Instant Pot Jackfruit Carnitas

After the taste bud nirvana of making the BBQ jackfruit i was up for trying more jackfruit recipes. So, since I love mexican food, i figured that carnitas would be a great idea to try.

I honestly was not disappointed. These tasted so good! The secret though is in finishing them in the oven to get that little bit of crispness in them as pressure cooking alone doesn’t give that.

Instant Pot Jackfruit Carnitas

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
NPR 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

  • 2 20oz Cans green jackfruit packed in water or brine
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
  • 1 teaspoon sambal oelek

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and drain the jackfruit, then use your fingers to pull the pieces apart so that it looks like shredded pork.
  • Add the shredded jackfruit, along with the rest of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and stir to combine. Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then switch the valve to “venting” to quick release.
  • Give everything another stir and remove and discard the bay leaf. At this point you can serve the jackfruit carnitas or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
  • Recipe Suggestions
  • Some people discard the harder core and seeds of the jackfruit. I do not. I find that if you do your best to tear everything up, it all cooks up nicely and you won’t even notice those parts. Why waste?
  • If you want to crisp up the edges to be even more like carnitas, you can spread the jackfruit on a parchment lined baking sheet and put it under the broiler for 10 minutes, stirring it at the halfway mark. The edges of the jackfruit will start to brown and crisp up.

Notes

Original recipe: https://www.lafujimama.com/instant-pot-jackfruit-carnitas/
Keyword Instant Pot, Vegetarian
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Instant Pot BBQ Jackfruit

Oh man! I was kinda hesitant to try this one at first. Jackfruit just wasn’t a fruit either of grew up around when we lived on the mainland. Since living in Hawaii, it’s definitely been “around” more. That still doesn’t quite directly translate to having experience handling or cooking it. That will be changing though! Bring on the jackfruit!

Jackfruit itself can be a huge pain-in-the-ass to process from it’s fresh fruit state. However, finding it canned and brined has been a game changer that makes cooking with it fast and easy. We’ve been finding it at our local natural foods grocery store, Asian markets, and everyone’s favorite Trader’s Joes.

We’ve also been noticing it pop up more and more either as whole fruit or in dishes or products at farmers markets and farm type events. Which has been a great way to try it prepared different ways. I have been amazed and converted to a true fan by how well jackfruit does as a meat alternative. If someone was to hand me a sandwich using this recipe at a BBQ, I probably won’t notice that it was really meat until I was told. I would most likely fail a blind taste test, and honestly might even lean more towards the jackfruit in a blind taste test.

If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or just want to try something new on a meatless monday – Give this recipe a shot!

Instant Pot BBQ Jackfruit

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
NPR 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients
  

6 hamburger buns (gluten free if needed)

  • 2 20oz. can Jackfruit (in brine or water)
  • 18 oz. Barbecue sauce
  • 6 Hamburger buns
  • coleslaw

Instructions
 

Prepare your jackfruit: Drain and rinse the canned jackfruit.

If desired, chop off the "core" portions and discard, we usually leave them though.

    Add the jackfruit to the Instant Pot along with 1 cup of water. Put on the lid, seal, and set to high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, or if you are in a hurry you can manually release the pressure (carefully).

      Drain the jackfruit, and then add it back to the Instant Pot. Mash with a potato masher until it resembles pulled meat (see photo above).

        Make the barbecue sauce following these instructions (unless you are using store bought sauce).

          Add the barbecue sauce to the pulled jackfruit, and turn on the saute feature. Cook for 2-5 minutes until warmed through. Serve on buns with shredded cabbage.

            Notes

            Original recipe: https://www.noracooks.com/instant-pot-pulled-bbq-jackfruit/
            Keyword BBQ, Instant Pot, Vegetarian
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            Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

            This was our first Saint Patrick’s day with our Instant Pot, so you know exactly what we had to do… Corned Beef and Cabbage! Why don’t people make this more often then just this one day a year for everyone’s favorite drinking holiday? Can you recall ever having a bad piece of corned beef? I mean maybe you got more fat and gristle in your brisket than you would have preferred, but never a bad one – no way.

            This was a pretty easy to make recipe even though it’s a two part process. Cook the beef first. Then while it’s cooling, you cook the veggies. Combine them and serve with some of that cooking sauce. Enjoy your Guinnesses and eat and drink responsibly!

            Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

            Course Main Course
            Cuisine American, Irish
            Servings 6 servings
            Calories 729 kcal

            Ingredients
              

            • 3 pound Corned Beef
            • 2 cups beef broth or water
            • 2 cups beer or broth or water
            • 1 Sweet Onion, medium quartered
            • 6 cloves Garlic crushed

            Pickling Seasoning: (*skip if your brisket came with a spice packet)

            • 1 teaspoon Yellow Mustard Seed
            • 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns, whole
            • 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
            • .5 teaspoon Allspice, whole
            • 3 Cloves, whole
            • 3 Bay leaves
            • .5 teaspoon Ginger, ground

            Vegetables:

            • 6 carrots, medium peeled, chopped
            • 6 red potatos quartered
            • 1 Cabbage cut into eighths

            Instructions
             

            • Add the corned beef to the Instant Pot.
            • Add the quartered onion, crushed garlic, pickling spices, and the liquid. The liquid should cover the brisket. If needed add another cup of liquid. Make sure you do not go over the MAX fill line.
            • Put the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to close. 
              Cook on High Pressure for:
                – 75 minutes for a 2lb brisket
                – 80 minutes for a 3lb brisket
                – 85 minutes for a 4lb brisket  
              *If the brisket is thicker than 1.5 inches, add 5-6 minutes for every .5 inch
            • When finished, let it have a NPR of 15-20 minutes before you vent it and release pressure.
            • Set the cooked brisket in a deep dish or container. Transfer 1 to 1.5 cups of the liquid with it.
            • Add your steamer basket into your Instant Pot to make it easier to the veggies. 
            • Add the potatoes and carrots. Add the cabbage wedges on top of them 
            • Put the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to close. 
              Cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes followed by a quick release.
            • Open the top and remove your veggies by carefully pulling out the steamer basket
            • Cut the brisket across it’s grain into slices and serve with the vegetables.
            • Strain the liquid and pour some over the brisket before serving. Store remaining brisket in the liquid in an airtight container.

            Nutrition

            Calories: 729kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 42gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 3174mgPotassium: 2247mgFiber: 10gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 10355IUVitamin C: 142.3mgCalcium: 151mgIron: 6.8mg
            Keyword Instant Pot
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            Instant Pot Golden Turmeric Lentil Soup

            We both really loved this soup. It had such a great flavor. The lentils dissolved away but added to this soup’s rich color. It didn’t hurt either that the weather had been cold and windy. It definitely has felt like winter here. This soup kept us warmed through though. This one is going to be getting made often! Soup is so easy in the IP.

            Instant Pot Golden Turmeric Lentil Soup

            Prep Time 25 minutes
            Cook Time 20 minutes
            Total Time 45 minutes
            Course Main Course, Soup
            Cuisine Indian
            Servings 6 servings
            Calories 507 kcal

            Ingredients
              

            • 2 tbsp olive oil
            • 2 onions chopped
            • 2 carrots chopped
            • 3 stalks celery chopped
            • 4 cloves garlic minced
            • 1 tbsp ginger minced
            • 2 cans full fat coconut milk
            • 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes from a can in their juices
            • 2 cups vegetable broth
            • 1/2 tsp salt
            • 1/2 tsp pepper
            • 2 tsp cumin
            • 1 tbsp turmeric
            • 1 cup red lentils
            • 4 cups spinach chopped
            • 1 tbsp lemon juice

            Instructions
             

            • Add all ingredients to Instant Pot except for spinach and lemon juice, making sure you add lentils last. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure. Do a quick release of steam then open lid when it’s safe to do so.
            • Stir in spinach and lemon juice, then serve and enjoy!

            Notes

            Original recipe: https://thegirlonbloor.com/instant-pot-golden-turmeric-lentil-soup/

            Nutrition

            Calories: 507kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 12gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 28gSodium: 570mgPotassium: 1028mgFiber: 14gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 5540IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 6.7mg
            Keyword Instant Pot
            Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

            Instant Pot Vegetarian Portabella Pot Roast

            So i originally had this as “portobello” but decied to cahnge it to “portabella”. Both are accepted, however, the Mushroom Council has adopted the two “a” version to establish some consistency. So… now you know. I’ll be honest, i never knew there was a Mushroom Council until i wrote this post. However, it’s existence does not surpise me.

            Portabellas are simply cremini mushrooms that have reached full maturity before harvest. They are a big hearty mushroom that can reach 5 inches or so in diameter. The also make for a great meat substitute. Which is what this recipe is all about. The best way I can describe it is as a meatless roast. All of the flavor you would expect. Just no meat. The mushrooms are so plentiful though, and the other veggies so hearty, that you don’t even really miss the meat. Yes, I just said that you won’t even be mad that this is a meatless dish. We both know that you will be coming up for seconds.

