Use the leftovers as a taco bowl, sandwich filling, or anything you can think of making this meal the best meal planning option for busy families.

What part of the pig is carnitas?

This Instant Pot Mexican carnitas recipe is similar to America’s pulled pork recipe.

Pork shoulder is generally the part of the pig that is used for carnitas.

This part of the pig is also referred to as pig butt.

Due to the higher fat contact, a pork shoulder helps retain moisture and keep your meat tender while it’s cooking to perfection for carnitas.

Are carnitas and pulled pork the same?

While Mexican carnitas is similar to pulled pork, there is one major difference.

You’ll find that once your Instant Pot is done cooking your carnitas that you’ll place the dish in a 400 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the edges are crisp.

This final step of making Mexican carnitas isn’t part of the process of making pulled pork.

Are Instant Pot Mexican Carnitas spicy?

Due to the cumin in this Instant Pot Mexican carnitas recipe, there will be a slight kick to the recipe.

Cumin is one of the favorite spices used in chili and Mexican dishes to help give the recipe a bit of a kick without filling your mouth with spice.

These carnitas have a slight spice, rather than an overpowering spicey kick so that those who don’t desire spicy foods can enjoy this meal.

What can I make with pork carnitas?

There is a variety of things you can make with pork carnitas.

For starters, you can use the filling for tacos or burritos topped with your favorite veggies and salsa.

You can use these Instant Pot Mexican carnitas as part of a plate of nachos for an appetizer, in a roll like you’d serve pulled pork, or in a chipotle salad to get some greens in with this delicious meal.

When it comes to making this Instant Pot Mexican carnitas recipe you’ll need a few spices and other ingredients.

You’ll get your Instant Pot ready to cook and within 30 minutes your pork roast will be cooked to perfection.

The Instant Pot allows the seasonings and spices to penetrate the meat, providing your family with a flavor blast in every bite.

How Do I Make Instant Pot Mexican Carnitas?

If you’re ready to make Instant Pot Mexican carnitas, then continue reading for the list of ingredients and instructions to make this easy meal tonight.

• Instant Pot
• Knife
• Meat Shredder

You can find the full craft with materials and instructions in the printable card below.

Ingredients For Instant Pot Mexican Carnitas

• Pork roast, boneless
• Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic clove
• Beer (can use stock)
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Onion powder
• Paprika
• Orange
• Lime

Directions For Instant Pot Mexican Carnitas

1. Cut the pork roast into big chunks, remove the excess fat and season with salt and pepper.
2. Select the sauté option in your Instant Pot. heat oil and add the seasoned pork. cook until just browned on the outside.
3. Add the beer, cumin, oregano, garlic clove, onion powder, paprika, orange and lime juice. Close the lid and seal the vent. Set on high pressure for 30 minutes.
4. Naturally release steam and open the lid. With the help of 2 forks, shred the pork, it will come off very easily.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the shredded carnitas to a baking pan. Add around 1 cup of the cooking sauce and take to the oven.
6. Roast for 15 minutes or until just a bit crispy on the edges.

Yield: 4

Instant Pot Mexican Carnitas

Print

This Instant Mexican carnitas recipe is going to be your new favorite easy meal to serve your family. Use the leftovers as a taco bowl, sandwich filling, or anything you can think of making this meal the best meal planning option for busy families

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Oven Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Pound pork roast, boneless
• 1 Tbsp oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 1/2 Cups beer, can use stock
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1 Tsp oregano
• 1/2 Tsp onion powder
• 1/2 Tbsp paprika
• Juice from 1 orange
• Juice from 1 lime

Instructions

1. Cut the pork roast into big chunks, remove the excess fat and season with salt and pepper.
2. Select the sauté option in your Instant Pot. heat oil and add the seasoned pork. cook until just browned on the outside.
3. Add the beer, cumin, oregano, garlic clove, onion powder, paprika, orange and lime juice. Close the lid and seal the vent. Set on high pressure for 30 minutes.
4. Naturally release steam and open the lid. With the help of 2 forks, shred the pork, it will come off very easily.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the shredded carnitas to a baking pan. Add around 1 cup of the cooking sauce and take to the oven.
6. Roast for 15 minutes or until just a bit crispy on the edges.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1143Total Fat: 77gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 308mgSodium: 433mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 82g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

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WHAT’S NEXT?

If you get a chance to try it, let us know! Leave us a comment below, or share it with a picture on Instagram or Facebook! Don’t forget to tag us @kelly_reci_ and use the hashtag #Kellysthoughtsonthings so we can see what amazing meals you are cooking up!

The post Instant Pot Mexican Carnitas Recipe appeared first on Kellys Thoughts On Things.

It takes some time to caramelize the onions, so this recipe is designed to give you plenty of leftovers for your efforts. What you don’t use in this recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week, or they can be frozen for later use. They are great to have on hand, because they are absolutely delicious on sandwiches, in soups, or on top of your favorite pizza.

Yield: 64 appetizers
Total Prep Time:1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package frozen puff pastry
2 eggs, beaten
flour, for rolling

Caramelized Onions:

4 large yellow onions
¼ c. unsalted butter
3 T. dry white wine
salt and pepper, to taste

Marinated Mushrooms:

8 oz. sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and patted dry
¼ c. Marsala wine

salt and pepper, to taste
2 T. olive oil

8 oz. Applewood smoked cheddar, grated
3 T. fresh thyme leaves only

TIP: Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 minutes before grating for best results.

Directions:

Thaw puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator.

In a medium glass bowl, combine mushrooms and Marsala wine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain excess moisture before cooking.

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add marinated mushrooms and sauté until browned and tender, approximately 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

To caramelize onions, slice off both ends and remove the papery outer layers. Cut onion in half lengthwise (from tip to root).  Then cut each half across the middle to form four sections. Cut each section lengthwise into strips.

