Looking for more Mexican Recipes to make at home? Try my Slow Cooker Mexican Beef or my Shredded Crockpot Mexican Chicken! I love making carnitas at home! They are full of flavor and a lot easier to make than you would think! So far I have tried making pork carnitas in the slow cooker and in the instant pot. I recently decided to give chicken thighs a try and I was so impressed! The chicken came out juicy and tender on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside. This is the perfect meal when you want tender, fall apart meat in only 30 minutes! To give these instant pot carnitas so much flavor I add in lots of Mexican spices, orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, onions and garlic. After the carnitas are cooked in the instant pot until tender I transfer them to the oven and broil until golden brown and crispy. This step is crucial and makes the best authentic carnitas! My favorite way to serve these instant pot chicken carnitas is in tacos with tons of fresh cilantro and diced onion on top!

How to make chicken carnitas in the instant pot

Brown the chicken: The chicken gets coated in seasonings then seared in the instant pot. It adds so much flavor! Add in chicken and brown on both sides, 1-2 minutes a side. I like to cook the chicken in two batches to not overcrowd the pan. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Saute onions & garlic: Add the remaining oil to the Instant Pot. Add in the onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes to get some color on the onions.

Pressure Cook: Stir in orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, chipotle chili powder and bay leaves. Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and cover with the lid. Select CANCEL on the Instant Pot then select POULTRY and set the timer to 12 minutes. Make sure to switch the nozzle to STEAM. When it has finished pressure cooking move the nozzle to vent and allow the steam to fully release before opening the lid.

Shred / Broil: Transfer the chicken to a large sheet tray and shred with two forks. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid on top and broil for 5 minutes or until desired crispiness. This is such an important step! I love broiling the chicken. It makes it super crisp and golden brown.

Serve: Serve immediately with fresh chopped cilantro! If desired you can serve the carnitas with more of the cooking liquid! Store: The chicken carnitas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat: The best way to reheat these chicken carnitas is to re broil them until crispy or heat them up in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil!

Optional Toppings

Diced onion Radish Cilantro Jalapeno Sour cream Chipotle Corn Salsa Salsa verde Pico de gallo Homemade queso Guacamole

What to serve with Carnitas

Homemade Tortilla Chips Spanish Rice Spicy Chipotle Guacamole Creamy Confetti Corn Margaritas Enchilada Rice Classic Mint Mojito

Here are more Easy Mexican Recipes to try!

Authentic Spanish Rice Pico de gallo Mexican Pasta Salad Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Peppers Mexican Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers One Pan Mexican Pasta