If you’re looking for an easy and delicious slow cooker recipe, you’ve found the one: Mexican pulled pork tacos. Juicy and tender traditional Mexican carnitas are wrapped in corn tortillas, and topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and jalapeños. They are flavorful, savory, and a little spicy. Host a fiesta with a self-serve taco bar for friends and family to make their own tacos, and you’ll see just how popular these slow cooker pulled pork tacos are. They are a total crowd pleaser that will disappear fast!
Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos (Carnitas)
- Carnitas are a Mexican favorite. Carnitas, or slow cooker pulled pork, are a classic Mexican recipe that are often used in tacos, but they are also great to enjoy in other ways. If you have any leftover carnitas, you can eat it alone with Cilantro Lime Rice and beans, or use it as a filling in Burritos or a topping for Tostadas. great in tacos.
- The perfect combination of ingredients. The savory, tender pulled pork finds balance inside a tortilla when it meets fresh ingredients like onions, cilantro, and sour cream. Fresh jalapeños add a spicy kick if you can handle it, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice just finishes off these tacos so well.
- The slow cooker adds incredible depth of flavor. Mexican Ground Beef Tacos are a simple classic which can be whipped up in no time, but if you have some time to let your crockpot do its thing with this slow cooked pulled pork, you will upgrade your homemade taco game. As the carnitas slowly roasts in your slow cooker, the robust flavor is amplified—and the result is some amazing tacos. Check out our other Slow Cooker Recipes.
Ingredients
To make these delicious Mexican pulled pork tacos, you will need the following ingredients:
- pork - I would recommend boneless pork shoulder or baby back ribs for the most tender and juicy carnitas.
- vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- onion
- seasoning - dried oregano, paprika, and garlic powder.
- water
To assemble the tacos, you will need:
- small tortillas - I used corn tortillas, but any type works especially wheat tortillas. I often make my own homemade flour tortillas — they are a lot easier to make than you think!
- white onion
- cilantro
- sour cream - optional
- jalapeño - optional for a spicy kick.
- lime wedges - for an extra squeeze of tang.
Tacos are extremely versatile and you can add in whatever toppings that you please. Try topping these with some Pico de Gallo or Guacamole for even more flavor.
How to Make the Best Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker Carnitas)
- Prepare the pork. Pat dry pork shoulder or ribs with paper towel completely and set aside. In a small bowl, stir well to combine oil with all the dry rub ingredients until smooth. Rub and spread onto pork until evenly coated. Spread chopped onions evenly inside a 6-quart slow cooker (or crockpot) and add water. Place pork on top of onions. If using ribs, you can stack them on top of each other.
- Slow cook and shred the pork. Cover and cook on 8-10 hours on the LOW setting or 4-6 hours on the HIGH setting until fork tender. Shred the pork by using two forks to pull the meat apart into small bite size and discard the bones (if using ribs).
- Crisp the shredded pork (optional). Add shredded pork along with some drippings from the slow cooker into a large skillet or frying pan. Spread evenly and heat over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until the juices evaporate and pork turns nicely brown and crispy.
- Heat the tortillas. Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions, or heat in an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds per side. You can also heat it directly on a gas burner for a few seconds to get char marks on the edges.
- Assemble the tacos. Add 2-3 tablespoons shredded pork on each tortilla, topped with pan juices if desired, diced onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Add a dollop of sour cream (optional) and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste.
Storing Instructions
- How to store: When storing tacos, you should always keep your tortillas and your meat separate—or else the tortillas can get soggy. Keep the pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- How to reheat: You can reheat leftover carnitas in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add a splash of water if you want to keep the meat more saucy or leave the pan uncovered if you want to crisp up the pork. Reheat tortillas on a clean dry (unoiled) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. If they were stiff from being in the fridge, the heat will soften them.
More Taco Recipes
- 30 Best Mexican Recipes
- Easy Fish Tacos with Lime Crema
- Mexican Ground Beef Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw
- Vegan Chickpea Tacos
- Korean Beef Steak Tacos
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.
Recipe
Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos (Carnitas)
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 tacos
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Mexican pulled pork tacos with juicy and tender traditional carnitas wrapped in corn tortillas and topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and jalapeños.
Ingredients
For the pulled pork (carnitas):
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or baby back ribs (2 racks)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup water
For assembling the tacos:
- 8 small tortillas, corn or wheat
- ½ white onion, diced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ¼ cup sour cream, optional
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and sliced
- 1 lime, wedged
Instructions
- Pat dry pork shoulder or ribs with paper towel completely and set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir well to combine oil with all the dry rub ingredients until smooth (salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, and garlic powder). Rub and spread onto pork until evenly coated.
- Spread chopped onions evenly inside a 6-quart slow cooker (or crockpot) and add water. Place pork on top of onions. If using ribs, you can stack them on top of each other.
- Cover and cook on 8-10 hours on the LOW setting or 4-6 hours on the HIGH setting until fork tender.
- Shred the pork by using two forks to pull the meat apart into small bite size and discard the bones (if using ribs).
- To crisp the shredded pork (optional), add shredded pork along with some drippings from the slow cooker into a large frying pan. Spread evenly. Heat over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until the juices evaporate and pork turns nicely brown and crispy.
- Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions, or heat in an ungreased skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds per side. You can also heat it directly on a gas burner for a few seconds to get char marks on the edges.
- To assemble the tacos, add 2-3 tablespoons shredded pork on each tortilla, topped with pan juices if desired, diced onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Add a dollop of sour cream (optional) and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste.
Notes
How to store: When storing tacos, you should always keep your tortillas and your meat separate—or else the tortillas can get soggy. Keep the pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
How to reheat: You can reheat leftover carnitas in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add a splash of water if you want to keep the meat more saucy or leave the pan uncovered if you want to crisp up the pork. Reheat tortillas on a clean dry (unoiled) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. If they were stiff from being in the fridge, the heat will soften them.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Pork
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Comments
No Comments