If you’re looking for a bold, flavorful protein that’s easy to make and incredibly versatile, this Red Enchilada Shredded Pork is a must-try! It’s perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, enchiladas, or even served over cauliflower rice for a lightened-up option.
About This Recipe
If you love my Light and Crispy Pork Carnitas, you have to try this new Red Enchilada Shredded Pork! Basically like the red cousin of my pork carnitas (made with green enchilada sauce) this easy shredded protein is perfect for any Mexican craving you have!
Use this shredded pork for tacos, rice bowls, tostadas, quinoa bowls, spaghetti squash boats, enchiladas, etc. Seriously, it’s so versatile you can’t go wrong. And the best part? It’s made in the Instant Pot so you basically just sear the meat, dump your ingredients and go! Easy peasy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pork tenderloin: NOT pork loin, it’s not nearly as tender or as lean.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin and kosher salt!
- Tomato paste: Really helps enhance the tomato flavor. I prefer to buy the tomato paste in the resealable tubes since recipes like this just use a couple of tablespoons.
- White onion: The bags of chopped frozen onions are the best for Instant Pot recipes like this! Or fresh chopped onions work great too!
- Garlic cubes: Fresh garlic or garlic cubes (my preference) both work great.
- Red enchilada sauce: Any jarred red enchilada sauce works. I love the one from Trader Joe’s!
Dietary Adaptations
Just check your jarred enchilada sauce to make sure it’s gluten free! I’m using the one from Trader Joe’s which does have wheat. This recipe is dairy-free.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
- Turn your instant pot to the sauté setting and spray with a mist of oil. Trim the pork tenderloins of any unwanted fat or silver skin. Cut into 3 inch hunks and sprinkle with the season salt, chili powder, and cumin.
2. Sear in the hot for a few minutes on both sides.
3. Add tomato paste, diced onion, and garlic and stir to combine. Turn off sauté setting, seal the pot and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes.
Let the instant pot release naturally for 10 minutes before you release the pressure, and open the lid.
5. Turn the pot back to sauté to cook down some of the liquid while you shred the pork with two forks. It would be super tender, and shred very easily. Sauté for about ten minutes total, then turn the pot off and add enchilada sauce.
6. Toss together! I love to toss in tons of cilantro too! Serve in tacos, over rice bowls, in salads, nachos, roasted sweet potatoes… you get it!
Helpful Tips
- Sear the pork: I’m telling you, taking a few minutes to sear the pork is a game changer! Plus, you can do it right in the Instant Pot so it’s not like you have to dirty up another dish. However, it isn’t a deal breaker if you just need to dump everything in and cook!
- Crisp pork: Once it’s all tender and shredded, I love to crisp it up in a big skillet before serving. You can also bake or broil it for 15 minutes or so but this is my favorite way to get it crispy in no time.
- Crockpot: To cook enchilada pork in the crockpot, sear it in a pan then dump the pork, tomato paste, diced onions and garlic in the slow cooker and let cook for 4-6 hours. Once done, shred the pork and add the enchilada sauce and stir to combine.
Serving Suggestions
I’m telling you, shredded protein is one of my favorite things to have on hand because it’s SO versatile! Throw in in a bowl with one of these delicious salsa or top your favorite tortillas with it and add some light and refreshing slaw! No matter what you pair this shredded enchilada pork with I promise you can’t go wrong!
- Pineapple Radish Salsa
- Light Mexican Caesar Salad
- Mexican Spaghetti Squash Bowls
- Corn Avocado Salad
- Cilantro Lime Slaw
- Mexican Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Salsa
For More Delicious Pork Recipes
- Greek Pitas with Instant Pot Pork and Cucumber Feta Salsa
- Instant Pot Pork Ragu
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri
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Red Enchilada Shredded Pork
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork tenderloin cut into 3 inch hunks (1372g)
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 30g
- 2 ¼ cups diced white onion 284g
- 8 frozen garlic cubes or minced cloves
- 3/4 cup jarred red enchilada sauce 180g
Instructions
- Turn your instant pot to the sauté setting and spray with a mist of oil.
- Trim the pork tenderloins of any unwanted fat or silver skin. Cut into 3 inch hunks and sprinkle with the season salt, chili powder, and cumin. Sear in the hot for a few minutes on both sides. Add tomato paste, diced onion, and garlic and stir to combine. Turn off sauté setting, seal the pot and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes.
- Let the instant pot release naturally for 10 minutes before you release the pressure, and open the lid. Turn the pot back to sauté to cook down some of the liquid while you shred the pork with two forks. It would be super tender, and shred very easily.
- Sauté for about ten minutes total, then turn the pot off and add enchilada sauce. I love to toss in tons of cilantro too! Serve in tacos, over rice bowls, in salads, nachos, roasted sweet potatoes… you get it!
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Am I missing where you add any type of liquid to the insta pot?
I think there are some mistakes in this recipe, perhaps. Some things that would usually be there are missing. I just added a little broth
This looks delicious and I cannot wait to make it. I do have one question. In the crockpot instructions it says to add honey at the end. I don’t see honey anywhere else. Is that a typo or should there be honey?
I noticed the same thing as Erika.