Instant Pot Mexican Pork Stew
Instant Pot Mexican Pork Stew has pork sirloin, bacon, chile peppers, red bell pepper, sweet potatoes, Mexican spices, and a touch of lime. This recipe that’s loaded with Mexican flavors has 15 net carbs with the sweet potatoes, but see suggestions for a lower-carb version if you prefer!
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This Mexican Pork Stew that’s loaded with flavor from pork sirloin, bacon, red bell pepper, chiles, sweet potatoes and Mexican spices is one of those recipes where we added a little of this and a little of that until we had a combination we thought was a winner! And it did take us two tries to come up with this recipe, which uses one of those inexpensive pork sirloin tip roasts from Costco.
But this Mexican pork stew turned out perfectly in the Instant Pot without much work, and it reminded me how useful the Instant Pot can be, and I loved using it to make a dinner with Mexican flavors. If you like pork and Mexican flavors, I hope you’ll try this tasty Mexican Pork Stew made in the Instant Pot!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is ONLY a list of ingredients for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- thick-cut bacon
- Pork Sirloin Tip Roast
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- onion
- Poblano chile
- ground cumin (affiliate link)
- Dried Oregano (affiliate link), preferably Mexican Oregano (affiliate link)
- canned diced green chiles (affiliate link)
- chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- sweet potatoes
- large red bell pepper
- fresh-squeezed lime juice, (I used my fresh-frozen lime juice)
- chopped cilantro (optional)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- grated Mexican blend cheese and sour cream for serving (optional)
What gives this pork stew Mexican flavors?
It’s the use of Poblano chiles, diced green chiles, cumin, Mexican oregano, lime, and cilantro that gives this tasty pork stew the Southwestern flavors.
How low in carbs is the Mexican Pork Stew?
This tasty stew with Mexican flavors has only 15 net carbs and 42 grams of protein per serving!
How can you make Mexican Pork Stew lower in carbs?
If you’d like a low-carb version of this pork stew, just skip the sweet potatoes and add more red pepper and more pork. Or you could make a lower-carb version by using less sweet potato with a bit more pepper or more pork. The sweet potatoes do add some thickening, so you might need to simmer in the Instant Pot a bit longer to reduce the stew if you go for the low-carb option.
Is this pork stew an authentic Mexican recipe?
I’m definitely not claiming that my Mexican Pork Stew is an authentic Mexican recipe, but it’s does use lots of ingredients that are traditional for Mexican food. And when I researched it, I was surprised to discover that even the sweet potatoes are a traditional Mexican ingredient.
How to Make Instant Pot Mexican Pork Stew:
(This is ONLY a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Cook bacon strips it in the instant pot on SAUTE, high heat. Then remove bacon with a slotted spoon.
- Remove some of the bacon fat if needed, then cook the pork pieces until they’re nicely browned. You might need to do this in two batches to be sure the pork browns well, or cook the pork in a big pan on the stove if you prefer.
- While pork browns, chop the onion and the Poblano chili pepper. Remove the browned pork and add the onions and chopped Poblano to the Instant Pot with a little more bacon fat or olive oil if needed and cook 2-3 minutes; then add the ground cumin and Mexican oregano and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Add the browned pork, bacon, canned green chiles, and chicken stock to the Instant Pot, lock the lid, and set to HIGH PRESSURE for 20 minutes, using NATURAL RELEASE to release the pressure.
- While the pork cooks, chop the sweet potatoes and red pepper (or two red peppers if you’re making the low-carb version). Add those to the Instant Pot after the pressure has released.
- Lock the lid on the Instant Pot again and set to HIGH PRESSURE, 8 minutes. When the time is up use NATURAL RELEASE for 5 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure quickly, being careful to stay away from the steam.
- If you didn’t add the sweet potatoes you may want to simmer the stew in the Instant Pot for a few minutes to thicken it.
- Then add the lime juice, chopped cilantro, and salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Serve the Mexican Pork Stew hot, with grated cheese and sour cream to add at the table if desired
- I didn’t have any of this left to try freezing it, but I think leftovers will freeze well or stay good in the fridge for quite a few days!
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
This pork stew recipe could be a one-dish Mexican Meal, but if you wanted to add something more any of these low-carb salads would taste good with this:
- Tomato Salad with Cucumbers, Avocado, and Cilantro
- Jicama Carrot Radish Slaw
- Spicy Mexican Slaw with Lime and Cilantro
- Avocado Tomato Salad
- Laurel’s Jicama Salad
Want more Sweet Potato Recipes?
One ingredient that adds flavor to this Mexican Pork Stew is Sweet Potatoes, and if you’re a fan of savory sweet potato recipes like I am, check out my Favorite Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes.
Weekend Food Prep:
The Mexican Pork Stew recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Instant Pot Mexican Pork Stew
Instant Pot Mexican Pork Stew with bacon, pork sirloin roast, red bell peppers, chile peppers, and sweet potatoes is fun for something new to make in the Instant Pot! And this has lots of Mexican flavors from spices and a touch of lime.
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into short strips
- 2 lb. Pork Sirloin Tip Roast, trimmed and cut into cubes 1 - 1 1/2 inch square
- 2 tsp olive oil (if needed)
- 1 onion, chopped small
- 1 large Poblano chile, chopped small (see notes)
- 1 T ground cumin
- 1 tsp. oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
- 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles with juice
- 3 cups chicken stock (see notes)
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 T lime juice, or more (see notes)
- 3 T finely chopped cilantro (optional)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- grated Mexican blend cheese and sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cut bacon into short strips, then cook in the Instant Pot using SAUTE and HIGH HEAT until the bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels with a slotted spoon. (If there seems like too much bacon fat, remove some with a spoon.)
