Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas

Sick of standard tacos? Running out of dinner ideas? This recipe has you covered. Its flavorful, keto-friendly, great paired with a soft taco shell, as a quesadilla stuffer, on top of a salad or as a dinner main course with veggie sides.

And best yet – it can all be done in the Instant Pot. Set it and forget it! Dinner is served. Enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup | 60 ml pineapple juice or orange juice
  • 1/4 cup | 60 ml lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock, aim for low sodium stock so you can control the salt
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • fresh cilantro for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and chili powder together in a small bowl.
  2. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot (affiliate link) and press the "Sauté" button. Once the oil is warm add the onion. Use a wooden spoon to stir and cook until the onion is fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
  3. Stir in the pineapple juice, lime juice, chicken stock and spice blend. Mix to combine. Add the chicken breasts to the pot and stir to coat.
  4. Press the "Keep Warm/Cancel" button to stop the sauté function. Secure the lid and make sure the steam valve is set to closed. Press 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' and set the timer to 8 minutes.
  5. After the time is up the Instant Pot will automatically switch the keep warm. Let it keep warm for 10 minutes before releasing the steam valve.
  6. Once the steam has been fully released remove the lid of the instant pot. Use a couple of forks to shred the chicken.

OPTIONAL STEP FOR CRISPIER CARNITAS

  1. Preheat your broiler to high heat.
  2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shredded chicken to a large, lightly greased baking sheet. Spread the chicken out to be in an even layer.
  3. Broil high up in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, spoon some of the leftover juices in the instant pot over the top of the chicken. Toss to coat and then place back in the oven to broil an additional 5 minutes.

Squeeze a little more lime juice over the top and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve in tacos, burrito bowls, over nachos, quesadillas, etc and enjoy!

 

*this amazing recipe and photo directly sourced from the talented asaucykitchen.com  

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