Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas. They only take 30 minutes in the instant pot and are super easy to make. These chicken carnitas are loaded with Mexican spices, onions, garlic, fresh squeezed orange and lime juice. They come out spicy, tender and juicy!
Looking for more Mexican Recipes to make at home? Try my Slow Cooker Mexican Beef or my Shredded Crockpot Mexican Chicken!
I love making carnitas at home! They are full of flavor and a lot easier to make than you would think! So far I have tried making pork carnitas in the slow cooker and in the instant pot. I recently decided to give chicken thighs a try and I was so impressed! The chicken came out juicy and tender on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside. This is the perfect meal when you want tender, fall apart meat in only 30 minutes!
To give these instant pot carnitas so much flavor I add in lots of Mexican spices, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, onions and garlic.
After the carnitas are cooked in the instant pot until tender I transfer them to the oven and broil until golden brown and crispy. This step is crucial and makes the best authentic carnitas! My favorite way to serve these instant pot chicken carnitas is in tacos with tons of fresh cilantro and diced onion on top!
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How to make chicken carnitas in the instant pot
- Brown the chicken: The chicken gets coated in seasonings then seared in the instant pot. It adds so much flavor! Start by combining the cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken thighs and set aside. Heat oil in the Instant Pot on the SAUTE setting. Add in chicken and brown on both sides, 1-2 minutes a side. I like to cook the chicken in two batches to not overcrowd the pan. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Saute onions & garlic: Add the remaining oil to the Instant Pot. Add in the onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes to get some color on the onions.
- Pressure Cook: Stir in orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, chipotle chili powder and bay leaves. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and cover with the lid. Select CANCEL on the Instant Pot then select POULTRY and set the timer to 12 minutes. Make sure to switch the nozzle to STEAM. When it has finished pressure cooking move the nozzle to vent and allow the steam to fully release before opening the lid.
- Shred / Broil: Preheat oven to broil. Transfer the chicken to a large sheet tray and shred with two forks. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid on top and broil for 5 minutes or until desired crispiness. This is such an important step! I love broiling the chicken. It makes it super crisp and golden brown.
- Serve: Serve immediately with fresh chopped cilantro! If desired you can serve the carnitas with more of the cooking liquid!
- Store: The chicken carnitas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat these chicken carnitas is to re broil them until crispy or heat them up in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil!
Don’t have chicken on hand? Then give my Instant Pot Pork Carnitas a try!
Ways to serve Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
- Tacos
- Salads
- Quesadillas
- Enchiladas
- Tamales
- Nachos
- Over Cilantro Lime Rice
- Burrito Bowl
Optional Toppings
- Diced onion
- Radish
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Sour cream
- Chipotle Corn Salsa
- Salsa verde
- Pico de gallo
- Homemade queso
- Guacamole
What to serve with Carnitas
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Spanish Rice
- Spicy Chipotle Guacamole
- Creamy Confetti Corn
- Margaritas
- Enchilada Rice
- Classic Mint Mojito
Can you make these chicken carnitas in the crockpot?
Yes, absolutely! I love making carnitas in the slow cooker. Try out my recipe for slow cooker pork carnitas! Simply coat the chicken in the spices then sear the chicken in a hot pan. Add it to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients and cook until tender 3-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low. Broil as directed and serve!
Can you freeze Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas?
Yes! These chicken carnitas freeze really well. Just store in an airtight ziplock bag and reheat in a hot skillet or in the oven or broiler to crisp them up again. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the carnitas uncooked and cook them from frozen in the slow cooker or instant pot!
Here are more Easy Mexican Recipes to try!
- Authentic Spanish Rice
- Pico de gallo
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
- Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Peppers
- Mexican Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
- One Pan Mexican Pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, large dice
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup orange juice (juice from 1 large orange)
- 1/4 cup lime juice (juice from 2 limes)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp ground chipotle chili pepper (use 1/2 tbsp if you don't want it to be as spicy)
- 2 bay leaves
- cilantro for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Combine the cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken thighs and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the Instant Pot on the SAUTE setting. Add in chicken and brown on both sides, 1-2 minutes a side. I like to cook the chicken in two batches to not overcrowd the pan. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the Instant Pot. Add in the onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes to get some color on the onions.
- Stir in orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, chipotle chili powder and bay leaves. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and cover with the lid. Select CANCEL on the Instant Pot then select POULTRY and set the timer to 12 minutes. Make sure to switch the nozzle to STEAM.
- When it has finished pressure cooking move the nozzle to vent and allow the steam to fully release before opening the lid.
- Preheat oven to broil. Transfer the chicken to a large sheet tray and shred with two forks. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid on top and broil for 5 minutes or until desired crispiness.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! If desired you can serve the carnitas with more of the cooking liquid!
Nutrition Information
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David Nila
This are not carnitas at all, don’t know what they are, but not carnitas for sure.
Carnitas in order to be carnitas they need to be cooked in lard in a big cooper pot for at least 4 hours. Your process and ingredients are wrong.
This is the reason people around the world think that Tex Mex food is authentic Mexican food when is not, so please stop calling carnitas what are not carnitas.