturers instructions for this.
    • Once the 40 minutes is up, use the natural release method (this is basically just pulling it off the heat if it is a stovetop pressure cooker or turning it off if it's electric) on your pressure cooker to release the steam. Follow your manufacturers instructions for this.
    • Once all the pressure has been released, remove the lid and check for doneness. You should be able to shred your pork with two forks at this point. If it is not done yet, seal the cooker back up and add another 15 minutes of cooking time and then follow the natural release method.
    • Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the cooker with tongs being careful not to let it fall back into the hot juices where it can splash you.
    • Shred the pork with two forks and add it back into the pressure cooker with all of the yummy juices and mix well.
    • Serve with warmed tortillas, rice or with your favorite veggies.

    Notes

    I LOVE MAKING A PULLED PORK RICE BOWL
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 41kcal | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition Values are estimates only.

    See full nutrition disclaimer here
    Course :Main Course

    More food

    • banana coffee cake
      Moist and Fluffy Banana Coffee Cake
    • peanut butter cookies
      Homemade Old-Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
    • au jus from pan drippings
      Au Jus Recipe: Easy And Delicious
    • Slicing boneless prime rib
      Boneless Prime Rib Roast with Au Jus

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Maureen says

      November 02, 2021 at 10:28 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Made quick carnitas and they were tasty! We did add a little citrus but followed the rest of the recipe as is.

      Reply
    2. Tina says

      September 05, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      I like the idea of using ancho chiles. I was surprised you didn't use cumin, garlic or lime rinds. Don't have ancho in a can but I will rehydrate some, blend them up and use them along with the spices I normally use. I'll let you know how it goes.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        September 06, 2021 at 4:08 pm

        The ancho chiles are so full of flavor! I love your idea for spice additions. Let me know how it turns out 🙂

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Zucchini Pudding • Keeping It Simple Blog says:
      August 12, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      […] serving this as a side dish, I love serving it along side some chorizo tacos or a nice meat roast. Pork Carnitas goes really well with this zucchini pudding as […]

      Reply
    2. The Most Amazing Pulled Pork and Sides • Keeping It Simple Blog says:
      October 30, 2020 at 6:57 pm

      […] you do not have a slow cooker but maybe you have a pressure cooker, you can check out my recipe for pulled pork in the pressure cooker. It is my recipe for pressure cooker pork carnitas and it is equally […]

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Keeping It Simple Blog!

    keeping it simple blog portrait

    I am so excited you are here. My name is Melissa and I started this recipe website a few years ago to share recipes that I have been cooking for family and friends for years.

    More about me →

    Try Out These Easy Dinner Favorites!

    • cheese tortellini closeup
      Cheese Tortellini with Brown Butter Sage Sauce
      Cook Time30 Minutes
    • ham and cheese pasta
      Creamy Ham and Cheese Pasta
      Cook Time20 Minutes
    • pot roast sandwich
      Pot Roast Sandwich
      Cook Time40 Minutes
    • closeup of white wine garlic butter sauce
      White Wine Garlic Butter Sauce For Pasta
      Cook Time25 Minutes
    • cheesesteak
      Easy Philly Cheesesteaks
      Cook Time30 Minutes
    • air fryer hot dogs in bun copy
      The Best Air Fryer Hot Dogs
      Cook Time5 Minutes
    • closeup of blackened tuna
      Blackened Seared Tuna
      Cook Time25 Minutes
    • seared pork chops
      Quick Seared Pork Chops
      Cook Time34 Minutes

    More recipes →

    Featured In:

    logos of publications that Keeping It Simple Blog has been featured in

    Footer

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Featured In

    logos of publications that Keeping It Simple Blog has been featured in

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Accessibility

    Newsletter

    Contact

    Copyright © KeepingItSimpleBlog