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Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos

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Do you know what a cook lives for?

The look in your friends' eyes when they've bitten into something you've made, and they're deliriously happy about what they're eating.

Their wide-eyed smiley faces would say, "OMG, WOW," if they weren't so busy eating and wanting to be polite and not talk with their mouths full.

That's the response I got from my friends when I served them pulled pork tacos made with this slow-cooked Mexican pulled pork.

Of course, how could you not love slow cooker pork tacos filled with spicy shredded pork?

How to Make Mexican Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

Best thing is, pulled pork tacos are crazy easy to make, especially in a slow cooker.

  1. Rub a pork shoulder roast with a blend of ground chile powder and spices.
  2. Let the roast sit in that rub for a while.
  3. Brown the roast.
  4. Slow cook the roast until it's fall-apart tender.
  5. Take a couple of forks and pull the pork apart into tasty shreds.
  6. Serve your tacos!

You can also make Mexican pulled pork in an Instant Pot.

A Tip for the Best Pulled Pork Tacos

Browning the roast first will help pull out wonderful flavor from the meat, as well as intensifying the spice from the chiles and cumin. If you have the kind of slow cooker that allows you to do that in the cooker pan itself, great! Then, you only need one pot.

Otherwise, you can easily brown the pork roast on the stovetop. You can also skip the browning, though I don't recommend it. It really does make a difference with the resulting flavor.

More Ways to Use Mexican Pulled Pork

Besides tacos, you can use this pulled pork to make tamales, enchiladas, burritos, or even a quick weeknight quesadillas.

How to Store or Freeze Leftover Pulled Pork

This pulled pork will keep refrigerated for about five days, or frozen for up to three months.

If freezing, pack in freezer bags with as much air pressed out as possible to prevent freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 hrs 10 mins
Total Time 8 hrs 20 mins
Servings 12 servings

We are using a boneless pork roast. If you use bone-in, you may need to cook the roast a little longer.

You may be inclined to trim off the excess fat from the roast. I caution against trimming too much fat, as it is needed for the flavor and adds to the juicy tenderness of this Mexican pulled pork. You can always skim off some of the excess fat after the roast has cooked.

There’s no liquid added to this recipe. The pork will release sufficient liquid as it cooks.

Ingredients

For the spice rub

  • 4 tablespoons chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (if using regular table salt, only use 2 teaspoons)

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne

  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • Scant pinch ground cloves

For the pork

  • 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the tacos

  • Warm tortillas, corn or flour

  • Sliced avocado

  • Sliced radishes

  • Thinly sliced cabbage

  • Fresh squeezed lime juice

  • Salsa

  • Chopped cilantro

Method

Make the rub:

Whisk together the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.

pulled pork tacos - making dry spice rub
Rub the spice mix into the roast:

If the roast is tied up with butcher string, untie it. Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mix all over the roast, reserving any leftover spice mix for later.

Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cooking. You can also let marinade overnight in the fridge, then bring the roast to room temperature.

slow cooker pork tacos - preparing meat with spice mix
Brown the roast:

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. (If you are using a slow cooker with a removable container that can be used on the stove top, use that. Otherwise, use a separate pan.) Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides.

Cook the pork in the slow cooker on low:

Place the roast in a slow cooker, and add any reserved spice rub. Cook on the low setting for 6 to 10 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender.

Shred the pork, and toss with meat juices:

Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Cut into large chunks. Then, use two forks to pull the meat apart into bite-sized shreds.

Return the shreds to the slow cooker and toss to coat with the juice from the roast. (Alternatively you can just shred the roast with two forks in the slow cooker itself.)

Serve warm:

Serve with warm tortillas, avocados, shredded cabbage, sliced radishes, cilantro, and a splash of lime juice or salsa.

 

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
421 Calories
31g Fat
3g Carbs
31g Protein

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