Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork

Mexican Pulled Pork in a cast iron skillet garnished with chopped cilantro and salsa and tortillas in the background.

This Instant Pot Mexican Pulled Pork turned out tender and flavorful, and it was SO easy to make! Just toss 5 ingredients into your Instant Pot, and it is ready to go in a flash.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 30

Total Time 32

Servings servings

Calories 331kcal

Author Oriana Romero

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

3-4 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks (see notes)
1/3 cup taco seasoning
1 cup (240 ml) orange juice
½ cup (120 ml) chicken stock
¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice

Instructions

Instant Pot:

Season pork chunks on all sides with taco seasoning.
Add seasoned pork, orange juice, chicken stock, and lime juice to the Instant Pot; mix to combine. Cover.
Select "Meat" mode, then adjust until time reads 30 minutes. Cook. When the time is over, let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally, about 10 minutes. Carefully turn the vent to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Remove the lid.
Shred the pork with two forks. Remove extra fat if necesary.

To crisp up pulled pork:

Preheat oven to broil. Place the shredded pork on a large baking sheet. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 of the leftover cooking juices evenly on top of the pork. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork are brown and crispy.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately or store for later use.

Slow Cooker:

To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the same steps and then cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

Notes

SERVINGS: 4 pounds of pork will serve around 6 people.

STORE: refrigerate for up to 3 days. If refrigerated, warm the pork gently in a covered casserole dish in a 300°F oven before serving.

FREEZE: Pulled pork also freezes really well. Just let it cool completely, place it in an airtight container or a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw it and reheat the pork gently in a covered casserole dish in a 300°F oven before serving.

RECIPE TIPS:

Trim any excess fat surrounding the pork. Pork butt usually has more to trim than pork shoulder, but both are great.
You can use pork roast if you don't want to deal with the extra fat of pork butt or pork shoulder or just want a leaner cut.
Slow Cooker. To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the same steps and then cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.

If you're making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, and frequently asked questions.

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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition