If you want a bold, Italian-flavored pork bomb in a fraction of the time, this Instant Pot Porchetta Roast recipe is guaranteed to please!
I’ll tell anyone who’s willing to listen that the single greatest culinary delight my husband introduced me to was Iron Range Porchetta (Porketta). Porchetta (or porketta) seasoning is this super flavorful seasoning mix, consisting of Italian herbs and spices including basil, fennel, rosemary, and oregano that is traditionally used to season boneless pork loin roasts. But it can and should be added to all kinds of pork. Trust me, I’m single-handedly doing my part.
Iron Range Porchetta is this earthy, Italian herb bomb. The basil, the rosemary, the oregano, the fennel! It’s so incredibly amazing, a bevy of Italian seasonings brought together to create one seriously stellar seasoning mix.
This Instant Pot Porchetta Roast is fantastic on its own paired with complementary sides or served as a sandwich. If you’re unfamiliar with the culinary delight that is porchetta (porketta), read on to learn more about it before we dive into how to make it.
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FAQ
Porchetta (or porketta) is most universally known as an Italian roasted pork dish, prepared with skin-on pork belly rolled into a roulade, spiked with bold seasonings including rosemary and fennel, and roasted to achieve a lovely crackling crust (as in this authentic Italian porchetta recipe).
My introduction to porchetta was Iron Range Porchetta. Which is more a reference to the seasoning than the preparation per se.
I first encountered porchetta in a grocery store called Zup’s on the Iron Range in the meat section as an aggressively seasoned pork roast. It was coated in porchetta “grass”, ready to be taken home, cooked, and eaten. Porchetta “grass” contains a host of beautiful Italian seasonings including fennel seeds, as well as dried parsley, oregano, and basil.
Traditionally, boneless pork loin roasts are used; not the long narrow tenderloin, but the wider and flatter cut. It’s often butterflied, hammered with porketta seasoning, then rolled up and tied back into a loin roast. My personal favorite cut to use for porchetta roast is pork butt because it’s not as lean as a loin and is very forgiving to cook. It’s non-traditional and you won’t wind up with neat slices like when using a loin roast, but it turns into delicious chunks of shredded, boldly flavored pork. For this recipe, I use a 3-4 pound pork butt, but you can also use a similar-sized pork loin roast.
To make my version of Iron Range Porchetta seasoning, you will need the following ingredients. The red pepper flakes are optional but highly recommended if you want to add some heat. You will also need two small containers to store the “grass” and the porchetta salt and pepper separately.
The Porchetta “Grass”
3 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 teaspoons dried celery
3 teaspoons dried parsley
2 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
The Porchetta Salt & Pepper Mix
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Add the basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds, dried celery, parsley, and red pepper flakes (optional) to a small lidded container. Shake to combine.
Add the onion salt, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to a small lidded container. Shake to combine.
When ready to use, apply the grass first, followed by the salt and pepper mix.
Note: This recipe isn’t authentic or claiming to be; it’s more authentic-adjacent. Learn more about my version of Iron Range Porchetta Seasoning here.
Instant Pot Porchetta Roast Ingredients
Once you have the seasoning squared away, the rest is easy!
- 1 3-4 pound pork butt or boneless pork top loin roast*
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 7-8 tablespoons porchetta seasoning (grass)
- 1-2 tablespoons porchetta salt and pepper mix
- ½ cup chicken stock
Pork Preparatory Note: I used a nearly 4-pound pork butt for this recipe. I decided to cut it in half so it would fit better in the Instant Pot. If using a pork top loin roast, you can either use it whole and coat the exterior or butterfly it, add seasoning, then roll it back up into a loin. And maybe sprinkle some seasoning on the outside too, for good measure.
Instant Pot Porchetta Roast Instructions
Drizzle vegetable or olive oil over the pork, making sure to coat the exterior evenly so the seasonings stick.
Sprinkle the porchetta “grass” seasoning all over the pork, making sure to coat the exterior evenly. Then, add the salt and pepper mix.
Add the seasoned pork to the Instant Pot, then add in the chicken stock.
Put the lid on and set your Instant Pot to High Pressure for 60 minutes (I also select the Keep Warm setting). The Instant Pot will take around 10-12 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
When the pork has finished cooking, let the pressure naturally release. If you opt for a quick release, I can’t promise the meat will be as tender as this rapid air expulsion tends to dry meat out. This will take around 20 minutes. The steam release valve will fall when the pressure has naturally dissipated.
Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl or cutting board. If using pork butt, it should naturally fall apart into larger chunks or you could shred it with two forks (like pulled pork). If using a loin, let it rest then cut it into slices.
Enjoy!
Hint: I like to save the leftover liquid for another use, like adding to soups and sauces or using it to cook things like rice in.
Necessary Equipment
I have an 8-quart Instant Pot, this exact model:
This recipe also works with 6-quart models.
What should I serve Porketta Roast with?
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Instant Pot Porketta Roast:
Leftover Porchetta Storage
Store leftover Instant Pot Porchetta Roast in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze in an airtight container for 3-6 months.
Top Tip
Reuse the juice! You know, the cooking liquid that gets left behind after the pork has finished cooking. It’s liquid gold and can be used for a variety of things, like adding to soups or sauces, as a cooking liquid for things like rice and other grains, or you can reuse to cook other proteins in. The Italian seasonings make this leftover cooking liquid extra special.
Related Dinner Dishes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Instant Pot Porchetta Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 pound pork butt or boneless pork top loin roast* (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 7-8 tablespoons porchetta seasoning (grass)
- 1-2 tablespoons porchetta salt and pepper mix
- ½ cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Drizzle vegetable or olive oil over the pork, making sure to coat the exterior evenly so the seasonings stick.1 3-4 pound pork butt or boneless pork top loin roast*, 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- Sprinkle the porchetta “grass” seasoning all over the pork, making sure to coat the exterior evenly. Then, add the salt and pepper mix.7-8 tablespoons porchetta seasoning (grass), 1-2 tablespoons porchetta salt and pepper mix
- Add the seasoned pork to the Instant Pot, then add in the chicken stock.½ cup chicken stock
- Put the lid on and set your Instant Pot to High Pressure for 60 minutes (I also select the Keep Warm setting). The Instant Pot will take around 10-12 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
- When the pork has finished cooking, let the pressure naturally release. If you opt for a quick release, I can’t promise the meat will be as tender as this rapid air expulsion tends to dry meat out. This will take around 20 minutes. The steam release valve will fall when the pressure has naturally dissipated.
- Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl or cutting board. If using pork butt, it should naturally fall apart into larger chunks or you could shred it with two forks (like pulled pork). If using a loin, let it rest then cut into slices.
- Enjoy!
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