Pork Carnitas (Oven, Slow Cooker or Instant pot) (2024)

FAQs

Is carnitas better in Instant Pot or crock pot? ›

Both. The meat will be just as tender and delicious either way. Choose the slow cooker option if you want to get the carnitas started and then take off for the day. If you want the meat to be done in a couple of hours, pressure cook the meat in an Instant Pot.

Slow cooking the meat means it never has the chance to toughen up and will be extra silky and tender. Pressure cooking is faster, though you may lose a little bit of the tenderness. If you're going for the pressure cook method, be sure to get a pork shoulder or pork butt, as opposed to a pork loin.

Results: The oven roasting method using the pork shoulder definitely yielded the best results. The flavour of the pulled pork was amazing and the texture wasn't grainy or spongy like the pork that was cooked in the slow cooker (probably because the tenderloin is a much leaner cut).

An immediate release can be why your Instant Pot pulled pork is tough. It will cause the meat to seize and toughen. Avoid Using Pork Tenderloin.

If you are interested primarily in slow cooking, you should buy a dedicated slow cooker. They're more reliable with a range of slow-cooker recipes than an Instant Pot. We found Instant Pot multicookers specifically could not successfully slow-cook dense, high-volume recipes such as beef stew or pot roast.

The moist heat they provide softens the connective tissue that binds the muscle fibers in the meat, helping it to fall apart more easily.

Pork shoulder benefits from long, slow cooking that tenderizes the meat and melts the fat. The best cooking methods for pork shoulder are braising or stewing, but it may also be fried, baked, or made into ground pork.

It's because you haven't let the collagen break down. Extend the cook time, make sure there's enough liquid and keep an eye on the dish.

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

If the meat's not yet fall-apart tender, you can always cook the pork under pressure for another 5-10 minutes to get the right texture. Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl, and taste the cooking liquid remaining in the pot. Adjust the seasoning with water or salt if needed.

Why are my carnitas tough? ›

Carnitas doneness temps

The connective tissue needs to be heated to at least 170°F (77°C) to start to dissolve properly. If pulled at 145°F (63°C), pork shoulder will be inedibly tough. Most smoked pork shoulders are pulled in the temperature range of 195-205°F (91-96°C), and the same temperature will apply here.

At around 2 hours, your pork chops will be cooked through (145°F) and have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Between 3 to 6 hours, the chops will have a texture closer to pulled pork; it will be easy to cut with a fork and will pull easily from the bone.

Pork can be cooked in as little as 30 minutes and still have delicious flavor! Other recipes may take 30 minutes to prep and 6 hours to cook, but it is still simple to prepare. (Low and slow cooking is the only way to transform tough pork shoulder into succulent pulled pork.)

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.

Why are my Instant Pot pork chops tough? It's very important not to overcook your meat, as it can become tough. Watch the clock carefully so you release the pressure at exactly 10 minutes after the cook time. If you use thin cut chops, you also run the risk of overcooking the meat and rendering it to be tough.

At two hours in my slow cooker, my chops have a texture similar to chicken breast — tender, but firm. Cooked longer, from three to six hours, the texture ends up more like pulled pork; the meat starts falling off the bone and I can cut it with just a fork.