Tip: Don’t cut the onions too thin, or they may burn while cooking.

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet with high sides. (For best results, do not use a non-stick pan). Add onions and stir with a wooden spoon until coated with butter.

Cook onions over medium heat for approximately 45 – 50 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to ensure they cook evenly and don’t stick to the pan. The exact cooking time will vary based on several factors, including the age of the onions and how many you cook at one time.

Once the onions reach the desired depth of color, add white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add more liquid if necessary to scrape up all the brown bits and then salt and pepper the onions, to taste. Remove from heat and let cool in pan until ready to use. Once cool, transfer any unused onions to an airtight container for future use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut thawed puff pastry dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured surface. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the puff pastry sheet into 32 equally sized rectangles. (See picture). Transfer puff pastry pieces to a prepared baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Repeat the above steps for the other half of the puff pastry.

Remove baking sheets from freezer and let sit for a couple of minutes before brushing each piece with the beaten egg.

Carefully arrange equal amounts of grated cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms on each piece of puff pastry. Sprinkle each with fresh thyme leaves.

Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes before rotating each baking sheet to ensure the pastry bites cook evenly. Continue cooking until the pastry is golden brown, approximately 8-10 minutes.

The post Savory Puff Pastry Bites with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms appeared first on Kellys Thoughts On Things.

Thai Green Curry

Thai cuisine has become more and more popular in the States, and it’s starting to gain ground elsewhere too. As well as the staples you’ll find on any restaurant or take-out menu, there are thousands of Thai dishes you’ve probably never heard of. But Thai green curry is a recipe that almost everyone knows, and it’s a must for people who have never done any Thai cooking before. Although you can complicate the process by making your own green curry paste, it’s easy to buy in many stores. Make it with chicken, prawns, or even tofu or just vegetables if you want to make it vegetarian.

Ewan Munro

Rice Paper Wraps/Rolls

Every cuisine has to have things that are excellent for snacks and lunches. You’ll find many of them across Asia, but one of the best things you can buy is rice paper wraps. You’ll find them in food from Vietnam, Thailand, and more. If you already like using tortilla wraps as an alternative to sandwiches, you’ll enjoy this Asian twist. Visit http://Lonaslileats.com to see some delicious-looking examples of a rice paper roll. You can put what you like in them, but they’re particularly tasty filled with rice, a protein of you choice, and plenty of vegetables.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

One of the most common dishes on lots of Chinese restaurant and take-out menus is sweet and sour chicken. It’s also a very easy recipe to make at home, and the whole family can enjoy it served with rice. You can replace the chicken with pork, or try some other ingredients too. It’s an excellent dish to start with if you want to ease into some Chinese cooking using something you’re already familiar with.

Lamb Rogan Josh

Moving to a different region of Asia, and a cuisine that’s far from Chinese, Thai and the like, Indian food is also very diverse. But that doesn’t stop people from having their favorites, and lamb rogan josh is a staple feature on many menus. This dish is an excellent place to start if you want to begin to build up your spice collection. You’ll get a taste for curries once you’ve made this delicious recipe, and soon you won’t know where to stop.

Asian cuisine is so diverse that you’ll never get to know it all, but you can certainly try. Start with simple recipes, and you’ll soon be cooking up a storm.

The post Easy Asian Recipes to Try at Home appeared first on Kellys Thoughts On Things.

With the  holidays fast approaching and things getting busier I needed to find quick and easy meals. I have been so busy with everyday life, trying to get  things ready for the holidays so I am always on the  look out for quick, easy and nutritious meals that are fast and easy to prepare. I couldn’t believe how fast the holidays are approaching and it seems that I am running out of time for all my shopping. So you could imagine to my surprise when I got the chance to try Farm Rich Smokehouse BBQ. 

When I went to Wal Mart to look for my product I couldn’t believe how many choices I had to pick from and all the extras that the Farm Rich brand has. I noticed that thy had pulled pork and chicken that all you have to do is add your sauce. So this means the chicken is cooked and ready for me to use right away. That is great to me, but I decided to try the BBQ. 

My family loves BBQ and can be very picky about how the  BBQ is made and more times than none they don’t like how it taste, to make homemade BBQ is so time-consuming and it makes for a good mess as well. So I decided I wouldn’t tell them and I bought the BBQ and headed home. 

I decided to make Farm Rich Smokehouse BBQ Wontons. Below is all you need to make this delicious recipe for a quick and easy dinner

1.) Pckg of Farm Farm Rich Smokehouse BBQ Brisket

2.) Red onion

3.)Brie cheese

4.)Wonton Wrappers 

5.)Water 

Open the package of BBQ and put it in the skillet dice up a small red onion cook on low so not to burn the BBQ. Cook till onion is done. 

Spread a bit of brie cheese on the wonton wrapper and add a small amount of the BBQ and dip your fingers in the water and wet the edges continue till all the wrappers are done.

. 

Heat Up a skillet with olive oil in it and wait for it to get hot then add a couple wontons in the pan. Wait a few Minutes then flip and place on paper a towel. 

After you are done cooking up the wontons, place on a plate and serve with coleslaw or a sour cream dip. 

These come out crunchy and delicious. 

I will have to say that my husband and my son loved them they thought it was home-made, until I told them that I purchased dinner earlier that day. 

I am so glad that my family likes the Farm Rich Smokehouse BBQ. 

Would you like to try #SmokeHouseBBQ? Then head on over and get a coupon to help you save on your purchase.

Connect with Farm Rich on- Facebook | Twiiter | Pinterest

The post Quick and easy BBQ Wontons #SmokeHouseBBQ appeared first on Kellys Thoughts On Things.