Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Recipe (2024)

If you need an easy Mexican dish to serve, our Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas is the recipe for you! They are filled with so much incredible flavor between the lime and orange juice, onion, and jalapenos that these carnitas will leave your mouth watering (in a good way).

Welcome to your new favorite family recipe: our Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas recipe.

They are so flavorful, juicy and delicious.

Try our Instant Pot Pork Carnitas here and our Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas!

This easy chicken carnitas recipe is what dream are made of!

When you mix the lime and orange juice together with the taco seasoning you will get an amazingly seasoned chicken breast that you shed for the perfect carnita dish.

If you have been bored with some of your recent Instant Pot chicken recipes, this one will knock it out of the park.

You might be asking yourself, what to serve with chicken carnitas.

We love to serve ours with Spanish cauliflower rice, fresh lime salsa (easy homemade salsa) with tortilla chips, and our amazing Mexican street corn, you will have a meal you’ll be reminiscing on for days!

Ingredients You’ll Need For Our Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Recipe:

• Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• Chicken broth
• Red onion
• Jalapeno
• Garlic cloves
• Orange juice
• Lime juice
• Taco seasoning

How To Make Our Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Recipe:

First get out your instant pot and place the chicken breast in the bottom of the inner pot.

Then you will pour the chicken broth over top of the chicken breasts.

Next you are going to top the chicken with the diced red onion, seeded and diced jalapeno, minced garlic, orange juice, and the lime juice.

Once all of that is in there, sprinkle the packet of taco seasoning over top of everything.

Now place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to the SEALING position.

After that is all set, press the MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 17 minutes if you’re using raw chicken, and 23 minutes if you are working with frozen chicken.

When the chicken is done cooking, do a quick release of the pressure by turn the valve to the VENTING position.

Now you will want to preheat your broiler.

Once all of the pressure is out, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and put it on a cutting board to shred the chicken, but leave the juice in the pot (don’t discard it).

Shred the chicken with two forks or even a mixer if you want to speed the process up a bit.

Grab a large baking sheet and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

Once the sheet is prepared, spread the shredded chicken out on the pan.

When the chicken is arranged on the pan pour about ⅓-⅔ cup of the liquid from the Instant Pot over top of the chicken.

Take the baking sheet and place it in the broiler carefully (use two hands to try and avoid spilling the liquid) and leave it in there for only 2-4 minutes to slightly brown the chicken and give it a little crunch.

Keep a close eye on it because it will crispy fast and then the chicken will just burn.

After you pull the chicken from the broiler, serve the chicken on top of tortillas, nachos, salad, or however you’d like to eat it!

To Make This Easy Chicken Carnitas Recipe You Will Need:

1. Instant Pot (THIS is a great one!)
2. Large baking sheet
3. Nonstick cooking spray
4. Forks or mixer (for shredding the chicken)

How to Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

One thing I love to make that people don’t always think of to look up or make themselves is taco seasoning! It is actually quite simple to do and normally you have most if not all of the ingredients that you need already in your pantry.

If you want to give it a shot, take a look at The Recipe Critic’s best homemade taco seasoning recipe. You might even find out that you enjoy the flavor even more than the store bought packet.

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Take a Look at More of Our Delectable Mexican Recipes That Your Family Will Love!

• Baked Shredded Beef Chimichangas Recipe
• Easy Guacamole Recipe
• Guacamole Taquitos Recipe
• Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe
• Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos Recipe

Serves: 6

Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas Recipe

If you need an easy Mexican dish to serve, our Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas is the recipe for you! They are filled with so much incredible flavor!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 19 minutes mins

Pressurize Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 39 minutes mins

PrintPin

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 15 ounces chicken broth 1 can
• 1 red onion diced
• 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• ⅓ cup lime juice
• 1 ounce taco seasoning 1 packet, (or homemade taco taco seasoning)

Instructions

• Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the Instant Pot.

• Pour chicken broth on top of chicken.

• Top chicken with onion, jalapeno, garlic, orange juice, and lime juice.

• Sprinkle taco seasoning on top of everything.

  See Also

  6 Creamy Dreamy Caramel Sauce Recipes You will Crave All Year Long

• Place lid on top of Instant Pot and turn valve to SEALING. Press MANUAL button (or PRESSURE COOK button) and set timer to 17 minutes (23 minutes if chicken is frozen).

• When chicken is finished cooking, move valve to VENTING and do a quick release of the pressure.

• Remove chicken and transfer to a plate or cutting board (leaving liquid in the pot).

• Shred the chicken using 2 forks.

• Preheat broiler.

• Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and spread shredded chicken out on it.

• Pour 1/3-2/3 cup of the liquid left in the Instant Pot on top of the shredded chicken.

• Place chicken under the broiler for 2-4 minutes or until the ends start to brown and turn crispy (it will happen fast, so watch it carefully!).

• Remove chicken from oven and serve on top of tortillas, nachos, salad, or any way you want to eat it!

Notes

• Keep a close eye on the broiler , it will get crispy fast and then the chicken will just burn.

Nutrition

Calories: 161 kcal · Carbohydrates: 8 g · Protein: 25 g · Fat: 3 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 73 mg · Sodium: 774 mg · Potassium: 556 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 3 g · Vitamin A: 539 IU · Vitamin C: 24 mg · Calcium: 20 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

• Instant Pot

• Large Baking Sheet

• Non-stick Cooking Spray

• Forks or Mixer

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

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