Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Paleo, Whole30, Keto Friendly
Coated in a homemade spice blend then simmered in fresh lemon and lime juice, these healthy pork carnitas are tender and savory, with a hint of tang. It is simple to make, requiring only 25 minutes of hands on time. Try this easy recipe for the next Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, or pot luck!
Why I Love This Recipe
These healthy shredded pork carnitas are a delicious addition to any Mexican themed dinner! They are delicious served in hard and soft shelled tacos, in rice bowls, or on top of a crisp salad drizzled with your favorite dressing!
We love topping them with homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, lettuce, even coleslaw!! (You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the need for coleslaw out of the girl!!😜)
Prepare though! While there is not much of hands on time, there is a lot cook time. However, the cook time is in an Instant Pot, which means you can set it and forget it! I'll often put these on to cook late morning, run errands or take my boys to playdates, and return to to the heavenly smell of cooked carnitas. The only steps left to do are to shred and crisp the meat for serving! Is it Taco Tuesday yet??
Cooking Tips
If you don't want to use your hands to season the meat, put the seasoning blend in a gallon food storage bag. Add the pork, close the bag tightly, and shake to coat all the meat.
If you want to add some heat to these healthy Instant Pot Carnitas add about ¼ teaspoon of cayenne to the spice blend.
I like to shred the carnitas pretty finely but you can also just break it into larger hunks of meat and brown that way!
Make sure you use a non-stick skillet! I tried this recipe in a stainless steel skillet and it led to meat sticking to the pan and much frustration. Don't let this happen to you!
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Carnitas {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
Equipment
- 1 8 quart Instant Pot
- 1 skillet
- 1 large bowl
- forks
- kitchen tongs
Ingredients
- 5 lbs pork butt trimmed and cut in 3" chunks
- 1½ tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 med onion sliced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic crushed
- ⅓ cup pure lemon juice
- ⅓ cup pure lime juice
- 1½-2 cups chicken broth to almost cover meat
Instructions
- In a small bowl add spice blend: salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper. Use fork to mix spices until well combined.
- Spread meat out on a meat safe cutting board and season the chunks of pork generously on all sides until completely coated. Use all of the spice mix.
- Place seasoned pork into an 8 quart instant pot. Add onions and garlic. Add lemon juice, lime juice, and chicken broth to mostly cover the meat. Its ok to have some meat poking out the top.
- Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook 75 mins*. When meat is finished cooking allow the Instant Pot to naturally release steam for at least 10 minutes to help keep the meat tender.
- When you're ready to serve, manually release the remaining steam. Make sure to protect your hand with an oven mitt or dish cloth during this process. Take the meat out into a large bowl and shred it with two forks.
- Warm a large non stick skillet on MED heat. Spray well with cooking spray. Spread meat out in a thin layer along the entire bottom of the pan (the meat can be crowded in the bottom). Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes on the first side. Then use kitchen tongs to flip the meat and allow to cook undisturbed another 1-2 minutes. I use a 12" skillet for this step and it takes me 2 batches to cook all of the meat.
- When meat is browned and crisped to your liking, remove from heat. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
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