These pork tacos feature slow cooked shredded pork and pico de gallo in warm tortillas with a sprinkling of cotija cheese. The shredded Mexican pork can also be used for burritos, nachos, enchiladas and more!
When I know my day is going to be busy, I often put meat in the slow cooker to make meals like chicken tacos, barbacoa beef tacos and these flavorful pork tacos.
I make a lot of tacos around here, mostly because they’re pretty simple to put together and my kids love them. I primarily do chicken or shrimp tacos, but this time I decided to change it up a bit with these pork tacos. The pork is cooked until tender, then shredded and stuffed into flour tortillas with plenty of flavorful toppings.
How do you make pork tacos?
This recipe starts with a pork shoulder roast, which is cooked in a crock pot with citrus juices, spices and onions. Once the pork is tender, it’s shredded and loaded into tortillas with fresh salsa and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. These tacos are always a hit, and I love that they take just minutes to put together.
Tips for pork tacos
- I use a boneless pork roast such as a pork shoulder, often called pork butt. You can also use boneless pork country ribs or a pork loin.
- I like to brown my pork before it goes into the crock pot for added flavor. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step.
- This pork makes great leftovers, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- There are two types of dried oregano sold at the grocery store – Mexican oregano and Greek oregano. Choose the Mexican oregano if it’s available to you.
- For spicy tacos, add 2 canned chipotle peppers to the slow cooker, or stir in some hot sauce after the pork is cooked and shredded.
- I make my own pico de gallo whenever possible. If you’re short on time, feel free to pick up some pre-made pico de gallo at the grocery store.
- Cotija cheese is a hard Mexican cheese that can be found in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can substitute finely grated feta cheese, or choose a different type of cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack.
Taco Toppings
I like to keep things simple here with a little salsa and cheese, but there are so many different toppings you can add to your pork tacos!
- Guacamole
- Olives
- Lettuce
- Chopped Cilantro
- Cabbage
- Pickled Onions
- Jalapenos
- Beans
What to serve with tacos
My favorite side dishes to serve with these tacos are either pinto beans and Mexican rice, or black beans and rice. Other great options include Mexican corn salad, tomato and avocado salad and black bean salad.
You can’t go wrong with these pork tacos, and the recipe makes enough to feed a crowd!
Pork Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork roast such as pork butt
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 16 flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups pico de gallo homemade or store bought
- 1/2 cup cotija cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large pot and heat over medium high heat. Sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the pork roast.
- Brown the pork roast on all sides. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker.
- Add the cumin, onion, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice, chicken broth orange juice and chili powder to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- Remove the onion and bay leaves from the crock pot. Shred the pork with two forks.
- Warm the flour tortillas and divide the pork between the tortillas. Top with pico de gallo and cotija cheese, then serve.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on April 17, 2016 and was updated on July 16, 2019 with new content.
Karyn says
I love anything that goes in a crockpot and this was no exception. Great flavor
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
These would disappear in our house!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
My family would LOVE this!! It sounds incredibly delicious!!
Beth Pierce says
Served this for dinner last night and it has quickly become a family favorite in our home! So flavorful; can’t wait to serve this again later this week!
Krista says
These tacos have my name written all over it! These look amazing!
Kimberly says
These look absolutely mouthwatering, yum!
Kim Seghers says
I can’t wait to try this slow cooker taco recipe. Your recipe looks so good. Perfect for busy weeknights too.
Judy says
Thanks for the pork tenderloin recipe, we love it!! It’s always moist, tender and has no waste making it a great value as well. BTW, LUV your new look, too!!
Chris Scheuer says
These look fantastic. I’ve never done pork tenderloin tacos but it’s such a great idea. Love the corn salsa too – corn makes everything better in my book!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners says
Wow, Sara, these have to be the most delicious looking, best photographed tacos I’ve ever seen. Just stunning! I love the crunch of the corn and cabbage mixed with the other textures. And the colors! And avocado with pork – never would have occurred to me – perfect!
Debbie says
Love the pork tenderloin with creamy avocado sauce!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
you make the best tacos! and i would happily devour these right now X
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
They look great. I need to eat some more tacos. Thanks for the idea
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
Love love love this! Pork tenderloin is my go to quick dinner meat — I’m definitely adding these guys to the menu this week!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Just beautiful. Love pork tacos and just in time for Taco Tuesday tomorrow 🙂
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
These look absolutely perfect! I love that your dinner guests (kids) can prepare the tacos with their favorite toppings, but I would pick this corn salsa. The tenderloin looks perfectly cooked and moist. Very nice! Sharing.