The next time you are craving tasty, authentic tacos, you don’t have to go to a restaurant, thanks to this easy pork taco recipe that guarantees the BEST pork tacos! The good news is this is a slow cooker recipe that makes pork tacos a regular dinner recipe because they are easy too! These pork tacos are juicy, flavorful, and packed full of spice! Your whole family will love these pork tacos! Mine does!

Best Pork Taco Recipe

When you think “tacos” you probably think of beef, right? That’s not the only taco “game” in town! Pork is a flavorful and tender meat that sets tacos off to perfection. Often referred to as carnitas, the pulled pork meat is seasoned with our favorite Mexican spices.

Pork tacos are a slam dunk meal for family dinners. This authentic pork taco recipe starts with the pork in the crock pot which will keep the preparation time down and the cooking time up! This really is a great recipe!

This article contains affiliate links.

This Pork Tacos Recipe

• Serves 12-15 tacos
• Prep Time: 10-15 min
• Cook Time: 4-6 hours

Ingredients Needed To Make the Pork

• 3-4 pound bone in or boneless pork shoulder, trimmed slightly 
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 small onion, diced – we love red onion with pork recipes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
• 1/3 cup lime juice 
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped 
• 1-2 tablespoons oil – vegetable, canola or olive oil

Ingredients Needed for the Tacos

• Corn or flour tortillas
• Limes
• Crumbled Cotija, Mexican cheese 
• Pico de Gallo
• Guacamole 
• Mango Salsa
• Pineapple
• Any toppings you like on tacos – red onions, fresh cilantro

Instructions to Make Best Pork Tacos

Step 1

In a small bowl, whisk together the dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

Step 2

Rub seasoning mixture onto pork shoulder on all sides.

Step 3

Add red onions, garlic, orange juice and peel, lime juice and chipotle pepper to slow cooker.

Step 4

Place pork on top. 

Step 5

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature is 145 degrees F.

Step 6

Remove pork from slow cooker onto cutting board, let cool slightly.

Step 7

Shred pork with forks.

Step 8

Heat oil in large skillet on stove.

Step 9

Add pork and some of the juice from the slow cooker.

Step 10

Turn often to brown the pork until juices have evaporated.

Step 11

Repeat with more pork if your skillet doesn’t hold all of it.

Step 12

Serve immediately with warm tortillas and toppings.

Step 13

Store leftovers in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes:

• If you like spicy food you can add some jalapeños to your pork tacos or hot sauce. It’s better to do it to your personal plate unless everyone loves spicy food.
• Pickled onions are also a fun topping for your shredded pork tacos and will go nicely with the spice mixture.
• Want something rich on your taco night? Add queso fresco. Or add some fat free or whole fat sour cream.
• Want a fresher element? Add some fun pineapple salsa!
• Heat up to enjoy warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Makes a better vehicle for the pork tacos.
• Don’t eat pork? You can use the same recipe to make chicken tacos as well.
• Don’t have pork shoulder? Then use any large cut of pork including pork loins, but some cuts have less fat and can dry out quicker.

Other Pork Cuts that We Love for Pork Tacos

Don’t have pork shoulder? You can slow cook pork butt or pork tenderloin, though I’d probably use pork butt for this pork recipe. Pork needs to be at 195 F to be falling apart.

Also, if your store sells pork carnita meat you can use that for slow cooking as well. Who doesn’t love some pork carnitas tacos? While this isn’t a carnitas recipe, you can still use it to make a carnitas taco.

What Vegetables Can We Use For Our Pork Tacos?

If you’re not a huge fan of salsa or salsa verde then you can use fajita vegetables. Slice bell pepper, add large chunks of onion, and garlic and sauté it and place them on your delicious tacos.

Are Flour or Corn tortillas Better for Pork Tacos?

Whether you use flour or corn tortillas is up to you. I love the taste of the corn tortillas in this pork taco recipe because it makes them taste like traditional street tacos. There is something so great about a soft corn tortilla.

Don’t like corn tortillas? Use flour tortillas! Don’t like soft flour tortillas or soft corn tortillas? You can use crunch taco shells as well.

Don’t like either? The use crunchy taco shells. Make taco night your own. The filling has so much flavor that it won’t matter what you used for your pulled pork tacos.

Seasoning for Pork Tacos

Don’t have cumin and oregano seasonings on hand? You can add taco seasoning mix as well. I usually add when I shred meat, leaving a little liquid in so the seasoning mixes well.

Eat These Pork Tacos With Your Favorite Toppings

These pork tacos are yours! Add some hot sauce! Some sour cream! Juice some lime wedges to top it. Add black beans! What about cheddar cheese? Eat them the way you like them!

What Can I Serve With Pork Tacos? 

• I love making a batch of my homemade guacamole, and homemade salsa to serve with my pork tacos.
• They are also delicious served with black bean and corn salad, and Mexican rice.
• If you REALLY want to get fancy, and make a whole night out of this meal, make a batch of empanadas. Kids will have so much fun helping, and working with the dough!

Serving Pork Tacos as Burrito Bowls

All these ingredients work really well in burrito bowls. I like to start with a bowl of plain white rice followed by layers of the ingredients used in this pork tacos recipe and served with warm tortillas. It makes this slow cooker pork tacos recipe very flexible when it comes to leftovers and makes it easy to double the recipe knowing you have several ways to serve it.

Can I Use My Instant Pot Instead Of Slow Cooker?

While I’m not too familiar with instant pots I asked around. And it turns out yes, you can. 40 minutes on high and then let your instant pot naturally release it’s pressure for 10 minutes and you should have shreddable pork. HOWEVER, I’ve not tested it out, so I’m not 100% on this. You can test it out and if you do, let us know how it turns out! It may be a great option for those who don’t have a slow cooker.

What To Do With Leftover Pork?

Have more tacos! I could eat tacos everyday. But if you don’t want more tacos then use them for burritos, burrito bowls, nachos. This Mexican pulled pork can be used for anything you really want to eat. You can eat the leftover meat as is.

More Fun & Easy Taco Recipes From Kids Activities Blog

If you’re as big of a fan of tacos as I am, you’ll appreciate all the different ways to enjoy them! Some of these are traditional taco recipes, the others are a fun spin on the classic concept!

• Get cozy on a cool day with a steaming bowl of taco soup.
• Kids will get a big kick out of taco tater tot casserole because it combines two of their favorite foods! 
• Start your day the right way with breakfast taco bowls–yum! 
• Make delicious restaurant-quality soft tacos in three easy steps! 
• The next time you can’t decide between pasta or tacos you won’t have to choose, thanks to The Nerd’s Wife‘s one-pot chicken taco pasta recipe! 
• Looking for a healthier option on Taco Tuesday? This Western taco salad is big on taste, and nutrients! 
• Let your slow cooker do all the work for you with this easy crockpot shredded beef tacos recipe! 
• You have to try this arepa con queso recipe!
• You have to try this Dr. Pepper pulled pork recipe.

How did your pork tacos turn out? Do you love the authentic pork tacos flavor as much as we do?