Pork Roast Instant Pot

There are so many delicious recipes for Pork Roast in the Instant Pot, but a lot of cuts are called “Pork Roast” and it can get confusing when trying to figure out how to best cook your pork roast. To determine how to cook the cut of pork I suggest using the name of the cut of pork instead of looking at whether its called a “Pork Roast”.

If you are cooking a Pork Loin cut of pork, then look for recipes for a traditional pork roast with carrots and potatoes cooked right in the pot with the pork. This dish would be served as a sliced Pork Roast and be cooked on an Instant Pot Trivet to keep it out of the cooking liquid.

If your cut of meat is a Pork Butt Roast or Pork Shoulder Roast, then this type of meat is not as tender and is better slow cooked or pressure cooked and then shredded. This cut is great for pork carnitas, pork tacos, or BBQ pork sandwiches.

If your cut of meat is a Pork Tenderloin Roast, then you can cook this in the oven or instant pot for great results. The pork tenderloin is a very tender cut of pork and should be served sliced.

I use the Pre-Seasoned Pork Shoulders from Aldi A LOT. They come in two flavors; Carnitas and BBQ Pork. These pre-seasoned super affordable and super delicious roasts will save you a little time as you don't have to marinate or apply a rub to the pork shoulder before placing it in your instant pot. Both of these recipes are super easy and you will have a delicious dinner ready in no time! I use the Aldi Carnitas Pork Shoulder to make burrito bowls, tacos, wrapped burritos and enchiladas. I use the Aldi BBQ Pork Shoulder Roast to make BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches. Making these roasts in the instant pot and then shredding cuts a ton of time from the cooking process. You don't need to put these on the smoker or in the crock pot for half a day to get a tender pull apart, easily shredded pork.

If you opt to use a plain cut of pork roast with no seasonings (I prefer this when using pork tenderloin), then you will want to add seasonings or dry rub spices to the pork before cooking. Check out some of my favorite seasoning combinations for rubs here.

What are the different Pork Cuts?

There are many different cuts of Pork. Below you will find a quick summary of each cut and some common recipes made with each.

Pork Shoulder (or Pork Butt)

This is usually the cut that you will see called "Pork Butt Roasts". The pork butt or pork shoulder cut is great for slow cooking or for pressure cooking as it gets more tender with more cooking time. This cut is great for shredding in recipes like Carnitas Burrito Bowls or BBQ Instant Pot Pulled Pork sandwiches.

Pork Fillet or Pork Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin is a very tender cut of pork. This cut does great seared and then cooked in the oven, or seared and finished in the instant pot. I compare this cut to a beef tenderloin. It is long and skinny and melts in your mouth. It’s the fanciest of the pork cuts in my opinion. See our Garlic Pork Tenderloin recipe on our recipes page. I love to serve this dish with creamy cheesy polenta and braised broccoli.

Pork Loin

This cut is also commonly called "Sunday Roast" or "Pork Roast" and this is typically used as a more traditional tender pork roast that is sliced and served from the oven. The Pork Loin Roast is great in the instant pot when you add potatoes and carrots and onion right into the pot with the roast.

Pork Belly

Pork Belly comes from the underside or “belly” of the pig. This is the same cut of meat that is used to make bacon, but bacon is cured and pork belly us usually sold fresh. Pork belly doesn’t have Unlike bacon, pork belly doesn't have the salt and additives added that bacon does. Pork belly is often braised or roasted and is usually cooked with a crispy skin in asian entrees.

Pork Leg

Pork Legs are often cured to make ham or prosciutto or roasted whole. I use the ham bone often used to make soups like Split Pea Instant Pot Soup. There is nothing better than fresh prosciutto wrapped around ripe cantaloupe as an appetizer.

There are many other cuts of pork like the bacon, rib chops that are great in the instant pot, but we will go into detail on those in our Pork Cuts article.

Why Use An Instant Pot to cook Pork Roast?

