Chicken Carnitas (Instant Pot)
The Instant Pot is the ultimate shortcut to crispy, delicious chicken carnitas flavored with lime, Tex-Mex spices, citrus, and garlic.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth or beer
- ¼ cup orange juice no pulp, freshly squeezed if possible
- ¼ cup lime juice
- low carb flour tortillas for serving
- fresh chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Lightly pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels. In a small mixing bowl, combine cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken breasts.
- Cook the chicken. Press the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken breasts to the heated olive oil and brown on both sides. You will have to do this in batches; do not try to sear all chicken breasts at once. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Sauté the onions. Add the diced onions to the Instant Pot; if needed, add the rest of the olive oil. Cook the onions for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.
- Deglaze the pot. Stir in the chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the Pot while stirring. Add in the orange juice and lime juice; bring to a simmer.
- Pressure cook. Return the chicken to the Instant Pot. Cover and set to Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes (12 minutes for chicken thighs). Then, do a Natural Pressure Release.
- Shred the chicken. Remove the lid and transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Shred the chicken.
- Get ready for the oven. Set your oven to BROIL and line a baking sheet with foil; lightly grease it with cooking spray. Once the chicken is shredded, spread it out on the baking sheet. Remove ¼ cup of the liquid from the Instant Pot and add it to the chicken; stir to combine.
- Crisp up the edges. Broil the chicken for 5 minutes; stir. Continue to broil for 5 more minutes.
- Serve. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving in tacos, quesadillas, over nachos, etc.
Video
Notes
- Chicken Variety: Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, but you'll have to cook them a couple of minutes longer.
- Spices: Don’t hesitate to tweak the spice mix to suit your taste. Adding a touch of smoked paprika or chipotle can elevate the flavor.
- Rest: Allow the chicken to rest a bit before shredding; it helps retain the juices.
- Broiling: Don’t skip the broiling step if you like crispy meat.
- Toppings: Offer toppings like sliced avocados, pico de gallo, sour cream, or cheese to customize the tacos.
- Tortillas: Warm the tortillas before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It makes an excellent filling for quesadillas or topping for salads the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
