Big Bold Beef Carnitas – a dish that my family really loves as a weeknight meal. I can get these Beef Carnitas on the table pronto using my Instant Pot.

Please Note: We do use referral links here for products and services that Chef Alli loves!

Howdy –

My guys are meat and potatoes guys, no doubt about it. That’s why it’s important to me to make sure I always cook up a beef roast or a pork butt on the weekend.

so I can have that meat on hand throughout the upcoming week. If you’ve got cooked meat ready to go, you can make meals so quickly – such as carnitas, wraps, soups, grilled sandwiches, salads, pastas.

And, because I’m always in a hurry, these days I usually cook my meats in my Instant Pot – it’s so speedy and darn convenient. And, I really appreciate how I can use my Instant Pot in the summer and it doesn’t heat up my kitchen, like using the oven does.

If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to try my Asian Beef Bowls, another speedy skillet meal featuring beef – we love all the Asian flavors.

Easy Recipe Tips for Making Big Bold Beef Carnitas

1. When you get ready to brown the cubed chuck roast, make sure it isn’t ice-cold from fridge. Letting your meat set out for 20-30 minutes before you brown it helps remove the chill and also lets all the juices and fats that coagulate at the center of the meat spread through the protein fibers to give you more even cooking and browning.

2. As you see in Step #3 of this recipe (below), it calls for a hot cast iron skillet. This step crisps up the cooked meat and makes it so delicious!

3. If I have time, I love to make this Veggie Coleslaw for topping my Big Bold Beef Carnitas. The creamy dressing, crunchy veggies and savory meat combination is yummy. I hope you’ll give it a try.

Printable Recipe for Making Instant Pot Big Bold Beef Carnitas

Instant Pot Big Bold Beef Carnitas Big Bold Beef Carnitas – a dish that my family really loves as a weeknight meal. Because we live on a farm, it's hard to know exactly when we will get to eat supper sometimes, so I love using my Instant Pot for quick meals. 5 from 1 vote Print Pin Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Approx. Time Needed for Instant Pot to Pressurize:: 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes Servings: 8 servings Calories: 367 kcal Author: Chef Alli Ingredients 3 lb. chuck roast, cut into 6 chunks, trimmed if needed

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. oregano flakes

1 tsp. chipotle sauce or minced chipotles in adobo

1 yellow onion, sliced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 cinnamon stick

zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup lime juice (can use the lime zest too, if you’d like) Instructions Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, and chipotle sauce; when this mixture is nicely hot, add the beef chunks. Brown the beef in batches, removing it to a plate as you work; reserve.

Once all the beef is browned, return it to the Instat pot; add the onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and juices. Lock the Instant Pot lid securly into place. Using the high pressure setting, set the timer for 45-50 minutes bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure. When the timer sounds, use a full natural release to allow the beef to rest and fully relax.

Remove Instant Pot lid; transfer the beef to a large cutting board, shredding the beef apart. Add shredded beef to a preheated, oiled cast iron skillet set over high heat. Sear the beef over high heat just until it gets a good “crisp” on the outside, watching carefully so the beef doesn’t burn, adding cooking liquid from the Instant Pot, a little at a time, as needed.

Serve the shredded beef inside warm corn or flour tortillas, topped with salsa fresca, sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese, as desired. Nutrition Calories: 367 kcal | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 24 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 117 mg | Sodium: 1032 mg | Potassium: 695 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 2 g | Vitamin A: 462 IU | Vitamin C: 14 mg | Calcium: 76 mg | Iron: 5 mg

Please feel free to leave us a comment – we love hearing from our readers and followers! If you don’t hear back from us here, just know we may have somehow missed your comment or question. Do reach out to us by email: ChefAlli@ChefAlli.com and we will get right back to you.

Let’s Get Cookin’,

Chef Alli