Best Pork Tacos Recipe Ever! <--Slow Cooker Makes it Easy
The next time you are craving tasty, authentic tacos, you don’t have to go to a restaurant, thanks to this easy recipe that guarantees the BEST pork tacos!
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, that are SO worth the time it takes for them to cook! This great recipe starts with the pork in the crock pot which will keep the preparation time down and the cooking time up!
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This Pork Tacos Recipe
- Serves 12-15 tacos
- Prep Time: 10-15 min
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
Ingredients Needed for the Pork
- 3-4 pound 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 onions 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.
Sv 13
Store leftovers in refrigerator in an airtight container.
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.
Best Pork Tacos Recipe
The next time you are craving street tacos, you don't have to leave the house to grab some, thanks to this easy and delicious pork tacos recipe!
Ingredients
- For the Pork:
- 3-4 pound pork shoulder, trimmed slightly
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons oil - vegetable or canola
- 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
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Rub seasoning mixture onto pork shoulder on all sides.
- Add onion, garlic, orange juice and peel, lime juice and chipotle pepper to slow cooker.
- Place pork on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature is 145 degrees F.
- Remove pork from slow cooker onto cutting board, let cool slightly.
- Shred pork with forks.
- Heat oil in large skillet on stove.
- Add pork and some of the juice from the slow cooker.
- Turn often to brown the pork until juices have evaporated .
- Repeat with more pork if your skillet doesn’t hold all of it .
- Serve immediately with tortillas and toppings.
- Store leftovers in refrigerator.
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!
How did your pork tacos turn out? Do you love the authentic pork tacos flavor as much as we do?
