Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders {Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, AIP}

Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders – The perfect grain free open-faced slider stacked high with crunchy lime cabbage, juicy instant pot carnitas, creamy guacamole and fresh cilantro!

Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders

Anyone else obsessed with all things pork?? I just can’t help it, the flavor and texture and ability to transform, make it hands down my favorite meat! And so you can be sure I never order any other meat when eating at Chipotle! Naturally I crave carnitas often and just had to make a sweet potato bun slider version to share with you! So here it is, my Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders, loaded with lime cabbage, carnitas, guacamole and fresh cilantro!

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Ingredients To Make Sweet Potato Sliders

These sliders are full of flavor but have only a few ingredients which is pretty nice. You’ll need a pork shoulder, water or bone broth, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, purple cabbage, limes, avocado and fresh cilantro. For the Sweet Potato Slider Buns you’ll need 3-4 large, long and evenly round (thick) sweet potatoes sliced into 1/4 inch thick “buns”. 

Instant Pot Carnitas

What I love most about making Instant Pot Carnitas is how much flavor the Instant Pot creates in the meat in such a short time! I’m a HUGE Instant Pot fan. I used to be really intimidated by stove top pressure cookers even though I always wanted one. I knew how great they were at tenderizing meat, shortening the cooking time and infusing flavor. Then I met the Instant Pot and once I used it I’ve never turned back! It’s incredibly easy to use and turns out some of the best dishes my kitchen has ever seen!

How to Make Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders

To make Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders, first you will cook your pork shoulder in the instant pot for 75 minutes (or slow cooker) until tender. While that’s cooking prep your veggies. Then cut and roast your sweet potato rounds in the oven at 425 degrees fahrenheit while you shred the meat. You’ll roast the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes until tender but not mushy.

Once the meat finishes cooking, quick release the pressure. After shredding the meat, mix together the lime juice and sliced cabbage in a bowl and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Next, make your guacamole and gather your cilantro leaves.

Once everything is ready, it’s time to assemble! You can really load these sliders in any order but I recommend some of the lime cabbage first followed by carnitas, guacamole and topped with fresh cilantro leaves and an additional squeeze of lime if you like.

More Whole30 Recipes

• Korean Beef
• Healthy Chicken Potato Soup
• Apple Cider Pulled Pork
• Whole30 Instant Pot Cuban Roast Pork
• Whole30 Instant Pot Chipotle Pork Carnitas

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Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders {Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, AIP}

★★★★★ 5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 75 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 24 sliders 1x
• Category: Whole30
• Method: Instant Pot/Oven
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Description

Carnitas Sweet Potato Sliders – The perfect grain free open-faced slider stacked high with crunchy lime cabbage, juicy instant pot carnitas, creamy guacamole and fresh cilantro!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Carnitas:

• 3–4 pound pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup water or bone broth
• 2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (*omit black pepper for AIP)

Sliders:

• 3–4 large long but evenly round sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch thickness
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 5 large limes, juiced (divided, this will be for both the cabbage and guacamole)
• 2 large ripe avocados
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves removed for garnish just before assembly
• salt, garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper to taste (for guacamole – *omit black pepper for AIP)

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Instructions

1. Rub the pork shoulder pieces in the salt, garlic powder and black pepper and then place in the Instant Pot.
2. To the bottom of the pot add either 1 cup of water or bone broth.
3. Lock the instant pot lid and set the seam valve to sealing, select either manual or high pressure (depending on your model) and select 75 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. just before the pork finishes cooking.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange your sweet potato rounds in a single layer on the baking sheet. You may use multiple baking sheets or work in batches.
6. Roast the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes until tender but not mushy.
7. In a bowl just big enough for the cabbage, mix together the shredded cabbage and enough lime juice to cover the top of the cabbage.
8. Once the instant pot finishes cooking, quick release the pressure.
9. Remove the pork shoulder and shred the meat. Once shredded taste and add salt if desired. (I prefer more salt.)
10. Once the sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and allow them to sit on a wire baking rack until everything is ready to assemble. (This will prevent steam from getting trapped on a plate and them becoming soggy.)
11. OPTIONAL STEP: Place the shredded carnitas in an even layer on a baking sheet and broil for 3-5 minutes, watching the meat the entire time to avoid burning. This will give your meat a slight crisp.
12. Mash together your avocados, lime juice, salt, garlic powder and pepper to taste. (This is how I prefer to eat guacamole but feel free to add onions and cilantro to yours if you like.)
13. Now it’s time to assemble the sliders. You can work in any order you like but I recommend topping the sweet potato sliders first with some lime cabbage (use a fork to strain the cabbage from the excess lime juice as you use it), then carnitas, guacamole and fresh cilantro leaves. You can also squeeze more lime over the top if you so desire.
14. Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

*This recipe can also be used as meal prep. You can cook your pork shoulder ahead of time in the Instant Pot, shred, cool and store in the frig for up to 4 days before reheating and making sliders.

*Omit black pepper for AIP

Keywords: carnitas, sweet potato buns, sweet potato sliders, whole30, paleo, gluten free, AIP, instant pot,

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