Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas (2024)

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These crispydelicious pork carnitas are made in the Ninja Foodi in less than 1 hour. Pressure cook them to tender and crisp them up all in one device.

Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas (1)

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I recently became the owner of a Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker with Air Crisper. What’s that you ask? It’s a magical device that Ninja has bestowed upon us. It’s a pressure cooker. It’s an air fryer. It’s a pressure cooker and an air fryer all combined in one device.

I’ll be doing a full and thorough review on the Ninja Foodie soon. Until then, I’ve been testing it out on different recipes to see if it really works as expected.

I’ve made the following so far….

  1. Chicken Wings from frozen
  2. Chicken pot pie
  3. A whole roasted chicken (twice)
  4. And this pork carnita recipe

All of these have turned out wonderful. I wanted to go ahead and post this pork carnita recipe as it was one of my main determining factors of making the purchase.

I was in the market for a second pressure cooker and this one caught my eye. I love cooking meats in my pressure cooker but sometimes I want that extra crisp. I could always use my pressure cooker and then place my meat in the air fryer or oven…but if I can get it all done in one place, then why not.

Will the Ninja Foodi replace my Instant Pot and Air Fryer?

For me personally, it won’t…but it’s staying for sure. I’m not in love with the Air Fryer basket on the Ninja Foodi as there is no long handle.

I wanted two pressure cookers anyway and my Instant Pot does a mighty good job on pressure cooking, so I’ll keep it too.

Ninja Foodi Pork Carnita Recipe

Of all the recipes I’ve made thus far, this is already one of my favorites. I love making shredded pork for multiple uses…tacos, burritos, rice bowl, sandwiches, etc.

I usually make it in a slow cooker or my pressure cooker but I always have to transfer the pork to the oven to really get it crisp. That’s an entire day of cooking…which I don’t have much time for.

Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas (2)

This Ninja Foodi method allowed me to get it all done in less than an hour.

Here’s the video of me making this recipe in full. I’ll be making some more Ninja Foodi recipes to share as well. As always, Enjoy 🙂

Looking for more Ninja Foodi Recipes? Try these out:

Ninja Foodi Shrimp Boil

Ninja Foodi Fish and Grits

Air Fryer S’mores

Ninja Foodi Zucchini Fritters

Looking for more Air Fryer Pork Recipes? Try these out:

Air Fryer Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Air Fried Jamaican Jerk Pork

Air Fried Japanese Tonkatsu (Air Fried Boneless Pork Chops)

These Carnitas are great with this Homemade Salsa Recipe.

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Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas (3)

Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas (4)

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4.90 from 57 votes

These Crispy Pork Carnitas are made in the Ninja Foodi in less than 1 hour. Pressure cook them to tender and crisp them up all in one device.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword ninja foodi recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 335kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs pork butt chopped into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 orange cut in half
  • 1 yellow onion peeled and cut in half
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  • Place pork, salt, oregano, and cumin in Ninja Foodi pressure cook insert. Combine making sure the seasonings are covering the pork.

  • Take the orange and squeeze the juices over the pork. Put the squeezed orange in the insert, along with the onion, garlic cloves, and ½ cup chicken broth.

  • Cover the Ninja Foodi with the pressure cooker cover, ensuring the valve is set to seal. Set the Ninja Foodi to High Pressure and cook for 20 minutes.

  • Once the 20 minute timer is complete, do a quick release by switching the valve to vent. Once all the pressure is released, open the lid and remove the orange, onion, and garlic cloves.

  • Set the Ninja Foodi to satué and select md:hi. The liquid will begin to simmer. Allow the liquid to cook until it reduces, about 10-15 minutes.

  • Once the majority of the liquid has reduced, press stop on the Ninja Foodi and then close the Ninja Foodi Air Crisp lid.

  • Select Broil and adjust the time to 8 minutes.

  • Once complete, use the crispy delicious meat in tacos, bowls, sandwiches, wraps, etc. Top with cilantro or any of your favorite toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 838mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 22.9mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3.1mg

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circ*mstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to cook pork in a ninja? ›

Place in Ninja Put it on Air Fry mode at 200 for 30 mins. After the airfry time take it out, rotate the pork clockwise 180 deg in the basket. Now return the Ninja on Roast setting, temp 190 deg for 40 mins.

How do you reheat carnitas in the air fryer? ›

It will dry out some in the refrigerator, so toss it with a few tablespoons of olive oil or lime juice before reheating. To reheat, put it back in the air fryer and cook it at 400 degrees F for 2-3 minutes until you have warm, juicy, and crispy meat.

How do you know when pork is cooked enough? ›

One way to determine your porks' doneness is by the color of the juices that come out of it when you poke a hole in it with a knife or fork. If the juices run clear or are very faintly pink, the pork is done cooking. If they're mostly or entirely pink or red, it's best to continue cooking.

What is the best way to cook pork in the Ninja? ›

Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot of the Ninja Foodi. Place the pork roast on the reversible rack in the low position and lower the rack into the inner pot. Put the pressure lid on and turn the valve to seal. Set the pressure on high for 15 minutes and press start.

How do you keep pork carnitas from drying out? ›

Then add some liquid to the baking dish like chicken broth, brush the pork with oil or melted butter to prevent it from drying out and warm it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

How do you keep carnitas from drying out? ›

So the key to great carnitas (and French confit, for that matter) is to heat the meat to a specific temperature, and try and keep it there long enough for the collagen to break down, while minimizing the amount of moisture lost. The large quantity of fat helps to accomplish this in a few ways.

Can carnitas be overcooked? ›

Can you overcook carnitas in slow cooker? Any cut of meat can become overcooked, even in the crockpot. Avoid cooking this pork carnitas recipe for longer than the times listed below, or the meat will end up tough and chewy.

How long to cook pork in air fryer ninja? ›

Select AIR FRY, set temperature to 325°F, andset time to 40 minutes.

How many minutes should I pressure cook pork? ›

Close the lid and bring the pressure up to high pressure over a medium-high heat and cook for 50 mins. Leave the pressure to drop naturally. The meat should be pull-apart tender. If it's still a bit tough, put the lid back on, return to high pressure and cook for a further 10-20 mins.

Can you put raw pork in an air fryer? ›

It is safe to cook raw meat in the air fryer if it is fully defrosted, seasoned, and monitored. Some fully cooked foods, including chicken tenders or fries, can be placed frozen in the air fryer. However, with raw meat, it's recommended to thoroughly defrost to allow more even cooking and a tasty final product.

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