Instant Pot Pork Carnitas have quickly become a staple in our house since we started with Butcher Box! There meats are incredible and ! their pork butts are always tender and perfect! While I enjoy slow cooking my pork butt, most days I just don’t have the time. I am not a huge crock pot person unless I am making chili, then a crock pot is a must. I also bad at remembering to put it on early enough to slow cook it. Lately, I started cooking it in the instant pot so we can have Pork Carnitas for dinner during the week.
The Rub:
My husband and I were watching our morning news show and they had a person on making baby back ribs. When they were preparing the ribs they suggested using mustard to help the rub stick to the meat. I tried it with our ribs the next day and it help the rub to stick and add so much flavor to the meat, so I decided to try it with the Pork Butt and wow did it make a difference.
As for the rub itself I tweaked my Pork Rub recipe, reducing the Sage and changing the amount of the the other spices till I got the perfect combination!
Avocado Lime Aioli
For the Aioli, add the avocado (peeled and pitted), mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic powder and sea salt to a bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend it up until a creamy sauce is formed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender.
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas are also great for meal prep. When I was physically going to work, I would make a large pork butt and use the meat through out the week for Carnitas, on Salad and my favorite Pork Bowl (which I need to add, because it’s easy and delicious). The pork bowl is just Quinoa, Shredded Carrots, Pork and the Italian Dressing from my Quinoa Salad. You can use any dressing you like though!
PrintRecipe
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas with Avocado Lime Aioli
The perfect blend of spice to create the ultimate rub Rub with a tender yet crispy shredded pork, paired with a Avocado Lime Aioli.
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Pork Carnitas
- 3–4 pound Bone-in Pork Butt/Shoulder
- 2 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
Avocado Lime Aioli
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 Avocado peeled and pitted
- Juice of 1 Lime
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Start by trimming excess fat off of your pork butt and cover with mustard
- Mix the spices together and sprinkle the entire over the porkbutt, the mustard will help the rub stick to the meat
- Place your Pork Butt in the Instant Pot and fill the Instant Pot with water until the Pork is ⅔ covered with water
- Close your Instant Pot and set it to “manual” for 70 minute, approximately 20 minutes per pound. Manually release when done. (If using a slow cooker set for 7-8 hours)
- Use a fork and shred the pork and place it on a sheet pan (or in a cast iron skillet) and broil for 5 minutes or until desired crisp. Be sure to watch the meat/leave the stove cracked as it can burn if left in to long.
- For the Aioli, add the avocado (peeled and pitted), mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic powder and sea salt to a bowl. Use an immersion blender and blend until a creamy sauce is formed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender.
- Enjoy!!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Tamara
If making in a slow cooker, no need for the water, right? Thank you!