Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos Recipe

Pulled Pork Tacos are loaded with incredible flavor and are easy to make using your slow cooker or Crock-Pot®. The best part about this recipe is that it only requires a few minutes of prep, and then the slow cooker does all the work without any more effort on your part. 

We love tacos at our house, and I’m always looking for excuses to wrap meat or fish and veggies in tortillas and call it done!

This recipe is one of my favorites because not only does it make the most delicious pulled pork tacos, but there are always enough leftovers to make not one, but several more easy meals.

Here’s what you will need:

Depending on the size of your family, you will need a three to five-pound pork shoulder or Boston butt roast. You will also need apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, dried thyme, a large onion, garlic and flour tortillas. 

A three-pound pork roast will yield approximately six servings. This means if you have a two-person household, a three-pound pork roast should give you enough pork for the tacos, plus leftovers. If you serving more folks, you will need to increase the size of the roast proportionally. 

Also, you will need a bag of shredded coleslaw, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, canola oil, sugar, flour tortillas, and avocados.

Optional taco toppings: 

Optional topping ideas include pico de gallo, salsa, tomatoes, radish slices, jalapenos, onions, Mexican crema, or sour cream and guacamole. 

Here’s how to make it:

Gather your ingredients and begin by browning the pork roast on all sides in a large skillet over medium-high heat. This should take about five minutes per side. Set aside. 

Combine the apple cider vinegar, chicken broth or water, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, dried thyme, chopped onion, and minced garlic in a medium-size bowl. Mix well.

Place the roast into the slow cooker and pour the apple cider vinegar mixture over the roast. 

Cover and cook on high for five to six hours or on low for ten to twelve hours, or until the meat is tender and shreds easily with a fork.

When the meat is done, remove from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. While you are shredding it, make sure to remove any fat or connective tissue and discard it.

Carefully pour the hot cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a blender and process until liquefied. Or, you can use an immersion blender to liquefy all ingredients.

Strain this liquid through a wire mesh strainer and remove any fat by using a fat separator cup. If you don’t have a fat-separator, simply let the liquid sit and cool slightly; the fat will rise to the top. Then, use a spoon to skim off as much fat as possible.

Add the shredded meat back to the slow cooker and pour the liquid over it. Heat on high until the meat is hot and the liquid is absorbed.

How to make the coleslaw dressing:

Before you are ready to serve the tacos, combine the rice wine vinegar, lime juice, canola oil, and sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Add this dressing to the coleslaw and toss to combine.

How to heat the tortillas:

I like to heat my tortillas in the microwave or oven before using them for tacos. If you are using a microwave, place four tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds or until they are warm.

You can also wrap them in aluminum foil and heat for ten minutes in a 350-degree oven. 

How to assemble:

To assemble the tacos, add a few tablespoons of pulled pork to the warm tortillas.  Top with the coleslaw, sliced avocados, a little Mexican crema, and any other of your favorite toppings. Serve immediately. 

What to do with leftover pork:

Leftovers are a beautiful thing. I always err on the side of buying a much larger roast than we need so that I will have leftovers. Here are just a few ideas for dishes you can make with the pork leftovers. 

1. Mexican Pork Stew – A quick and easy stew recipe that you can have on the table in less than 15 minutes.
2. Sliders – Grab some slider rolls (I like Martin’s 24 Party Potato Rolls), and barbecue sauce. That’s it! You can use whatever kind of barbecue sauce you like. 
3. Enchiladas – Substitute the pulled pork for the chicken in this recipe for Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas and voila, you have a winning dinner combo!
4. Burritos – Use your leftover pork to make delicious burritos by adding some taco seasoning, along with rice, corn or black beans and cheese to a flour tortilla. Wrap it all up burrito-style, and you have the making of a delicious dinner. 
5. Fried Rice – Fried rice is my favorite vehicle for leftover pork or chicken. Check out this Fried Rice recipe by Recipe Tin and add in whatever leftovers you have, for a meal that is better than take-out.  
6. Buffalo Pork Twice-Baked Buffalo Potatoes– Bake your potatoes and top them with a mixture of leftover pulled pork instead of chicken, ranch or blue cheese dressing, and buffalo sauce for an easy light dinner.  
7. Quesadillas – Along with fried rice, quesadillas are another favorite dish that is perfect for utilizing leftovers. Check out my Shrimp Quesadillas with Bacon recipe and swap out the shrimp for your leftover pulled pork. 
8. Barbecue Pork Mac and Cheese – Add a cup of leftover pulled pork and one half a cup of barbecue sauce to my recipe for Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, and you have a meal the entire family will love. 

If you like recipes like this, you might also want to check out all of my pork recipes here.

Sharon’s tips:

Leftover pulled pork can be frozen to be used later, or covered and stored in the refrigerator tightly covered for 3-4 days or frozen up to one year.

I used flour tortillas in this recipe, but if you prefer corn tortillas, by all means, use them. 

These days the terms Crock-Pot® and slow cookers are used interchangeably. Crock Pot® is a brand of slow cooker and both have a ceramic pot insert with heating elements in the sides and bottom. Newer models of slow cookers cook much faster than the older models so watch your roast carefully and make adjustments to the cooking time if needed.

★ If you make this recipe, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. I’d love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones. I hope you’ll come back soon!

 

*This post was originally published on October 17, 2016. Republished on July 17, 2020, with new photos, expanded directions and tips.