            Instant Pot Vegetarian Portabella Pot Roast

            Prep Time 15 minutes
            Cook Time 20 minutes
            NPR 10 minutes
            Total Time 45 minutes
            Course Main Course
            Cuisine American
            Servings 6

            Ingredients
              

            • 1.25 pounds Yukon gold potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
            • 1 pound baby bella mushrooms if they are large, cut them in half
            • 2 large carrots peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
            • 2 cups frozen pearl onions*
            • 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
            • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
            • 3 cups vegetable stock divided
            • 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
            • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
            • 2 tablespoons vegetarian** worcestershire
            • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
            • Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
            • optional garnish: finely-chopped fresh parsley

            Instructions
             

            • Instant Pot Method:
            • Add potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, 2.5 cups vegetable stock, wine and worcestershire together in the bowl of a pressure cooker, and gently toss to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.
            • Press “Manual”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the up/down arrows until time reads 20 minutes. Cook. Then let the pressure release naturally, about 15 minutes. Carefully turn the vent to “Venting”, just to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Remove the lid.
            • In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup vegetable stock and cornstarch until combined. Add to the roast mixture, and gently toss to combine. Continue to cook for 1-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens up a bit.
            • Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
            • *Feel free to sub in sliced white onions, if pearl onions are not available.
            • **If making this recipe vegetarian, use vegetarian Worcestershire.

            Notes

            Original recipe: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/portobello-pot-roast-vegetarian/
            Keyword Instant Pot
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            Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

            Okay I’ll be honest… I will often forget how long to throw chicken in for. So here’s my goto frozen chicken recipe for the Instant Pot.

            Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

            Prep Time 5 minutes
            Cook Time 10 minutes
            NPR 5, rest 5 10 minutes
            Total Time 25 minutes
            Course Main Course
            Cuisine American
            Servings 2 servings

            Ingredients
              

            • 2 chicken breasts
            • 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
            • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
            • salt
            • ground black pepper

            Instructions
             

            • Place all ingredients in pressure cooker.
            • Close lid and turn vent to sealed.
            • For Frozen Chicken, cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
              For Fresh Chicken, cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
            • Allow to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then do a quick release if needed.
            • Remove chicken from liquid and let the chicken rest.
            • Serve,  or shred with 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
            • Will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
            Keyword Instant Pot
            Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

            Instant Pot Green Curry

            Traci has been all about getting more and more veggies in. This was a delicious and fun way to pack all of our veggies into one delicious and easy to meal-prep meal. You could probably throw any veggies you have in here and it would taste good.

            Instant Pot Green Curry

            Prep Time 10 minutes
            Cook Time 20 minutes
            NPR 5 minutes
            Total Time 35 minutes
            Course Main Course
            Cuisine Thai
            Servings 4 servings
            Calories 278 kcal

            Ingredients
              

            • 3 medium potatoes chopped
            • 1 cup cauliflower florets
            • 1 cup broccoli florets
            • 1/2 sliced red bell pepper
            • 1/2 cup vegetable stock
            • 1/2 cup frozen corn
            • 1/2 cup frozen peas
            • 2 tbsp green curry paste
            • 1 tsp onion powder
            • 1 tsp garlic powder
            • 1 cup coconut milk
            • 2 cups vegetable stock or more if needed
            • salt to taste

            Instructions
             

            • To Instant Pot, add potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, red bell peppers and 1/2 cup vegetable stock.
            • Set Instant Pot to manual for 3 minutes. Make sure the valve is sealed. When the timer goes off, release the valve manually. Wait until the steam finishes coming out completely, then remove the lid.
            • Set the Instant Pot to soup mode. Add in corn, peas, green curry paste, onion powder, garlic powder, coconut milk, and vegetable stock. Stir until paste is completely dissolved. Keep the lid off.
            • When soup is fully heated (5-10 minutes), it’s time to eat! Season with salt if desired. Serve over rice or just as is.

            Notes

            Original recipe: https://karissasvegankitchen.com/easy-instant-pot-curry/

            Nutrition

            Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 629mgPotassium: 1076mgFiber: 7gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2240IUVitamin C: 79.4mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 8mg
            Keyword Instant Pot
            Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

            Instant Pot Creamy Red Lentil Soup

            This soup was fast and easy to make in the instant pot. Leaving the dairy out made it even lighter tasting. It is packed with lots great vegetables. Such a great way to get in all your healthy veggies in warm hearty soup.

            Instant Pot Creamy Red Lentil Soup

            Prep Time 10 minutes
            Cook Time 20 minutes
            NPR 10 minutes
            Total Time 40 minutes
            Course Main Course, Soup
            Cuisine Indian
            Servings 8

            Ingredients
              

            • 2 tablespoons olive oil
            • 1 cup diced onion
            • 1 cup diced carrots
            • .5 cup diced celery
            • 5 cloves garlic minced
            • 2 14.5 ounces cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
            • 1 quart reduced-sodium vegetable broth
            • 2 cups water
            • 1.5 cups red lentils rinsed
            • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
            • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
            • 1 teaspoon salt
            • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
            • 2 cups fresh baby spinach coarsely chopped
            • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
            • Heavy cream omit for vegan

            Notes

            Original recipe: https://twosleevers.com/pressure-cooker-creamy-red-lentil-soup/
            Keyword Instant Pot
            Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

            Instant Pot Mushroom Soup

            I haven’t always liked mushrooms, but over the years I’ve gotten to like them. This recipe is pretty good. It’s packed with lots and lots and lots of mushrooms!

