These carnitas-style, slow-cooker pulled pork tacos are a simple take on the traditional recipe. Made with seasoned pork shoulder cooked low and slow, they are tender, juicy, and packed full of flavor, perfect for taco night.
The best part about this crockpot pulled pork taco recipe is that it essentially cooks itself. Simply season the pork shoulder, add it to a crockpot, step away for hours, and come back to tender and juicy pulled pork that’s perfect for a family-friendly dinner.
While the recipe calls for a boneless pork shoulder, because it’s a little quicker to cook, a bone-in pork shoulder would work just as well and add additional flavor and nutritional value at the same time. Regardless of what option you choose, this slow-cooker pulled pork tacos recipe makes plenty of servings to feed a crowd and stores very well in the fridge to create healthy leftovers for days to come.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Easy to Make – While it does require some prep time, the slow cooker does most of the work.
- High in Protein – These shredded pork tacos contain over 25 grams of protein per serving.
- Keep Well – The cooked pork keeps well in the fridge and freezer, making it a great meal prep idea.
Ingredients + Subsituations
- Pork Shoulder – To make the pulled pork and add some protein. The recipe calls for pork shoulder, but pork butt or any pork roast will work well.
- Oranges – To create the marinade. The recipe calls for whole oranges, but orange juice will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Lime – To flavor the marinade. The recipe calls for a whole lime, but bottled lime juice will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Onion + Garlic – To flavor the pork. The recipe calls for a whole onion and garlic cloves, but onion powder and garlic powder will also work. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Herbs + Spices – A mixture of chili powder, ground cumin, and dried oregano to season the pork. The recipe calls for dried oregano, but you can use fresh oregano if needed. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Bay Leaves – To flavor the pork.
- Vegetable Broth – To cook the pork, water will also work.
- Olive Oil – To sear the pork and add some healthy fats. The recipe calls for olive oil, but vegetable oil or avocado oil will also work.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
- Tortillas – To make the tacos. You can use corn or flour tortillas.
- Toppings – Of your choice. See the serving suggestions below for topping ideas.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make them Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free vegetable broth or use water instead.
To Make them Dairy-Free: No adaptations are needed; this recipe is dairy-free.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
While pork shoulder is a fattier cut of meat, it’s actually much leaner than people think, and any excess fat can be removed before and after cooking if desired.
Serving Suggestions
These slow-cooker pulled pork tacos are a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. They can be enjoyed as is or adapted to suit your personal calorie or macro goals. For example:
- To make them lower in fat, trim as much of the excess fat off the pork shoulder as possible before cooking, and remove any fat chunks from the cooked pork.
- To make them low-carb, serve the shredded pork in low-carb tortillas or on top of a salad instead.
- To make them higher in fiber, serve the tacos in corn tortillas.
- To add flavor, serve the tacos with any of the following toppings:
- Diced white onion
- Pickled onions
- Sliced avocado
- Sour cream
- Salsa verde
- Hot sauce
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the pulled pork to cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, place the pulled pork in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Once thawed, place pulled pork in a pan on the stovetop on medium-high heat and warm for 3-5 minutes, adding splashes of water to rehydrate the pork as needed. To reheat in the oven, place the pulled pork in a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil, and warm in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. To reheat in the microwave, place the pork in a microwave-safe dish and warm for 2-3 minutes.
More Easy Taco Recipes:
Print
Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
These crockpot pulled pork tacos are easy to make, high in protein, and make wonderful leftovers perfect for a simple meal prep idea or a make-ahead meal.
-
Prep Time: 15 minutes -
Cook Time: 5 hours
-
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
-
Yield: 32 tacos 1x
-
Category: Dinner
-
Method: Slow Cooking
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 4–pound boneless pork shoulder, excess fat removed
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, cut into wedges
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth, or water
- 2 oranges, juiced (3/4 cup)
- 1 lime, juiced (2 tablespoons)
- 2 bay leaves
- Corn tortillas
- Toppings of choice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Place the pork shoulder on a large cutting board, sprinkle the spice mixture over it, and rub it all over with your hands until the entire shoulder is coated in the seasonings.
- In a cast-iron skillet or pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, then add the pork shoulder and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until browned. (If your slow cooker has a removable stove-safe insert, you can do this directly in the insert on the stove.)
- Transfer the pork shoulder to the slow cooker, scatter any excess seasonings on top, then add the sliced onion and garlic cloves around the pork, and pour in the vegetable broth, orange juice, and lime juice, and add the bay leaves.
- Turn the slow cooker on and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours, until the pork shoulder is fully cooked and can be easily shredded with a fork.
- Once cooked, transfer the pork shoulder to a cutting board, and pour the cooking liquid from the bottom of the slow cooker into a small saucepan.
- While you shred the pork, place the saucepan of cooking liquid on the stovetop on medium-high heat and cook for 5-10 minutes or until reduced by about half in volume.
- Using two forks, shred the pork into small pieces. At this point, you can remove any chunks of excess fat from the pork, if desired.
- Optional: If you want to crisp up the pork, transfer the pulled pork to a large baking sheet, spreading it out evenly, and brush or pour some of the reserved liquid on top. Then transfer the baking sheet to the oven and broil for 5-8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the edges of the pork begin to crisp. (Be sure to keep a keen eye on the pork so that it doesn’t burn.)
- While the pork is broiling, prepare the corn tortillas. Heat a heavy-bottom or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, heat the corn tortillas for about 30-45 seconds per side, until golden brown and toasted.
- Once the pork is ready and the cooking liquid has reduced, pour it over the pulled pork (in the slow cooker or on the baking sheet), and gently toss to combine.
- Assemble the tacos by layering a warm tortilla with pulled pork and your choice of toppings.
- Any leftover pulled pork can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Fresh Oregano: Swap the dried oregano for 3 tablespoons of fresh oregano in step #1.
To Use Onion Powder: Swap the whole onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder in step #4.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the garlic cloves for 3 teaspoons of garlic powder in step #4.
To Use Orange Juice: Omit the whole oranges and use 3/4 cup of orange juice in step #4.
To Use Lime Juice: Omit the whole limes and use 2 tablespoons of bottled lime juice in step #4.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos (no toppings)
- Calories: 316 calories
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Fat: 12 grams
- Carbohydrates: 27 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 26 grams
Enjoyed by the whole family!