Garlic Citrus Pork Carnitas [Instant Pot, Paleo]
Years ago I had a friend whose culinary gift I would say I downright envied.
She would always bring (by request) to every get-together the most incredibly crispy Pork Carnitas!
Needless to say she was super popular and well-received at parties.
Maria was an amazing cook, and so was everyone in her family.
She was also delighted to share her pork carnitas recipe with me, but I have to say it was an all-day process!
The long and slow cooking made it a very impractical dish to serve on a regular basis, so of course I went back to just longing for Maria's carnitas as the years passed.
You already know of my cooking funk so naturally, the famous carnitas never even crossed my mind in this hectic activity-filled schedule I've had as a mom...Until...my Instant Pot Cooking discovery!
Seriously guys, I don't mean to brag, but I really wish I had kept in touch with Maria so I could wow her with this new version my hubby and I developed after some changes. Her original recipe had bay leaves and lime, we took out the bay leaves, added cinnamon sticks and also added orange juice! It is divine!
Not to mention time efficient in the Instant Pot AND for me Paleo!
MAKE AHEAD TIP: I also like to make it ahead of time, refrigerate, and only leave the crisping in the oven and basting to do on the day we will be eating it, just before we serve it. Yeah, it's impressive to pull this typically labor-intensive meal out of the oven in front of your guests! Uh huh, we Real Moms Wing It like that!
So, without further ado, I will share the fabulous Garlic Citrus Pork Carnitas recipe with you all in case your dream is to also own a Taco Truck like me!
Yeah think of the deliciousness possibilities this makes!
Citrus Pork Carnitas (Instant Pot-Ready, Paleo)
Ingredients for Rub/Marinate:
3 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground chipotle chile pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast, excess fat trimmed, cubed
Mix all ingredients together, coat the pork and marinade for at least 2 hours.
[*** This marinating step is totally my preference, but not essential. Lately, I've been pressed for time and just rub the ingredients and place in the Instant Pot right away to saute then add the rest of the ingredients below and cook for the 30 minutes. Then crisp and baste on baking sheet.]
Remove pork from marinade and use Saute function of the Instant Pot to brown all the pieces. Then add them back into the pot and continue:
Add in Ingredients:
2 onions, quartered
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups fresh orange juice
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
Lock on the lid and cook in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 30 minutes. Natural release. Remove pork, shred then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes for crispy ends, stir and baste the pork with some of the juices from the Instant Pot. Broil an additional 3 minutes or until desired crisp.
You can use the remaining juices to dip!
Use this for incredible pork sandwiches, tacos, salads, and whatever your heart desires!
Let us know if you try it! We love hearing from you!
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