Instant Pot Carnitas with Lazy Guac – can be made from frozen or thawed, full of flavor likes it’s been cooking all day in just under an hour! Gluten & Dairy Free (Paleo)
Hello, friends! As I type this, I’m currently sitting on a plane back from Seattle. I’m really just happy to have wifi at this point because my flight on the way to Seattle did not, and I was PISSED. It’s 2017 people, why the hell wouldn’t you have WIFI????
I do NOT understand that one, at all. Luckily, the Southwest on the plane on the way back is a new plane which means it has wifi, it has extra legroom, extra headroom, and the seat doesn’t hurt my back, so in theory, I should be a pretty happy camper, but I’m DEFINITELY not.
I’m thinking about heading back home to our little apartment full of chaos. Boxes and crap EVERYWHERE, it’s the worst. When I travel, I love it, but I also look forward to coming home to routine and comfort.
The weekend in Seattle was GREAT! So much food that was so freaking good, I loved it! It was filled with rich, savory dishes but also plenty of sugar and booze, as any real bachelorette party should be!
Now it’s time to get back on the protein and produce train. One thing I am grateful for is that I ordered a which came over the weekend. I’m excited because I ordered my first free-range chicken and heritage breed pork box, which means I have a freezer stock full of healthy protein.
Paired with some frozen veggies like cauliflower rice, I’ve got healthy meal options without even having to go to the store or send Mr. Hungry to the store! (PS the steak I used for this carnitas is also from , you can read more about it here.)
[clickToTweet tweet=”#InstantPot Carnitas with Lazy Guac – ready in under an hour with very little cleanup! #paleo” quote=”#InstantPot Carnitas with Lazy Guac – ready in under an hour with very little cleanup! #paleo”]
Instant Pot Carnitas with Lazy Guac
So now, it’s all about surviving the rest of this week and the move and the kitchen renovations in the new house. I feel like I’m never going to get back to normal, ever! I am not a huge believer in “balance” but I am a huge believer in an extreme level organization, and there is just no way to be organized right now.
How do you embrace chaos? You go with the flow people out there what are your tips for keeping your sanity? Haelp me!
Tomorrow I’ll have a recap of all the fun in Seattle, the itinerary was fabulous (yes we had one for a bachelorette party) and the food was extremely good. If you are planning a trip there any time in the future, you’ll have all kinds of great recommendations.
For now, enjoy your new one-pot dinner idea! When we ate these, we paired them with a simple side salad, and it was delicious! Mr. Hungry couldn’t stop talking about how good it was and how much he loves the instant pot and Butcher Box! Not that he’d ever use it, just that he loves what I’m making in it!
Instant Pot Carnitas with Lazy Guac
Ingredients
Carnitas
- tortillas I used Siete Cassava Tortillas
- 1.5 lb steak frozen or not - I get all my meat from Butcher Box (click for a special discount)
- 2 cups orange juice fresh not from concentrate
- 1 jalapeno stem removed
- 1 medium yellow onion skin removed, ends removed
- lime juice 1/4 cup
- 1 cup vegetable or beef broth may need more
- 1 clove garlic
Instructions
- Combine orange juice, jalapeno, onion, broth, and garlic in a high-powered blender.
- Pour a little bit of the mix on top of the instant pot then place your frozen or fresh steak inside the instant pot. Then, cover the steak with the rest of the orange juice mixture. If the steak isn't covered all the way add more broth.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and move the valve to sealing. Press the meat setting button and set the time to 25 minutes for frozen and 15 minutes for thawed steak. Once the time is complete, let the instant pot naturally release for up to 20 minutes. After 20 minutes has passed, move the valve to venting and let the instant pot finish releasing the pressure via quick release for 10 minutes.
- Once you are sure the pressure is fully released you can remove the lid and then the meat from the instant pot.
- Use two forks to shred the meat. Optional: Spread the shredded meat across a large baking pan and broil it for 5-7 minutes until the top of the meat gets crispy.
- To make the lazy guacamole combine one avocado with your favorite salsa, that's it!
- Assemble tacos with lazy guac and desired amount of meat.
Love food and hate dishes? Check out my one dish recipe index or one of these recipes below:
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
Do I need to get an instapot?
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
DO IT!
Sue says
You used beef instead of pork, right? For the “steak” what cut did you use?
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
I got it from Butcher Box it literally said beef steak – so it was not specific but it was a large 1.5lb hunk of steak. I think any cut would work you would just have to cook it a little bit longer for tougher cuts. Keep in mind Grass Fed is leaner than normal beef so you may need to trim the excess fat, great question!
Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups says
I want an Instant Pot so bad. Glad you had a fun trip!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
It’s worth it!
Bethany says
I am trying to hold out for an InstaPot sale but this is making it hard!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
ha ha do they go on sale??????? Maybe I need another one!
Michelle Green says
I have never, ever heard of carnitas being made from beef. Pork, always. I am guessing this would translate for same cooking times for pork.
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Yes likely similar! I have a carnitas recipe coming for pork soon too!