If you’re looking for a flavor-packed, versatile recipe that’s perfect for meal prep, look no further than Instant Pot mojo pork. This dish is easy to make and tastes amazing on its own, as a filling for tacos or burritos, or as the star ingredient in Cuban sandwiches, included in this recipe.
What Is Mojo Pork?
Mojo pork is a traditional Cuban dish that’s made by marinating pork shoulder in a citrusy, garlicky sauce known as mojo. The mojo marinade infuses the meat with flavor and helps to tenderize it, resulting in a juicy and delicious final product. The dish is often served with rice and beans, but it can be used in a variety of other ways such as in Cuban sandwiches, tacos and casseroles.
Instant Pot Mojo Pork
You will love making Mojo pork in the Instant Pot for several reasons:
- Time-saving: Using the Instant Pot to cook the pork speeds up the cooking process, making it faster and more convenient than traditional methods.
- Flavorful: The mojo pork marinade infuses the meat with a delicious and tangy flavor that is perfect for a variety of dishes, from Cuban sandwiches to tacos.
- Tender and Juicy: The pressure-cooking process of the Instant Pot ensures that the pork is cooked to perfection, resulting in a tender and juicy meat that is easy to shred.
- Versatile: Once cooked, the mojo pork can be used in a variety of dishes, making it a versatile ingredient to have on hand.
- Budget-friendly: Pork is an affordable protein, making this recipe a budget-friendly option for meal planning.
Ingredients For Mojo Pork
Pork – pork shoulder, also known as pork butt, is the best cut of pork for mojo pork recipe.
For Mojo marinade- orange juice, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
For Cuban sandwiches – bread rolls/baguettes, pickles, ham, Swiss cheese (or another cheese of choice, thinly sliced), mustard, and mayonnaise.
How To Make Mojo Pork In Instant Pot
You will find the full recipe with ingredients and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below.
There are two stages to making mojo pork in the pressure cooker. The first stage is to pressure cook the pork with mojo marinade. The second stage is to shred and broil the pork in the oven, however this step is optional as the pork is ready to be served once pressure cooked. An additional step is to prepare the sides to go with the mojo pork, which in our case are ingredients for Cuban sandwiches.
Let’s break it down with step-by-step photos and video. You can use a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.
Mojo Marinade
Step 1. In a bowl, whisk together the mojo marinade: orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper to create the marinade.
Optional: Coat the pieces of pork in the marinade and marinate for a few hours or overnight, however, you can also pour the marinade directly into the Instant Pot without marinating the meat prior.
Pressure Cook Mojo Pork
Step 2. Add ¼ cup of water or chicken stock to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the pork chunks in the Instant Pot and pour the marinade over the top, ensuring that all pieces are coated with the marinade.
Step 3. Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button and set the timer for 60 minutes on high pressure. After the cooking cycle is complete, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for 10-15 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.
Step 4. Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and shred it using two forks.
Step 5. In the meantime, leave the cooking marinade broth in the pot and set it to Saute. Let it reduce for 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times, then pour some of that mojo liquid over the pork when serving so it absorbs all those delicious juices.
Optional step: Transfer the pork and juices to a baking dish and pop under the Broil/Grill in the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp up and get a few brown edges. Recommended!
What To Serve With Mojo Pork
Instant Pot Mojo pork can be served in a variety of ways, including:
- Cuban sandwiches: Layer slices of mojo pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, mayo, and mustard on a crusty roll and grill until the cheese is melted.
- Rice and beans: Serve mojo pork over a bed of rice and beans for a traditional Cuban-style meal. Add some pickles onions for extra tang!
- Tacos: Top tortillas with mojo pork, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and sour cream.
- Salad: Use mojo pork as a protein source in a flavorful salad with avocado, black beans, and corn.
How To Make Cuban Sandwiches With Mojo Pork
While the pork is cooking, prepare the ingredients for sandwiches OR side dishes such as rice or tortillas. If making the Cuban sandwiches you will need:
- Crusty rolls or baguettes
- Mojo pork
- Ham
- Swiss cheese (can be replace with another kind)
- Pickles
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise (optional but adds creaminess)
Step 1. Using a knife, halve the rolls. Begin building the sandwiches. First, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto one side of the bread and mayo on the other. Add 5 pickle slices, about 3 ounces (90 g) of ham and a few slices of roasted pork. Top with 2 slices of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Step 2. Heat a flat-top griddle pan or skillet (you can also do this on a BBQ) to medium heat and add a little olive oil. Place the sandwiches on to the griddle pan and place a weighted cast-iron pan on top to press or even just a lid to trap the heat in. Press the sandwiches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and cut in half. Secure with bamboo skewers if needed and serve immediately.
Storing Mojo Pork
Mojo pork can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When reheating, be sure to add a bit of liquid to keep the meat moist.
MORE PORK INSTANT POT RECIPES
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Instant Pot Mojo Pork & Cuban Sandwiches
Ingredients
For Mojo Pork
- 3 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into large chunks
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ cup cilantro freshly chopped (coriander)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup water or chicken stock
For Cuban Sandwiches
- 4 baguettes or sub rolls
- 8 Swiss cheese slices, or any other cheese
- 8 ham slices
- Dill pickles sliced
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
Make Mojo Pork
- In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper to create the marinade. Optional: Coat the pieces of pork in the marinade and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to infuse with more flavour, otherwise go straight to cooking.
- Add ¼ cup of water or chicken stock to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place the pork chunks in the Instant Pot and pour the marinade over the top, ensuring that all pieces are coated with the marinade.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.Select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" button and set the timer for 60 minutes on high pressure. After the cooking cycle is complete, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally for 10-15 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the pork from the Instant Pot and shred it using two forks.
- Using the Saute function, cook down/reduce the cooking mojo liquid for 5-7 minutes, stirring a few times. Then pour over the pork when serving so it absorbs all those delicious juices.
- Optional broiling: Transfer the pork and juices to a baking dish and pop under the Broil/Grill in the oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp up and get a few brown edges.
- While the pork is cooking, prepare the ingredients for sandwiches OR side dishes such as rice or tortillas.
Make Cuban Sandwiches
- Using a knife, halve the rolls. Begin building the sandwiches. First, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard onto one side of the bread and mayo on the other. Add 5 pickle slices, about 3 ounces (90 g) of ham and a few slices of roasted pork. Top with 2 slices of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
- Heat a flat-top griddle pan or skillet (you can also do this on a BBQ) to medium heat and add a little olive oil. Place the sandwiches on to the griddle pan and place a weighted cast-iron pan on top to press or even just a lid to trap the heat in. Press the sandwiches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and cut in half. Secure with bamboo skewers if needed and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Mojo Pork FAQs
MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES
- Instant Pot Pork Chop Recipes
- Barbacoa Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Pork Al Pastor & Rice Casserole
- Firecracker Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork Recipes With A Twist.
What would cooking time be for a tenderloin?
Good question. Tenderloin doesn’t need much cooking at all, so without browning it first, set it to HIGH pressure for 5-7 minutes depending on thickness.
Once the cooking is done, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes (if the pork tenderloin is much thicker than 1.5-2”, then add a few more minutes to natural release).