Instant Pot Pineapple Carnitas

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Using an Instant Pot is one of the quickest and foolproof ways to turn a big hunk of meat into tender, shreddable protein to use in tacos, salads, or to top vegetable dishes. I love this recipe because it is dead easy and incredibly delicious. The secret to juicy and tender meat using the Instant Pot is to allow the dish to depressurize naturally — do not use the quick-release method for this one!

If you are looking for a recipe for wraps, try the AIP Plantain Wrap recipe here on the AW blog — they make a fantastic compliment to these carnitas!


5.0 from 3 reviews
Instant Pot Pineapple Carnitas
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon solid cooking fat
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 14-ounce can crushed pineapple
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 pound pork shoulder roast, cut into 6-8 pieces
Instructions
  1. Place the cooking fat in the bottom of the Instant Pot and turn on the saute function. When the fat has melted and the pot is hot, add the onion, and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Turn off the heat.
  2. Add the pineapple, salt, spices, and shoulder roast pieces and stir to coat the meat with the mixture. Close and lock the lid and set to manual - high pressure for 75 minutes.
  3. When the timer goes off, turn the warming function off and allow to depressurize naturally. This step is essential for tender carnitas. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  4. When the pot has depressurized, carefully remove the lid and transfer the meat chunks to a baking sheet with a slotted spoon. They should be completely tender and falling apart. Place in the oven to cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the edges crisp up.
  5. Serve however you desire - on AIP plantain wraps garnished with cilantro and avocado, or on a salad.

About Mickey Trescott

Mickey Trescott is a co-founder here at Autoimmune Wellness and a co-teacher of AIP Certified Coach. After recovering from her own struggle with both Celiac and Hashimoto’s disease, adrenal fatigue, and multiple vitamin deficiencies, Mickey started to write about her experience to share with others and help them realize they are not alone in their struggles. She has a Master's degree in Human Nutrition and Functional Nutrition, and is the author of three best-selling books--The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook, and The Nutrient-Dense Kitchen. You can watch her AIP cooking demos by following her on Instagram.

15 comments

  • […] Pineapple Carnitas from Autoimmune Wellness *This delicious carnitas is made in the Instant Pot! […]

  • Audry says

    Sounds delicious! Any suggestions on how to make this using a slow cooker? Thanks! 🙂

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Audry! Pressure-cooker recipes don’t convert well to the slow cooker because liquid requirements are wildly different. I would pick a recipe that calls for that cooking method. We have a few under the “recipes” tab on our site.

      • Esti says

        Made a double portion for my large family tonight and holy moly was it a huge hit with EVERYONE. From the 9 year old through to my college kid. There’s enough for a few people to have lunch tomorrow and I’m guessing it’ll be a race to the fridge!

        I did avocado, cilantro and super thin sliced purple cabbage on cassava wraps. For the non aip folks I served it on tortillas with the above plus roasted red peppers, queso fresco and mexican crema. There were a lot of joyful food noises going on during dinner tonight lol Fire recipe!

        • Mickey Trescott says

          Esti – I’m so glad this was a hit for you guys!

  • Judy says

    This looks so good I printed this and going to try it next week. Thank you

  • Lauren says

    I made this last night and the whole house went wild for them! Easily going into the rotation on the regular. I’m new to AIP, thank you for making this delicious recipe. I didn’t change anything, other than using pork butt instead of shoulder because that’s what I could find. I also topped with pickled ren onions, cilantro, lime juice, and ate it on top of a bed of greens, and also lettuce wraps because I didn’t have any compliant wraps handy. So amazing.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      I’m so happy it worked for you! Enjoy!

  • Rebecca Schoon says

    Wow – SO easy! And SO delicious! There a lot of good carnitas recipes out there, but the crushed pineapple (of which I was skeptical at first) was a secret, special flavor-enhancer that has made this my new favorite carnitas go-to.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Woohoo! Thanks for the feedback Rebecca!

  • Virginia Drummond says

    Delicious and super easy! Thanks for sharing!

  • Sloan Foxe Ashley says

    I made this for my family a few weeks ago, my husband said it was the best thing he’s ever tasted! GOING TO MAKE IT AGAIN, but this time with homemade tortillas! Thank you so much for doing all the leg work and test kitchen stuff! Adore your cook books! (can barely read the recipes the pages
    are so worn)

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