Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas Recipe

Meghan Yager | Cake 'n Knife

Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas are crispy, crunchy fried tortillas topped with savory pork, red onion, avocado, cheese, hot sauce, and more. They make for a tasty main dish, but also as a hearty snack or appetizer!

There are few things in the world that I love more than avocado, but one of them is carnitas. Whenever I see carnitas as an option on a menu, you better bet that I am ordering it immediately.

Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas Photo

The juicy, savory pork is so tasty, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Now, I’ve published plenty of pork recipes on the blog before, but none that are quite as satisfying as these Instant Pot crispy carnitas tostadas.

Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas Picture

Let’s start with the carnitas, shall we? The pork gets cooked up in a citrusy sauce right in the Instant Pot until it’s nice and tender.

Then you make it extra delicious by sticking it under a broiler and letting it cook up with the juices from the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas Image

This infuses the pork with even more flavor, while also letting it get crispy for amazing contrast.

Once it’s all cooked up, you simply pile the pork on crispy golden fried corn tortillas with all the toppings (including creamy avocado, because DUH)!

Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas Pic

I could eat these tostadas every day from now until forever. The flavor just never gets old for me!

You can easily cook them up for a main dish alongside bacon cilantro lime grilled corn salad.

File 1 - Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas

Another alternative is to serve it up for a party spread! It’s ideal for game day and you can let everyone make their own tostadas with the toppings they love.

If you happen to have any pork leftovers (it’s rare but sometimes it happens!), use it however you want!

File 2 - Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas

Throw it in tacos, in a quesadilla, in a skillet with scrambled eggs, and whatever else you can possibly think of.

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

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Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas Tostadas Recipe

    6 Servings

Ingredients

For the Carnitas:
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 large White Onion, chopped
  • 8 cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 2 Limes, juiced
  • 2 large Oranges, juiced (or 3/4 cup natural orange juice)
  • 1 cup Your Favorite Beer
  • 4 pounds Pork Shoulder, (or butt), cut into large chunks (2kg)
  • 3 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
For the Tostadas:
  • 12 Corn Tortillas, fried to golden brown
  • Sliced Red Onion
  • Avocado
  • Jalapeño, sliced
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • Lime Wedges
  • Cotija Cheese

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, and beer until combined.
  2. Season pork chunks with salt and pepper.
  3. Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Add olive oil. Once hot, add half the pork and sear, turning every 45 to 60 seconds. Pork should be browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a separate clean plate and repeat with remaining pork until browned. Press Cancel to turn off the heat.
  4. Pour sauce on top of the pork. Close lid and set to Manual pressure on High. Cook for 30 minutes. Let naturally release for about 15 minutes before removing lid.
  5. Set oven broiler to high heat.
  6. Remove pork to a large cutting board and shred with two forks. Spread pork onto a large baking sheet. Spoon one third of the juices on top of the pork, tossing to combine. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, until the pork edges begin to crisp.
  7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top with half of the remaining juices in the Instant Pot. Toss again to combine. Broil for an additional 5 minutes.
  8. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and top with remaining juices. Toss to combine.
  9. To assemble the tostadas, top tortillas with even amounts of crispy pork. Top with sliced red onion, diced avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

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Published:
Author:
Cooking Method:
Instant Pot
Cuisine:
Mexican
Category:
Dinners
Tags:
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Related Recipes:
Avocado Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Pork Recipes, Mexican Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Pressure Cooker Recipes, Pressure Cooking Recipes, Tortilla Recipes, Onion Recipes, Tomato Recipes
Recipe Yields:
6 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Meghan Yager
Recipe Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 65 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 6

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 305
Calories 750

% Daily Value*
59%
Total Fat 38g
67%
  Saturated Fat 13g
57%
Sodium 1374mg
11%
Total Carbohydrate 33g
5%
  Dietary Fiber 4g
  Sugars 6g
110%
Protein 55g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Meghan Yager

About Meghan

Meghan is a girl that's passionate about food - straightforward food that anyone can love. It's what you'll find on her blog, Cake n' Knife. There's not much food more straightforwardly delicious than an avocado, that's why Meghan is our avocado fanatic.

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