            Instant Pot Mushroom Soup

            Prep Time 15 minutes
            Cook Time 25 minutes
            NPR 5 minutes
            Total Time 40 minutes
            Course Sauce, Soup
            Cuisine American
            Servings 6 servings

            Ingredients
              

            • 1 tablespoon olive oil
            • 1 tablespoon butter
            • 1 large brown onion diced
            • 1 teaspoon salt
            • 20-25 g dried porcini mushrooms
            • 1.5 lb / 700 g Desiree potatoes or other white potatoes, peeled and diced
            • 1.5 lb / 700 g Swiss brown mushrooms halved or left whole if they are small (you can reserve 5-6 mushrooms to slice and pan-fry to use as a garnish on top of the soup)
            • 1 celery stick sliced
            • 8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme dried is also ok
            • 2 bay leaves
            • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Tamari wheat-free soy sauce
            • 3 large cloves of garlic roughly diced
            • 1 cube of vegetable stock
            • 1 cube of onion stock or 2 tablespoons onion soup mix
            • 1.25 Litres water
            • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
            • To finish the soup
            • 1 clove of garlic diced
            • 1/3 cup double cream or thickened cream
            • Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

            Instructions
             

            • Turn on the Instant Pot and press the Sauté function key. Add the olive oil, butter, onions, and salt and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened.
            • Add the rest of the ingredients (except for cream, extra garlic and lemon) and stir through. Press Keep Warm/Cancel.
            • Place the lid and lock. Press Manual, High Pressure, and set for 10 minutes. After three beeps the Instant Pot will begin to build up the pressure and start cooking. Once the cooking finishes, release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes before using quick release to let off the rest of the steam.
            • Remove the thyme sprigs from the soup and add in the extra chopped garlic. Stir through. Transfer the soup in 2-3 batches to a food processor or a blender. Cover with a lid and process into pureed soup texture (doesn’t have to be completely smooth and can have finely diced mushrooms still in). Pour the pureed soup to another saucepan or a large bowl while you process the rest of the soup. Then combine all of the pureed soup in a pot and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and cream.
            • Serve with a swirl of cream on top. If you like, pan-fry a few sliced mushrooms in butter and serve over the top. It’s lovely as is or with some crusty bread and butter

            Notes

            Original recipe: http://instantpoteats.com/instant-pot-mushroom-soup-recipe/
            Keyword Instant Pot
            Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

            Instant Pot Creamy Tortellini, Spinach, and Chicken soup

            A.K.A. – Upvote soup. This soup can be found all over the internet and is most commonly referred to as “Up Vote Soup”.

            Aside from being a very photogenic, it is a really delicious soup.

            Instant Pot Creamy Tortellini, Spinach and Chicken soup

            Prep Time 15 minutes
            Cook Time 15 minutes
            Total Time 30 minutes
            Course Main Course, Soup
            Cuisine Italian
            Servings 8 servings

            Ingredients
              

            • 2 tsp olive oil
            • 1 medium yellow onion diced
            • 2 cloves of garlic minced
            • 1 Tbsp dried basil
            • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
            • 4 cups chicken broth
            • 2 14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes, with juices
            • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts* (I used half thighs and half breasts)
            • 1/2 tsp salt
            • 1/2 tsp pepper
            • 4 cups frozen cheese tortellini or you can use fresh
            • 3 cups packed spinach you can also use kale if you prefer
            • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
            • 1 cup half and half warmed

            Instructions
             

            • Turn the Instant Pot on to the saute function, on the highest setting. Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot. Add in the diced onion and stir for a couple of minutes. Add in the garlic and stir until the onions are translucent, another couple of minutes.
            • Add in the basil, tomato paste, chicken broth, tomatoes, chicken, salt and pepper. Give a quick stir. Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” Press the manual pressure cook button and set the timer to 15 minutes (high pressure). Once the timer beeps let out the pressure by gently moving the valve to “venting.”
              *If you use all chicken breasts you will only need to cook for 10 minutes instead of 15 minutes.
            • Spoon the chicken out and place it on a cutting board. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and then add it back into the pot. Stir in the tortellini, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and half and half. Turn the IP to saute to heat up the tortellini quickly. Once the tortellini is warmed through ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

            Notes

            Original recipe: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-creamy-tortellini-spinach-and-chicken-soup/
            Keyword Instant Pot
            Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!