There a lot of good reasons to use the instant pot to cook pork roast but the three main reasons I think are important are:

• Pork Roast cooks faster in the instant pot

• Pork Roast maintains its moisture when pressure cooking

• Pork Roast shreds perfectly when you use your instant pot or electric pressure cooker

Is Pork Healthy?

Pork is naturally gluten free and carb free making a great choice for those on a low carb or Keto diet. I prefer to buy organic, grass fed, hormone free meats for my family. That way I can ensure that the there are no pesticides or hormones used. Some would argue that the less healthy cuts are the more processed cuts like bacon and deli ham due to the addition of additives, salt and preservatives in those cuts of meat. Some would also argue that meat in general is not healthy for humans, so this question is always relative to your unique situation.

Is Pork Loin same as Pork Tenderloin?

No, Pork Loin and Pork Tenderloin are two different cuts meat. The Pork Tenderloin is a long and narrow. It's also boneless. It comes the muscle that runs along the backbone of the pig. A pork loin is wider and flatter and comes from the back of the Pig. Pork loin is sometimes packaged as bone-in and sometimes as boneless. Pork loin comes from the back of the animal.

Do I need to Sear the Pork Roast first?

This also depends on the cut and how you are preparing the meat. If you are cooking for shredding for Aldi Carnitas or Aldi BBQ Pork then you do not need to sear the meat. If you are cooking a pork tenderloin then I do recommend searing first to keep the juices in while baking or finishing in the Instant pot.

What to Serve With Instant Pot Pork Roast

Here are some suggestions of what to serve with your instant pot pork roast:

• Baked apples or applesauce

• Cranberries

• mashed potatoes with gravy made from the drippings

• Whole potatoes and carrots cooked in the pot with the roast pork

What to Serve with Pork Tenderloin

• Creamy Cheesy Polenta

• Garlic Roasted Broccoli Rabe

• Asparagus with Hollandaise

• Blackberry puree

Pork Roast Instant Pot Recipes

• Traditional Pork Roast Instant Pot with Carrots and Potatoes

• Traditional Pork Roast Instant Pot with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

• Garlic Seared Instant Pot Pork Roast Recipe

• Instant Pot Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls

• BBQ Instant Pot Pork Sandwiches

• Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Cheesy Polenta

To sear your pork in the instant pot

Use the saute function. Press on the saute button and let the pot heat up. If your pot has multiple saute modes, then choose the hottest mode. On my Instant Pot Duo I would click the saute button 3 times to get to the "more" setting. Once hot, add oil and garlic to the pot and saute for 3 minutes. Then place the tenderloin in the hot pot and cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until the pork has turned a grey color. It may start to brown a bit depending on how hot your instant pot is. Turn over and repeat on the other side. Keep turning until all sides have been browned.

Since you will be finishing the cooking in your instant pot you would want to now deglaze your instant pot. Pour in a little broth or water and use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and remove all the crusted on pieces. You want to get these unstuck before cooking so that you don't get the burn error in your pot.

To sear your pork on the stove

Place a large frying pan over medium heat and let it heat up. Add a drizzle of olive oil and garlic to the pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Then place the tenderloin in the hot frying pan and cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until the pork has turned a grey color. It may start to brown a bit depending on how hot your instant pot is. Turn over and repeat on the other side. Keep turning until all sides have been browned.

Why is my Instant Pot Pork Roast tough?

If you find that your Instant Pot Pork Roast is tough, you likely didn't cook it long enough. Tougher cuts of meat need longer cooking times. If you find it tough or even under done, just place it back in the pot and set it to pressure cook for longer. If you will be shredding the meat start with another 15 minutes.

Instant Pot Pork Roast Quick Instructions

I've included quick instructions on two Pork Roast Recipes here, but for the full recipe just click on the link in the recipe below:

Aldi Carnitas Pork Roast Burrito Bowls

For the full recipe and Aldi grocery list visit our Instant Pot Aldi Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls page.

