Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Freezer Meal Kit)

Pork carnitas for the Instant Pot are a quick, delicious, and easy way to make taco night at home!

They also make a banging’ freezer meal kit; I prep the ingredients for these pork carnitas ahead of time and store in bags in the freezer. Then, it’s just a quick cook in the IP and a light char under the broiler before we’re packing taco shells and adding our favorite toppings.

One thing I love about taco freezer meal kits is that they can be so versatile! 

Want vegetarian tacos? Pulled pork tacos? Shredded chicken tacos? Done, done, done. Just pack everything up in their separate bags or containers and store it in the freezer for a day when you have a taco hankering. 

Why go to the trouble of making a freezer meal kit?

Putting together a freezer meal taco kit also frees you up to have a little fun on the night of. You can whip up a batch of salsa, or get creative with handmade tortillas. Since the rest of the work putting the taco packets has been done already, you’ve got the extra time! 

It’s also handy to be able to make a freezer meal kit that covers all your bases, so if you’ve got someone at dinner who doesn’t eat meat, the vegetarian taco option is there if they need it. 

A few words about the Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

I make these pork carnitas in the Instant Pot since doing so is usually much faster. 

The pork cooks in about 30 minutes under high pressure, so coupled with the time it takes the Instant Pot to come to pressure and do a natural release, you’re looking at about 45 minutes to an hour of cook time. 

Read: DIY Freezer Meal Kits Will Save Your Weeknight Dinner

If you don’t have an Instant Pot or you’re looking to make the pork carnitas in the slow cooker, then cook for about 4 hours on high and 6 on low, until the pork can be easily shredded. 

Other substitutions you can add to your freezer meal taco kits:

It doesn’t have to be exactly what I have below. Play around with your freezer meal kits to adjust them to your favorite taco flavors! 

• Roasted, cubed sweet potatoes
• Shredded chicken
• Grilled fish
• Grilled shrimp
• Shredded beef

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas (Freezer Meal Kit)

Ruthy Kirwan

Pork Carnitas for the instant pot (or slow cooker) – the perfect freezer kit to keep on hand so you can throw it together on a busy night.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Course Dinner

Servings 4

Equipment

• 1 Instant Pot
• 1 7 QT Slow Cooker
• 1 Full-Size Sheet Pan, 11 x 7 inch

Ingredients

  

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For the pork:

• 4- pound boneless pork shoulder or butt cut into chunks
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 6- ounce light beer such as pilsner

for the Quick-Pickled Onions:

• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

Prep Ahead:

• Pack corn tortillas, cooked pork carnitas, and pickled red onion in individual bags.
• Stores for up to 3 months in the freezer

Prepare From Prepped:

• Store bags or containers together and thaw in the fridge overnight before heating up the pork, or thaw under cold running water before heating and serving.

Make From Fresh:

Instant Pot:

• Place all ingredients in Instant Pot and secure the lid.
• Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.
• While the Instant Pot is releasing steam, preheat the broiler on high
• Shred the pork using two forks before serving.
• Transfer the shredded pork to a large sheet pan and place under the broiler.
• Broil for 3-5 minutes, until the tips of the pork are charred.
• Remove from the broiler and turn it off. When cool enough to handle, stir the pork on the sheet pan, mixing the charred bits in with the rest.
• Serve with taco shells and your favorite taco toppings.

For Crockpot:

• Place all ingredients in crockpot and secure lid.
• Cook on low for 5 hours or until pork easily shreds apart when pulled with a fork.
• Preheat the broiler to high.
• Transfer the shredded pork to a large sheet pan and place under the broiler.
• Broil for 3-5 minutes, until the tips of the pork are charred.
• Remove from the broiler and turn it off. When cool enough to handle, stir the pork on the sheet pan, mixing the charred bits in with the rest.
• Serve with taco shells and your favorite taco toppings.

For Quick-Pickled Red Onion:

• Whisk liquid ingredients together in a small bowl until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
• Pour over the top of the sliced onions and let sit for 1 hour.
• If freezing, remove onion slices from the pickling mix before storing them in their own container with a tight-fitting lid or Ziploc bag.

Notes

There’s nothing quite like a full taco kit from the freezer and giving it a quick thaw before throwing together an easy dinner? Instant Pot pork carnitas takes a fraction of the time that stovetop carnitas does, and quick pickling of red onions last surprisingly well in either the fridge or the freezer. They lose a bit of crispness but retain all their flavor.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Read: Here’s What You Need to Know About Batching Sheet Pan Meals for the Freezer