Easy Keto Pork Carnitas (Instant Pot and Slow Cooker)
This easy keto pork carnitas recipe creates the juiciest, most flavorful carnitas you can make, all while staying low carb. Even if you aren't on the keto diet, this carnitas recipe is a MUST make!
Equipment
- 1 tongs
Ingredients
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning blend
- 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce (optional)
- 1/4 cup lime juice (2 limes) plus the zest
- 1/2 cup orange juice (1 1/2 oranges)
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle Modelo Negra beer (can sub chicken bone broth store-bought or homemade) *See Notes
- 4 to 5 pound pork shoulder roast cut into 2-inch cubes excess fat removed (can ask your butcher to do this)
- pink salt
- cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil (or more as needed)
Instructions
For the Instant Pot
- In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, Mexican seasoning blend, lime juice and zest, orange juice, and beer. Set aside.
- Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Set the Instant pot to saute and add the avocado, or olive oil, to the pot followed by half of the pork, and sear, turning every 45-60 seconds or so until the pork is browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a plate, and repeat with the remaining pork, searing until it has browned on all sides.
- Press “Cancel” to turn off the heat.
- Pour in the sauce, and toss briefly to combine with the pork. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.
- Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, allow the pressure to natural release (about 15 minutes).
- Set the oven broiler to high heat.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and shred meat with meat shredders or two forks. Return the meat to the Instant Pot and toss with the sauce.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. With a slotted spoon, place the shredded meat on the baking sheet and pour 1/3rd of the sauce over the top.
- Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin to brown and crisp
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and pour half of the remaining juices from the Instant Pot evenly over the pork, and toss to combine.
- Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat even more crispy.
- Serve on keto tortillas with fresh cilantro, chopped white onion, avocado, and lime juice.
- Alternately, you can serve the carnitas over cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- Refrigerate pork in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
For the slow cooker
- In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, Mexican seasoning blend, lime juice and zest, orange juice, and beer. Set aside.
- Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the avocado, or olive oil, to the pot followed by half of the pork, and sear, turning every 45-60 seconds or so until the pork is browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a plate, and repeat with the remaining pork, searing until it has browned on all sides.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker and pour in the sauce.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred meat with two forks directly in the slow cooker (or take out, shred, and replace in sauce). It should fall apart easily.
- Set the oven broiler to high heat.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. With a slotted spoon, place the shredded meat on the baking sheet and pour 1/3rd of the sauce over the top.
- Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin to brown and crisp
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and pour half of the remaining juices from the Instant Pot evenly over the pork, and toss to combine.
- Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat even more crispy.
- Serve on keto tortillas with fresh cilantro, chopped white onion, avocado, and lime juice.
- Alternately, you can serve the carnitas over cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
- Refrigerate pork in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If using chicken bone broth instead of beer you can subtract 1 carb per serving.
Disclaimer
Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs will not be included as it has a glycemic index of 0 (meaning it does not spike blood sugar) and it’s not metabolized. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Nutrition
Calories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 18gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 104mgPotassium: 346mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 68IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!