To make this quick weeknight meal I use the Aldi Carnitas Pork Roast from Aldi. It's already seasoned, so it's super easy to make.

Pour a drizzle of oil into your instant pot then cut your Aldi Carnitas Pork Roast into 2 inch pieces and place them in your instant pot. Add the juice on 1 lime, 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (with seeds if you like it hot, and without if you want a milder version), 1/2 cup of salsa verde or red salsa and the leaves of 10 sprigs of cilantro. This will serve as your cooking liquid. Cancel the saute function and set your instant pot to high pressure for a cook time of 60 minutes. You can set your pot to high pressure by pressing the Pressure cook button on an instant pot.

While that is cooking make the rice for your burrito bowls on the stove. You can make any kind of rice that you like. I use basmati, brown or riced cauliflower as the base of this dish. I like to have lots of toppings for my burrito bowls, so at this time I would also prepare all of the toppings that I have on hand and line them up on the counter so everyone can make their own bowl kind of like a taco bar!

Toppings for Burrito Bowls:

• Sour Cream

• Chopped Onion

• Salsa

• Chopped tomato

• Pico de Gallo

• Shredded lettuce

• Sliced Jalapeno

• Limes

• Quacamole
  

Once the instant pot is done, you can do a quick release or a natural release depending on how much time you have until dinner. Then shred the meat and drain if necessary and place in a bowl next to your rice and toppings. This also works great if some of your family would rather have a carnita taco or burrito. I place out taco shells for my son who prefers it that way.

Aldi BBQ Pork Roast Sandwiches

For the full recipe and Aldi grocery list visit our Instant Pot Aldi BBQ Pork Sandwiches page.

To make this quick weeknight meal I use the Aldi BBQ Flavored Pork Roast from Aldi. It's already seasoned, so it's super easy to make.

Pour a drizzle of oil into your instant pot then cut your Aldi BBQ Pork Roast into 2 inch pieces and place them in your instant pot. Add the juice on 1 lemon, and 1/2 cup of vegetable or beef broth to the pot. This will serve as your cooking liquid. Cancel the saute function and set your instant pot to high pressure for a cook time of 60 minutes. You can set your pot to high pressure by pressing the Pressure cook button on an instant pot.

While that is cooking get out your rolls and any toppings that you like on your BBQ Pork sandwiches. My family likes pickles, lettuce, sauteed cabbage and sharp cheddar cheese on their sandwiches. I let everyone dress their own buns the way they like them (served sandwich bar style). Now just wait for your pork to cook.

Once the pressure cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release or let the pressure release naturally and then shred your pork. If the pork isn’t shredding easily, then I recommend turning on the saute function to high and letting it cook for 2 more minutes. Then continue to shred every few minutes until you get it to the consistency you like. This is not well documented, but I find that some meat requires a few minutes at rest after pressure cooking before it will shred easily. I use this trick with chicken thighs as well. You can also use this time to cook off any extra cooking liquid you want to cook off as well.

Can I cook my Pork Roast from Frozen?

If you are cooking your pork roast in the instant pot then you can cook it even if you have frozen meat. You won't be able to cut it up while it's frozen, so you will have to increase the cook time accordingly if you are planning to shred the pork. If you are cooking a whole roast for slicing, then you should use your instant pot trivet to hold the pork roast above the chicken broth or cooking liquid in the inner pot.

Why is my Pork Roast Tied with Rope?

Instant Pot Pork Roasts are often tied with rope or mesh, or wrapped with string to hold the pieces together. You can cook the roast with the string on, however if you are cooking the Aldi Carnitas or Aldi BBQ Pork Roast then I do remove the string and cut up the roast into 2 inch pieces. This helps the roast cook quicker and shred better when cooking is complete.

How many minutes per pound for Instant Pot Pork Roast

This depends on the cut of meat. If you are cooking a whole roast cook for about 16 minutes per pound. If you have cut up your roast and intend to shred then cook for 45 minutes if under 2 pounds, and for 60 minutes if over 2 pounds.

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