Instant Pot Spicy Green Chile and Tomatillo Carnitas

I make a big batch of pork carnitas at least once a month since its easy, affordable, feeds us for days, and it’s crazy delicious! Having a batch of carnitas ready in the fridge is a great meal prep and we use it to make tacos, burritos, tostadas, and bowls.
Full disclosure: My local library has a book sale room that I visit often and I found a copy of this little book and bought it for $1 - The Pressure Cooker Cookbook - Williams Sonoma: amzn.to/4akpNdr
The recipe on page 29 is the inspiration for this video, but of course, I made many modifications based on what I had on hand and my own flavor preferences and experience with using my Instant Pot. It came out absolutely delicious! Steve said it was a little on the spicy side for him, but he still loved it. Dial back the peppers or just leave them out if spice is an issue for you.
Also, this was the first time I used my new Mueller Pro-Series for all of the prep work which is why all of the veggies came out so uniform in shape and size. I also made some Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots (future video) using the included fine slicer attachment - so fun! I’ll be pulling this out whenever I need to do a lot of prep. Here’s a link if you want to check it out: amzn.to/3JZoXbc
I think it’s my new favorite kitchen gadget!
**This video and description contain affiliate links. If you click on a product link, I will receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows me to make more videos. Thank you for the support!**
Instant Pot Duo 6qt: amzn.to/43bDS9Q
Today’s Ingredients:
For the Spice Mix:
1 TB salt
1 TB black pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
For the Carnitas:
3 lbs pork butt/shoulder, 3”-4” chunks
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
1 large onion, diced
8 oz fresh tomatillos, husked and small diced
2 large serrano peppers, seeded and diced
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 cup chicken broth (Better-than-Bouillon chicken flavor in the video)
OPTIONALS for Toppings/Garnishes: tortillas, tortilla chips, cilantro, pico de gallo, crema, limes wedges, serranos, jalapeños, cheese, hot sauce, etc.
Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the spice mix ingredients together thoroughly. Rub the mix all over the pieces of pork, thoroughly coating all sides.
2. Heat the pot on the highest sauté setting and add the oil when the display reads “HOT.” Once the oil is heated through, start browning the seasoned pork. Work in batches, adding a few pieces at a time to avoid overcrowding the pot. [Overcrowding will cause the meat to steam instead of browning to a nice, dark crust.] Take your time with this step as it will develop deep flavors in the final dish. Each side will take about 3-5 minutes to brown. Move the browned pieces to a holding tray.
3. Make sure you still have 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot (add more if you need to) and add the onions, tomatillos, serranos, and jalapeños. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the veggies are just softened. This step should take about 5 minutes.
4. Add minced garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring continuously, for just another minute.
5. Add chicken broth and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape up any stuck-on browned bits to avoid a burn warning later.
6. Return the browned meats and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Nestle the meat into the liquid in a single layer. It’s okay if they are not fully submerged - the liquid will steam and bubble up during pressure cooking.
7. Lock and seal the lid and cook on high for 40 minutes followed by a 15 minute natural pressure release. Release any remaining pressure before reopening the lid.
8. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat and veggies onto a sheet pan. Shred the meat as finely as you like.
9. Serve with optional tortillas and toppings and ENJOY!
BONUS OPTIONAL IDEAS:
• Save the cooking liquid for dipping tacos or sandwiches or use it to cook rice or beans.
• After shredding or just before serving, crisp up the meat under an over broiler or in a hot pan on the stovetop.

[@ReginaSober]

These turned out perfect! That is some delicious flavor 🥰

[@biggyrat1313]

I am growing tomatillos, can hardly wait to try them in this recipe.

[@NosieBee]

I'm jealous, I have a black thumb and can't grow a darn thing! Thanks so much for watching! 💖🐝

[@IndianHemlock]

Oh my , you over did it in this one !! That looks so delicious 😋!! Look at that juice, yum !! I could just eat a big bowl full of that all by itself !! Fantastic job Cam !! Have a great weekend, two thumbs up 👍🏻 👍🏻😊

[@NosieBee]

Thanks, Hemi! It is really delicious - I'm eating bowl of it over rice with veggies right now. Thanks so much for watching and you have a great weekend, too! 💖🐝

[@PDXTundra]

Winner-winner carnitas for dinner! The last time I went to Costco I picked up a package of boneless country style ribs that is of course pork shoulder. I have about 3.5 pounds of them left over that weren’t cooked so I sealed them and put them in the freezer. This is a great way to use them up! Looks great, Cam! Thanks!

[@NosieBee]

Thanks, Steve! Those country style ribs are such a great value at Costco! Thanks again for watching and I hope you like your dinner! Haha 💖🐝

[@miemie7683]

Yummy!

[@NosieBee]

Thanks! 💖🐝

[@sassy17]

omg this looks so good!!! :) man! we have pork in the freezer too. you did it again lol

[@NosieBee]

Haha! I actually dug out an 8 lb roast from my freezer for this. Used 3 lbs here and overnight oven-roasted the rest - all delicious! Thanks so much for watching, Jen!!! 💖🐝

[@sassy17]

@@NosieBee wowwwwwwww we probably have something like that in our freezer ahhahaha I should look

[@Heidishereandthere]

Looks fabulous! 🎉 Have a great weekend☺️🌄💐

[@NosieBee]

Thanks, Heidi! You, too!!! 💖🐝