Crock pot Pulled Pork Tacos only take 15 minutes of work! They’re easy and so delicious, making them great for parties or meal prep.
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Why this Pork Pulled Tacos Recipe is a Keeper
I love this recipe for pulled pork tacos because it’s so quick and easy to make with just 15 minutes prep.
- 15 Minute Prep: Prep this pork tacos recipe in 15 minutes before letting it sit for 8 hours in the slow cooker.
- Easy Ingredients: All of these ingredients are super easy to find at the store and easy to work with.
- Family Friendly: Make this recipe for taco Tuesday. Everyone will love your new taco recipe.
- Adaptable: This recipe is super easy to customize, so don’t be shy to make it your own!
- Makes Great Leftovers: Leftover pulled pork is great on nachos, quesadillas, burrito bowls or even salads.
If you’re looking for more delicious taco recipes, try these Egg and Sausage Tacos, Loaded Taco Bites and Instant Pot Chicken Tacos.
What Does Carnitas Mean?
Carnitas means “little meats” in Spanish. Carnitas is what you get when you simmer pork with seasonings so much that you can shred it. When it’s done cooking, it’s roasted to get a nice crisp.
Ingredient Notes for Shredded Pork Tacos
You may need to get a few items at the store but it will be well worth it. The right cut of meat and fresh ingredients will take your BBQ pork to the next level.
- Bone-In Pork Butt: Cooking bone-in pork is going to give you more flavor. If you’d like, you can use a boneless pork cut or pork tenderloin.
- Chipotle Chili Powder: Chipotle powder will give your tacos a little kick!
- Fresh Ginger: Grate your own ginger! The fresher the ginger, the better.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for Pork Carnitas Tacos
Spice up these delicious tacos by adding more spices! Make a blend of your favorite spices to add more flavor.
- Spice: A touch of cumin, oregano, or even a Mexican chorizo adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile of juicy pulled pork.
- Corn Tortillas: When you make pork tacos, try using corn tortillas with your tender pulled pork.
Special Equipment Needed for Pork Carnitas
- Slow Cooker: A slow cooker is perfect for this pulled pork taco recipe. Place the pork and the rest of the ingredients in and let slow cook pork for you!
Pro Tip to Make Pork Tacos
Pork shoulder has a good amount of fat, but rendering it separately allows you to extract all its rich flavor. This concentrated pork fat, called “manteca” in Spanish, can then be used to cook the pork, infusing it with deep, savory goodness.
How to Make Mexican Pulled Pork Taco
This slow cooker recipe comes together in just 4 easy steps. It’s so simple to make and will quickly become your favorite BBQ food.
These are the basic steps for making Pulled Pork Tacos. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Make Pork Rub
Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Season the pork with the rub you made and place fat side up in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Cook the Pork
Pour beef broth into a slow cooker and add vinegar. Cover and cook on high for 7-8 hours or until meat falls off the bone. Remove the pork from slow cooker and transfer the pork to a baking sheet with sides.
Using two forks, shred the pork and remove excess fat and bone.
3. Make BBQ Sauce
Make the BBQ Sauce by pureeing drained peaches, barbeque sauce, fresh grated ginger and brown sugar together in a food processor.
4. Assemble your Tacos
Lay each taco shell on a flat surface. Add the pork in the center of the taco shell. Drizzle the peach BBQ sauce on top of pork generously. Place a little coleslaw on top of the pork, then fold and serve.
Shredded Pork Recipe FAQs
Store leftover pulled pork tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I like to reheat meat on a baking dish, covered in foil in the oven. I reheat until it reaches the desired temperature.
Carnitas and pulled pork are both cooked low and slow but, carnitas is then roasted to get crispy on the outside.
Pork shoulder is best for making carnitas great recipe!
Yes! Shredded pork loin is great for parties, cookouts or for freezing as meal preps. Perfect if you’re looking to add more protein into your meals.
