Pulled Pork Tacos
Shredded pork on corn tortillas with your choice of toppings make this Mexican pulled pork taco recipe a quick, easy, and delicious meal!
I love tacos of all kinds, but this simple shredded pork version is one of my favorites because it’s so easy to make and the tacos are so versatile you can add anything you want on them to make them taste different every time.
You can also use BBQ pulled pork to make outstanding BBQ pulled pork tacos or change it up and try our Instant Pot chicken version.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork Shoulder – We’ve given you all of the steps you need for making your own pulled pork for these tacos but you can also use BBQ pulled pork, pork carnitas. You can even buy prepared pulled pork at the grocery store to save time.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil is best used for cooking meat.
- Taco seasoning – Use our homemade taco seasoning or 2 packets of taco seasoning from the store.
- Onion – White or sweet yellow onions are best.
- Corn tortillas -Street taco size or any tortillas you prefer. Feel free to switch it up and use flour tortillas or hard taco shells as well.
- Your favorite taco toppings – I love pickled jalapenos, pickled red onions, cucumbers, radishes, and salsas like pico de gallo, or fruit salsas such as pineapple or mango.
Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare the pork. cut onion into thin slices and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place pork roast on top of the onions with fat side up and rub the olive oil over it. Sprinkle with the taco seasoning and rub it over the meat so it is coated.
Step 2 – Cook. Cover and set it to Low for 8-10 hours or High for 5-6 hours. You’ll know the meat has finished cooking when it easily pulls apart with a fork.
Step 3 – Remove and shred pork. Once the pork has finished cooking, remove it from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Dispose of any excess liquid in the slow cooker. Cut off any large bits of fat left on the pork and dispose of those as well. Use two forks to pull the pork apart. Set aside.
Step 4 – Warm tortillas. Prepare your corn tortillas by heating a skillet over medium high heat. Add as many tortillas as will fit in your pan without overlapping. Cook for 15-30 seconds per side. Set aside.
Step 5 – Assemble tacos. Place approximately 2.5 ounces of pulled pork on each corn tortilla and top with your favorite taco toppings (see suggestions above).
If you want to prepare the meat slightly differently try our slow cooker pulled pork carnitas recipe!
Hard or Soft Tortillas
You can use whatever kind of tortilla you want for your tacos! Hard, soft, corn, or flour there is no right or wrong way to do it.
For this recipe we use street taco sized corn tortillas. Street taco size is smaller than a regular taco, so if you choose to use a larger tortilla you will put more meat on the tacos and have there will be fewer tacos per serving.
What is the Best Way to Warm Corn Tortillas?
It’s best to use a cast iron skillet if possible. There is no oil needed, you’re not frying them just toasting to remove some of that moisture and give them a bit of a charred flavor. You know you’re doing it right if tortilla gets a few dark spots on it.
If you want to fast track it, you can always put your tortillas on a plate, cover them with a wet paper towel, and pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. We don’t like warming them this way as you don’t get the same flavor as if you warmed them in the skillet, but it will work if you are short for time.
Best Cut of Meat to Use for Pulled Pork
Pork shoulder has the perfect fat content to break down and create the pull apart tender pork needed for pulled pork.
If you can’t find pork shoulder can easily swap it out. Many people use pork butt, which is essentially the same as shoulder. The main difference is that the pork butt is a little bit higher up on the pig. Otherwise, they are pretty much the same in flavor and texture.
You can also use boneless pork country-style ribs in place of pork shoulder. They are both cut from the shoulder meat, so they have the same great flavor.
Can I Substitute Chicken for Pulled Pork?
Yes! Check out our crock pot shredded chicken recipe and just add some taco seasoning! We also have a great recipe for Instant Pot chicken tacos. The key is seasoning the chicken well to give extra flavor for your tacos.
How Many Shredded Pork Tacos in a Serving?
Street taco size is usually 3 tacos per person. If you use larger tortillas, you will have to adjust your serving size and the amount of meat you put on each taco.
Toppings for Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos
These great thing about tacos is you can customize them in any way you like.
You can top them with your choice of cheese, sour cream, some fresh tomatoes or Pico de Gallo, cilantro, pickled red onions, jalapenos, and a squeeze of lime juice. You can also serve it with your favorite adobo sauce or hot sauce to give it some extra sizzle.
If you like a fresh flavor, try cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, avocado, or fresh or pickled radish .
Like a sweeter taco? Try adding a pineapple salsa or mango salsa.
For you cheese lovers out there, try loading it with cheddar, Oaxaca, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or your favorite cheese.
There are so many combinations, it’s like having a different meal every time.
What Goes With Pulled Pork Tacos?
If you’re making these for dinner you’re going to need some sides right?
Typically, they are served with side of rice and black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans
I personally like to accompany mine with chips and homemade salsa and a frozen mango margarita for the perfect meal.
How to Make It Ahead of Time
If you need to save time, you can easily make the slow cooker pulled pork ahead of time. Just let the pork cool completely, then place it in an airtight container. If freezing I like to store mine in a gallon freezer bag so it can lay flat in the freezer.
It will easily last 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator and up to 2 months in the freezer.
When ready to use just pop it in the microwave to warm it up or heat in a skillet over medium heat. If it starts to dry out you can add 1/4 cup of water and continue to heat until the water evaporated and the meat is warmed through.
Looking for More Easy Pork Recipes?
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
- Air Fryer BBQ Pork Chops
- Sheet Pan Spicy BBQ Pork Chops and Potatoes
- Baked Ranch Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Pork Roast and Gravy
- Instant Pot Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy
- More Pork Recipes…
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Pulled Pork Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 Onion, sliced
- 2 pounds Pork Shoulder, add note re: using other pulled pork
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 8 tablespoons Taco seasoning, use our homemade seasoning or 2 packets of taco seasoning from the store
- 12 Corn tortillas, street taco size
- Your favorite taco toppings
Instructions
- Place sliced onions in the slow cooker and then place the pork on top of them fat side up.
- Rub the olive oil over the meat and sprinkle with the taco seasoning. Use your hands to rub the seasoning onto the meat so it is well coated.
- Place the lid on it and set it to Low for 8-10 hours or High for 5-6 hours. You’ll know the meat has finished cooking when it easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Once the pork has finished cooking remove it from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Dispose of any excess liquid in the slow cooker. Cut off any large bits of fat left on the pork and dispose of those as well.
- Use two forks to pull the pork apart. Set aside.
- Prepare your corn tortillas by heating a skillet over medium high heat. Add as many tortillas as will fit in your pan without overlapping. Cook for 15-30 seconds per side. Set aside.
- Place approximately 2.5 ounces of pulled pork on each corn tortilla and top with your favorite taco toppings (see suggestions in the post above).
Nutrition
