The BEST Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Recipe - So Tasty! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good carnitas? ›

Carnitas seasoning – rub pork with a simple spice mix of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Flavour for cooking – top pork in slow cooker with onion, garlic and jalapeño, then pour over orange juice (the secret ingredient!).

If you find that your instapot pulled pork is tough after cooking, it's likely because you did a quick pressure release instead of a natural pressure release.

The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy.

Adding the oranges is very much like braising pork Cuban-style for the traditional cubano sandwich. The milk acts as a tenderizer, a secret I learned while growing up watching dad make his carnitas which, by the way, were always exceptionally tender.

Oven temps for perfect carnitas

For our carnitas, we want the temperature of the confit cooking fat to be about 200°F (93°C) or a little higher. At this temperature, we won't be drying out the surface of the meat cubes while we heat their centers.

Pork shoulder: Traditionally, carnitas is made with pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) because of its higher fat content. The fat helps to keep the meat extremely juicy and tender while cooking.

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time.

Pork shoulder and butt contain tons of fat that keeps the meat juicy and soft when cooking. Your meat could not shred properly if you attempted to smoke a leaner cut, such as tenderloin.

Overcooked pork can turn into a dry and tough mess. Once the meat is cooked beyond its optimal temperature, it loses most of its natural moisture and becomes dry and tasteless. The texture of the meat changes, and it becomes stringy and tough. Unfortunately, once overcooked, there's no way to salvage the dish.

Coca-Cola Carnitas es muy delicioso! The sugar in the soda helps to caramelize the meat, and whatever else they put in the cola gives it that slight smokiness. Or maybe it's the smoked paprika that gives the smokiness.

How do Mexicans eat carnitas? ›

Most Mexicans eat their carnitas in tacos, although this may vary depending on the state. What all Mexicans seem to agree on is that carnitas is better consumed with sauces and condiments. Cilantro, onion, cheese, lime and “pico de gallo” are some of the usual additions to your carnitas taco.

Apple juice can be used in carnitas in place of orange juice. If using apple juice, you can add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to increase the acidity. You can also use lime juice, lemon juice, or a combination of any of these.

Use a broiler to concentrate the flavor

Do you see that gorgeous caramelization on the outside of the meat? That isn't just for looks my friend! That concentrated flavor makes the whole recipe shine. So, take the extra 3 minutes to put the finished carnitas under the broiler.

A surprising ingredient here, sweetened condensed milk, helps the pork caramelize during cooking. Source a well-marbled pork roast for this recipe; the extra fat doubles down on the rich pork flavor.

They cook at the same temperature over several hours either way. Can you overcook carnitas in slow cooker? Any cut of meat can become overcooked, even in the crockpot.

To spice up bland carnitas, try adding extra seasoning such as chili powder, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or diced jalapeños for a kick of heat. You can also experiment with different herbs and spices to tailor the flavor to your liking.

Absolutely! Searing the meat before adding it to the slow cooker helps the meat to be even more flavorful and helps the texture of the meat to be much better. After seasoning the two pork tenderloins with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, you are going to want to sear them in olive oil.

Vegetable oil: Traditional carnitas recipes use lard as their cooking fat, but we'll use vegetable or canola oil today. Pork shoulder roast: The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder AKA pork butt AKA Boston butt because it is well-marbled with fat and cooks up incredibly tender with a long braise.

Pulled Pork. Both carnitas and pulled pork are cooked slowly for several hours, and great to make in the slow cooker or instant pot. Unlike pulled pork, however, carnitas are finished by roasting the meat in the oven until browned and crisp.