This Instant Pot Cocoa-Spiced Pork Roast is the perfect fix for any roast that you think is too tough to cook! Thanks to the addition of cocoa to this recipe, you’ll get a rich, deep flavor within your roast that is unlike anything else you’ve ever tasted!
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Have you ever purchased a roast only to find out that it’s tough as nails when you’ve cooked it? If you have an Instant Pot® and a desire for flavorful, tender meat, then this is the recipe you’ll want to try out!
My husband and I stock up on roasts when we find them on sale. I’m not sure if we’d cooked them fresh if that would have made a difference; but we even tried one in the slow cooker that was still too tough to shred. With the Instant Pot®, we’ve never had a bit of trouble creating melt-in-your-mouth meat dishes!
If you’ve never heard of adding unsweetened cocoa to your meat dishes (such as chili or roasts), then I’m excited to tell you that you’ll never fix these dishes without it again! The cocoa adds an entirely new dimension of flavor. It’s rich, flavorful, and YUM! You’ll be thinking, “Why didn’t I try this before?!“
Special Ingredients + Tools
Instant Pot – of course you’ll need one of these!
Unsweetened Cocoa
Organic Chicken Broth
Instant Pot® Cocoa-Spiced Pork Roast Recipe
Instant Pot Cocoa-Spiced Pork Roast
This Instant Pot Cocoa-Spiced Pork Roast is the perfect fix for any roast that you think is too tough to cook! Thanks to the addition of cocoa to this recipe, you'll get a rich, deep flavor within your roast that is unlike anything else you've ever tasted!
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 t. onion powder
- 1 t. paprika
- ½ t. chipotle powder
- 1 t. ground cloves
- ½ T. sea salt
- ½ t. ground black pepper
Pork Roast
- 3½ - 4 lbs. pork shoulder roast, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
- 2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large stalks celery, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1½ c. chicken broth, preferably organic
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
Remove pork shoulder from refrigerator at least 30 minutes, but not more than 2 hours, before cooking. Set aside.
Prepare dry rub by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Stir to combine and rub the dry rub into all sides of each pork shoulder section, reserving one tablespoon of the rub for later use. Set the seasoned pork and reserved dry
rub aside.
Select the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot® and add one tablespoon olive
oil once hot. Add seasoned pork and sear on each side, approximately 2-3
minutes per side. (Work in two batches, if necessary). Transfer pork to a plate
and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil, along with celery, carrots, and yellow onion. Sauté,
stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to develop some color and become
fragrant, approximately 4-5 minutes.
Add broth and stir to combine, gently scrapping any brown bits off the bottom
of the pot with a wooden spoon in the process. Turn the unit off.
Return pork shoulder to the Instant Pot®. Add bay leaves, rosemary, and
thyme. Sprinkle reserved tablespoon of dry rub on top and stir to combine.
Add lid and lock into place. Switch the vent to “Sealing” and set the “Manual”
setting to 50 minutes.
When cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 20
minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure, if necessary.
Remove lid and discard the bay leaves and woody stems from the rosemary
and thyme. Transfer the pork roast to a serving platter and cover to keep
warm. Set aside.
With an immersion blender, blend the pan sauces until smooth. Taste and
adjust seasonings, as desired. Serve pork roast immediately with choice of
sides and topped with some of the warm sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 3239Total Fat: 240gSaturated Fat: 85gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 133gCholesterol: 954mgSodium: 1555mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 248g
PIN for Later!
Looks delicious! We would love if you would share at our weekly link-up party Handmade & Otherwise (Fridays 8am-Mondays 8pm). http://petalspiesandotherwise.com/category/handmade-otherwise/
Thank you so much, Katy! I appreciate the invitation and look forward to stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!
Do you think this would be good on a beef roast?
Absolutely! I’ve used it on both pork and beef and it definitely didn’t go to waste!
This recipe knocked it out of the park!.By far the best flavorful IP recipe I have found so far that I didn’t have to double the spices.I used a boneless leg of pork .I will definitely try some of your other recipes.You are my IP go to for recipes now. Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! This is definitely a favorite of mine because it does have a lot of flavor. I’d love to hear your suggestions for more IP recipes — feel free to email me! Thank you!
OMG this sounds delicious! At first I thought you were a Dove REp, but glad to see it can be made with everyday items!
This is making me so hungry!