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instant pot chicken carnitas wrapped in tortillas
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Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas

These instant pot chicken carnitas are melt in your mouth tender, juicy, and crispy. Wonder Mexican flavor and easy peasy to make!
Course Chicken Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword carnitas recipes, chicken carnitas recipes, instant pot carnitas, instant pot chicken, mexican chicken recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 216kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 white or yellow onion diced
  • 1 orange juiced
  • 2 limes juiced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth (beer, or water)
  • 5 garlic cloves peeled and minced
  • 4 chipotles in adobo sauce chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt optional
  • Corn or flour tortillas
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish
  • Jalapenos slices for garnish
  • Avocado slices for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the orange juice (1), lime juice (2), chicken broth (½ cup), minced garlic (5), onion (1), chipotles in adobo (4), and kosher salt (1). Whisk until combined.
    How to make Instant Pot Chicken Carnitas mixing the sauce ingredients
  • Place the chicken breasts (2 pounds) in the Instant Pot. Pour the carnitas sauce all over the chicken.
    How to make instant pot chicken carnitas cooking in the instant pot
  • Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and close the valve. Press the pressure cook button and set the cooking time to 15 minutes on high pressure.
  • While it cooks, prepare the toppings. Heat the tortillas, and slice the jalapenos and avocados. Set aside.
  • Once the cooking time is up, quickly release the pressure.
  • Take the chicken out of the Instant Pot and shred.
  • Preheat the oven to broil.
  • Add the shredded chicken to a sheet pan with ¼ cup of the carnitas juices from the Instant Pot. Broil the chicken on high for 5 minutes.
    How to make instant pot shredded chicken onion on a sheet pan for broiling
  • Remove from the oven and pour another ¼ cup of juice over the chicken. Place it back under the broiler for an additional 10 minutes, or until the chicken is crispy.
  • Remove the chicken from the broiler and toss in any remaining carnitas juice and a squeeze of lime.
  • Serve the chicken carnitas in tortillas, garnished with cilantro, jalapenos, avocado slices, and extra adobo sauce.

Notes

  1. Serve: with extra limes for an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice and your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 506mg | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 26mg