Recipe Index

October 3, 2018 by Tanya Harris 138 Comments

Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas

These crispy, delicious 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.

You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!

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 of 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….

Chicken Wings from frozen
Chicken pot pie
A whole roasted chicken (twice)
And this pork carnita recipe

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

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 carnitas in ninja foodi ceramic insert

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

These Carnitas are great with this Homemade Salsa Recipe.

Pin Ninja Foodi Recipe: Pork Carnitas for Later

I hope you love this carnitas recipe as much as we do. If you're looking for another way to make them, you'll love this slow cooker carnitas recipe.

ninja foodi pork carnitas in the ninja foodi

Print Recipe

4.91 from 60 votes

Ninja Foodi Recipe: Crispy Pork Carnitas

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: ninja foodi recipe

Servings: people

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Tanya Harris

Ingredients

2 lbs pork butt chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
1 orange cut in half
1 yellow onion peeled and cut in half
6 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
½ 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.

Video

Nutrition

September 27, 2018 by Tanya Harris 2 Comments

Top 9 Accessories for your Instant Pot

I love using my Instant Pot to make unique recipes. I use my normal insert a ton but will also use my Instant Pot Accessories to get the most out of my Instant Pot. Here's a list of the 9 best accessories to have for your Instant Pot.

main image of post with egg bite accessory on top, text that says "top 8 accessories for your instant pot" and steel accessory at bottom

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

1. The Egg Bite Mold

I use this mold to make my soft and creamy Copycat Sous Vide Egg Bites in the Instant Pot. I like this one because I never spray them and my egg bites slide right on out when I finish making them.

2. Double Stacking Steamer Insert

I use this double stacking insert for heating up leftovers or cooking foods that I don't want to overlap (I use it a lot to make double batches of baby food). I also use it to make grits, polenta, and oatmeal when I don't want to risk the bottom of my pot getting scortched. The cooktime takes a little longer with the inserts but I don't mind, especially if it can save me time on the dishes. I make my creamy pressure cooker pumpkin pie oatmeal in one of these stackable inserts.

3. 6 Pack Instant Pot Accessories Steamer Set

I found that buying an accessory kit is useful because you get more products for less money. This set comes with a Steamer Basket, Steamer Base Egg Steamer, Springform Pan for making cake, Rack Silicone Oven for resting hot pots/pans, mitts Plate Dish Clip for taking hot stuff or extremely cold stuff out the pot.

4. Silicone Steamer

I love using silicone products in my Instant Pot now, rather than the traditional metal steamers. Primarily because food does not stick to them. I use silicone to steam vegetables as well as fish/chicken. My Pressure Cooker Salmon with Garlic Herb Cream Sauce is the perfect dish for this steamer.

5. A Pressure Cooker Bakeware Sling

Cheesecakes, Oatmeal, and any pot in pot recipe could benefit from a sling. I know many times it's suggested to make a foil sling to lower your cake pans into the Instant Pot. This is 100 times more easier and is great for using in the Instant Pot.

6. Steam Release Diverter

A big concern with any Instant Pot owner is that steam that shoots out the top during a quick release. It could possibly damage your cabinets over time. This allows the steam to shoot sideways, rather than upwards. Be careful where you point that steam though.

7. Instant Pot Tempered Glass Lid

This lid is to be used only if you are using the Instant Pot slow cooking function or after the cook process is over, not during pressure cooking. I love using it to cover foods after they have cooked, especially chili, like my Pressure Cooker Turkey Chili, my Pressure Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup, and my Instant Pot Breakfast Sausage Gravy. Just keep the soup on the keep warm function and cover with the glass lid.

8. Extra Sealing Rings

Having an extra set of sealing rings for the Instant Pot comes in handy. The sealing ring can take on the smells of your food, especially garlic. It can also start to feel loose over extending use. I use these extra rings when making desserts or breakfast in my Instant Pot and keep the standard ring for when I am cooking dinner.

9. A Pressure Cooker Cookbook

A good pressure cooker cookbook is always helpful. This Old Gal's Cookbook is great for those new or established Instant Pot users. You can read my full book review here.

These are my favorite Instant Pot Accessories. I use these in my 6 qt Instant Pot. what are your favorite accessories? Please leave them in the comments below 🙂

September 25, 2018 by Tanya Harris 27 Comments

Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops (Japanese Tonkatsu)

These Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops are nice and crispy with tons of Asian flavor. Have fun with the seasonings to create your own flavor combo or just follow the recipe as stated below.

Full Recipe/Instructions are available in the recipe card
at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips/tricks
in the blog post.

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

Our Air Fryer is our go to when we are craving fried foods. Traditional frying has become a thing of the past (except when making things with loose batter). The internet has let me know that you all love your Air Fryers too which is awesome. I’ll keep the Air Fryer recipes coming 🙂

[Read more...]

September 18, 2018 by Tanya Harris 3 Comments

Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage {Video}

This Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage Recipe is a delicious and hearty soup with tons of flavor. It’s a quick and easy dinner option when made in your electric pressure cooker.

final shot of pressure cooker lentil soup in a bowl

This post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclaimer here.

You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!

This Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage was inspired by one of our favorite soups from one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Carrabba's. Hubby had been bugging me for months to make a copycat version at home.

For months I blew him off until I finally gave in. I regret not giving in earlier because this soup is amazing and one of my favorites to make in my Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker.

What exactly are lentils?

Lentils can be found in your dry bean aisle of the grocery store. They are known as “pulses” which are the edible seeds of legumes. I love to use them in cooking because they are cheap and nutritious. You can find more information about lentils here.

How long should lentils cook in a pressure cooker?

The Instant Pot Pressure Cooker option is a great way to cook dry beans without soaking and lentils comes as no exception. How long you cook lentils in the pressure cooker will depend on the type of lentils you’re cooking with and the dish you are making.

For this soup recipe, I only use brown or green lentils and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. If I’m making lentils to use in a dish other than soup, for example tacos, then I cut the cook time down to 12 minutes.

Red lentils are a bit different as they have much faster cooktime. 12 or 15 minutes in the pressure cooker will turn red lentils into mush so I do not sub them in this recipe.

final photo shot of pressure cooker lentil soup with sour cream on top

How to prepare lentils for pressure cooking?

The great thing about lentils is that you do not have to soak them before adding them to the pressure cooker. However, you should rinse them and inspect them to make sure there isn’t any dirt or debris in your lentils. No one wants dirty gritty soup.

How to Make Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage

This soup is made by first sautéing your italian sausage, then adding the vegetables and giving it a quick sauté with the meat. You will then add your lentils and chicken broth and layer the diced tomatoes on top without stirring.

Anytime I make a dish in my Pressure Cooker with tomatoes, like this pressure cooker turkey chili, I layer the tomatoes on top to avoid the Instant Pot becoming scorched on the bottom. Thick sauces, like diced tomatoes, can cause the Instant Pot to scortch and possibly burn. It's better just to lay them on the top and stir once the cooking process is complete.

Can this Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup be frozen?

Yes, yes, and yes! I like to freeze this soup in quart sized freezer bags and save it for those really busy days. When I'm ready to reheat, i just remove it from my freezer and add it to my Instant Pot still frozen. I set it on 10 minutes high pressure and walk away.

frozen bag of pressure cooker lentil soup

Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Try these out:

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage {Video}

This Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage Recipe is a delicious and hearty soup with tons of flavor. It’s a quick and easy dinner option when made in your electric pressure cooker.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

other20

Total Time45

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pressure cooker lentil soup

Servings: people

Calories: 276kcal

Author: Tanya Harris