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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!
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve however you desire - on AIP plantain wraps garnished with cilantro and avocado, or on a salad.
17 comments
[…] Pineapple Carnitas from Autoimmune Wellness *This delicious carnitas is made in the Instant Pot! […]
Sounds delicious! Any suggestions on how to make this using a slow cooker? Thanks! 🙂
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.
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!
Esti – I’m so glad this was a hit for you guys!
This looks so good I printed this and going to try it next week. Thank you
Hope you love it Judy!
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.
I’m so happy it worked for you! Enjoy!
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.
Woohoo! Thanks for the feedback Rebecca!
Delicious and super easy! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it Virginia!
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)
I’m so happy to hear Sloan!
This sounds lovely. Could this be frozen after cooking?
Hi Jen! Yes, you can freeze this recipe!