Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Tacos

These Instant Pot pork carnitas tacos are not only delicious they are also easy to make and pair with your favorite tortillas! Made in the instant pot they are a healthy addition to your family’s taco night.

What is carnitas?

Carnitas literally means little meats in Spanish. It is the term used for Mexican pulled pork. Authentic carnitas is usually an inexpensive cut of pork such as pork shoulder or picnic ham braised in lard. While those are delicious I came up with an easier and much healthier way to cook them using the Instant Pot. The result is less greasy but equally as delicious.

What makes this a great family meal?

Firstly, this is an extremely economical way to feed a large family. The cut of meat used for these tacos it is often cheaper than ground beef per pound. You can use anything from a butt roast to a shoulder roast. I have even used a half tenderloin. The tenderloin is leaner so it won’t be as juicy but it is great if you are looking for a leaner dinner option. Secondly, this is overall a fast way to cook a cut of meat that would otherwise take hours by cooking it in the Instant Pot.

The Instant Pot

If you have never heard of the Instant Pot it is pretty much a pressure cooker. Just a well-marketed one if you know what I mean. My husband got me one for our anniversary a few years back,(Amateurs get their wives flowers and chocolates. You know it is true love when he buys you a pressure cooker.) and it has served us well. We were about to have our fourth baby so he got the 8 qt size one and let me tell you that was smart because we now have five boys! So far the 8 qt has been able to keep up with our growing family. Mine came with 8 different customizable options and it has worked out great for everything from hard-boiled eggs to pot roasts.

Ingredients

• 2-4 lbs butt pork roast, picnic roast, or any other cut used for pulled pork
• Taco seasoning store-bought or homemade
• 3 bell peppers green or tri-color
• 1 red onion
• tortillas of your choice (I personally like these tacos with homemade corn tortillas)
• cilantro and salsa to taste

Preparation

Start about an hour before you want dinner ready by seasoning the roast. Rub the taco seasoning generously on the meat like a dry rub.

Next, put the roast in the Instant Pot with about half a cup of water or stock. Set it on Meat or Manual for one hour to an hour and 45 minutes depending on how big of a roast you are cooking.

In the meantime, you have time to prep tortillas if making homemade or make sides. You can also just relax and let the Instant Pot do all the work.

Once the timer is about halfway I start heating up a cast iron skillet on medium heat. While that’s heating up I cut up some bell peppers and onion. You can also add some mushrooms or even greens, although this isn’t traditional I always like to add veggies to my kid’s diets, and adding them to their tacos is a simple way to do it.

I then sautée the onions and peppers in the cast iron skillet.

You want to cook them until soft or caramelized. I went somewhere in between this time.

A quick note if you are cooking the tortillas at home I would be doing that now.

When the instant pot beeps the pork carnitas should be done. Release the pressure by turning the gauge on the lid. Once the pressure has been released, transfer the pork carnitas to a glass bowl and shred them.

Add the shredded pork carnitas that you cooked in the Instant Pot to the cast iron skillet. This will really bring out the flavor.

When they are slightly browned they are ready to be served.

Want to learn how to make authentic corn tortillas?

Read my post about the tortillas I used to make these tacos, and learn how to make the best homemade corn tortillas.

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