Expert Tips for Making This Pulled Pork Leftover Tacos Recipe
- Fresh Citrus Juice: Fresh lime wedges or oranges add a burst of fresh citrus juice flavor. Orange juice, lime juice or pineapple juice works well too for this Mexican pulled pork.
- Cheese: Use crumbled cotija or shredded jack cheese. To melt, place the cheese on the carnitas and put in a warm oven for 1-2 minutes.
- Double the Recipe: Proportionately increase the ingredients to serve at a party. Top the slow cooker carnitas recipe with fresh chopped cilantro.
- Alternate Cooking Method: Cook the tacos with pulled pork in the Instant pot or pressure cooker. Manual setting on high heat for 1 hour. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Dietary Consideration: Make these pork tacos gluten free by using a gluten free tortilla or make it dairy free by cutting out the cheese in this pulled pork recipe.
- Crispy: After shredding, crisp up the juicy carnitas! Sear in a hot cast iron skillet with some of the rendered fat to make it golden brown.
- Low and Slow: If you want to cook on low, increase the cook time by an hour or two.
- Pulled Pork Taco Assembly: Pulled pork tacos toppings can include avocado, sour cream, pickled red onion, corn salsa, pico de gallo, hot sauce or pickle relish.
- Other Meat: If you don’t eat pork, try making slow cooker shredded beef or tender and juicy chicken.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
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Pulled Pork Tacos
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Ingredients
BBQ RUB
- 2 tablespoons Dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon Ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground chipotle chili pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger
PORK
- 7 pounds Bone-in pork butt
- 5 cups Beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
PEACH BBQ SAUCE
- 8½ ounces Peaches in heavy syrup, drained
- ¼ cup Barbeque sauce
- 1½ teaspoons Fresh ginger, grated
- 2 teaspoons Brown sugar
TACOS
- 8 Flour soft taco shells
- 2 cups Prepared coleslaw
Instructions
- Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Rub the entire roast with spice rub and place fat side up in the slow cooker.
- Pour beef broth into a slow cooker and add vinegar.
- Cover and cook on high for 7-8 hours or until meat falls off the bone.
- Remove pork from the slow cooker and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Using two forks, shred pork, removing excess fat and bone.
- Make the BBQ Sauce by pureeing all ingredients together in a food processor.
- Lay each taco shell on a flat surface. Place 4 oz of pulled pork in the center of the taco shell. Drizzle the peach bbq sauce on top of pork.
- Place 1/4 cup of coleslaw on top of the pork. Fold and serve.
Christina’s Notes
- Fresh Citrus Juice: Fresh lime wedges or oranges add a burst of fresh citrus juice flavor. Orange juice, lime juice or pineapple juice works well too for this Mexican pulled pork.
- Cheese: Use crumbled cotija or shredded jack cheese. To melt, place the cheese on the carnitas and put in a warm oven for 1-2 minutes.
- Double the Recipe: Proportionately increase the ingredients to serve at a party. Top the slow cooker carnitas recipe with fresh chopped cilantro.
- Alternate Cooking Method: Cook the tacos with pulled pork in the Instant pot or pressure cooker. Manual setting on high heat for 1 hour. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Dietary Consideration: Make these pork tacos gluten free by using a gluten free tortilla or make it dairy free by cutting out the cheese in this pulled pork recipe.
- Crispy: After shredding, crisp up the juicy carnitas! Sear in a hot cast iron skillet with some of the rendered fat to make it golden brown.
- Low and Slow: If you want to cook on low, increase the cook time by an hour or two.
- Pulled Pork Taco Assembly: Pulled pork tacos toppings can include avocado, sour cream, pickled red onion, corn salsa, pico de gallo, hot sauce or pickle relish.
- Other Meat: If you don’t eat pork, try making slow cooker shredded beef or tender and juicy chicken.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided are estimates. It is recommended that you verify this information with your own trusted resource.
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This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic-inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients, and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible to the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
Oh, these pulled pork tacos sound amazing and *so* easy! 15 minutes prep is perfect for busy weeknights.
OMG these sound SOOOO good!!