- While bacon cooks, trim fat from the pork roast and cut in cubes 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch square. Brown the pork cubes in the Instant Pot, letting them getting nicely browned. You might need to do this in two batches so the Instant Pot isn't too crowded, or brown the pork in some olive oil or bacon fat in a pan on the stove if you prefer. Remove pork to a plate.
- While pork browns, chop the onion and the Poblano (or Pasilla) chile into very small dice. When pork is done, add the chopped onions and chiles to the Instant Pot (adding a little more olive oil or bacon fat if needed), reduce heat to MEDIUM and cook 2-3 minutes. Then add the ground cumin and oregano and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Put the browned pork back into the Instant Pot with the crisp bacon, canned green chiles, and chicken stock. Lock lid on the Instant Pot and cook at HIGH PRESSURE for 20 minutes; then use NATURAL RELEASE to release the pressure.
- While the stew cooks, peel the sweet potatoes and chop into 3/4 inch pieces. Cut stem out and remove seeds from the red bell pepper and chop into 3/4 inch pieces.
- When pressure has released, add the chopped sweet potatoes and red bell pepper to the Instant Pot, lock lid, and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 8 minutes. Use NATURAL RELEASE for 5 minutes, then QUICK RELEASE to release the rest of the pressure.
- Check to see if you want to simmer to thicken the stew, especially if you didn't use the sweet potatoes. If so, simmer on SAUTE, low heat until some of the liquid has evaporated and the stew has thickened to your liking.
- Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro (if using) and season the stew with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
- Serve hot, with grated Mexican blend cheese and sour cream to add at the table if desired.
Notes
Poblano Chiles are sometimes called Pasilla chiles in U.S. grocery stores.
You can also use canned chicken broth for this. I used my fresh-frozen lime juice.
I used a 6 Quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) for this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 323Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 108mgSodium 395mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 2gSugar 9gProtein 42g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Mexican Pork Stew is a great dish for any low-glycemic diet, including Phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. This pork stew has 15 net carbs per serving so it’s not that much of a splurge for a low-carb diet, but if you want a version with lower carbs just use fewer sweet potatoes or skip the sweet potatoes and replace with another chopped red bell pepper.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for pork stew with Mexican flavors was posted in 2017. It was last updated with more information in 2025.
21 Comments on “Instant Pot Mexican Pork Stew”
I really enjoyed this. I’m a wimp on heat, so only did the bottom half of poblano and it wasn’t spicy at all.
My sweet potatoes were cut smaller (I don’t like big chunks) but that made the soup so creamy especially with the edition of the lime and sour cream (it reminded me of your black bean and sweet potato!).
Definitely enjoyed this, it’s nice to have a healthy soup recipe with pork in it.
So glad you enjoyed itT Thanks for taking time to let me know!
Oh my goodness this is delicious! I think it is rude when people make changes to recipes others worked on and are kind enough to share however, my hubby doesn’t like oregano so I subbed it with garlic and added a can of green beans. This will definitely be in my rotation. Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad you and he enjoyed it. And no worries about the changes; I know what you mean but I also think adjusting things to your own preferences are one of the things that make someone a good cook!
I can’t tell you how many times over the last few years that I’ve made this stew, but it’s a lot! At least once a month through the winter. And I’m making it again tonight! Always delicious. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
So glad you are enjoying it! Thanks for taking time to let me know.
Going to try this with pork tenderloin (had extra from Christmas shopping), cubed butternut squash, and Chipotle which I have opened in the fridge. Looks good.
I made this as stated above reducing second cooking time to 5 minutes (3-4 would probably work). At first st I thought it was too spicy (I’m wimpy) but after mixing cheese and sour cream it was just right. Was going to slice avocado but it was not ripe. Added a little corn and black beans.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi – This was absolutely delicious. I was very pleased with the results. Had a few failures with my new Instant Pot, so successes are noteworthy. Made exactly as written with the exception of the poblano pepper – just couldn’t find one. So I used a green pepper and 1/2 a jalapino. Would love to try it with the poblano. Many thanks – this is the first time I’ve reviewed a dish, I was that impressed with it.
So glad you enjoyed it! Not sure where you live, but Poblanos are called Pasilla peppers in some places. I have had my own failures with the Instant Pot too, so I try to make sure the recipe work before I share them here!
This recipe was amazing, 2 phase pressure cooking and ingredients creates great flavor. Adding lime and cilantro enhances to wonderful.
Yes I did change to Chipotle and jalapeno pepper in Stock and added garlic. Sweet potatoes and peppers give a warm/spicey/ sweet flavor. Yum
So glad you enjoyed it!
This looks great! Could you substitute beef or chicken for the pork? I know the timing would be slightly different, but I wonder whether the flavors would work.
Thanks Lydia! I think beef would be a great choice for this if you don’t want to use pork. And I bet the timing would be pretty similar with beef, maybe just a little longer for the initial cooking time.
Looks like a great meal. Thanks for sharing my chicken recipe.
My pleasure, glad you like it Barbara!
It probably can, but since I haven’t done it I can’t tell you exactly how to do it. For sure you’d need to brown the bacon and meat separately as I did. I would use lots less liquid for the slow cooker, maybe half as much, and you’d need to cook the pork for a few hours and then add the sweet potatoes and peppers and cook longer. Love to hear what works if you try it.
Can this be modified for a crockpot?
YES! I did this with a crockpot and it worked out very well,
So glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing that info!