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What to do with your smoked pork butt? Or even left over pork butt? Don't worry, I've got you covered! This mouthwatering, easy smoked pulled pork tacos recipe is a very satisfying meal or snack with just a few quality ingredients.
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This recipe is inspired by our old stomping grounds, Austin, Texas. We had lived there almost five years. Austin knows their stuff when it comes to tacos.
Video - Making pulled pork taco
How good are these tacos?
I can't tell you how incredibly delicious, how fresh tasting this taco is. A bite of it transports me to a street vendor in some far away city abroad hence the name, street style smoked pulled pork tacos.
It's my take on the carnitas taco, a dish of Mexican cuisine. So get ready to spice up your next Taco Tuesday with these irresistible shredded pork tacos!
Ingredients
- Smoked pork butt (shredded)
- Corn Tortillas (mission)
- Cotija cheese
- White onion (diced)
- Jalapeno (diced)
- Cilantro (chopped)
- Avocado (sliced)
- Lime
How to make pork tacos
Let's get started on how to make these great tasting tacos. I will show you step by step everything you need to know to make this super easy!
Smoking the pork butt
The main ingredient, a quality, seasoned pork butt smoked to perfection is key. Check out our fall apart smoked pork butt recipe to make the perfect pork roast for this recipe.
I seasoned this pork butt with sea salt and fresh course ground black pepper and smoked at 250° for 6 hours. I then bumped it up to 275°F until probe tender, about 202°F internal temperature.
Shredding the meat
Simply shred the meat with meat claws or two forks. It should be EXTREMELY tender and just fall apart.
Now let's transform this pork into easy, quick, super delicious pork tacos that's good for any time of the day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Preparing the ingredients
These pulled pork tacos are so easy to put together. The longest part, but also the most fun, is smoking the pork butt. After that it's just slicing and dicing up a couple ingredients and your done!
Toasting the tortilla
We love a good corn tortilla. The tortilla brand, Mission, has a really good organic white corn tortilla, the size of it is perfect, not too big, not too small. It also has a really good texture. Flour tortillas can be used as well. It's up to you!
I prefer to toast it in a hot cast iron skillet. Pull the tortilla off the hot pan once it begins to blister a little. This will prevent the corn tortilla from crumbling when you fold it into a taco.
Cheesy goodness
Then, we have the cheese, Cotija which is a Mexican cheese and works very well with the flavors of this taco. I really recommend you buying this cheese. It really MAKES this taco stand out.
If you can't find it, a Mexican blend cheese will work just fine and can be found in most grocery stores.
Slicing and dicing
Chop up some white onion, jalapeños, and cilantro. Then, slice up a fresh, ripe avocado and lastly slice some lime wedges for the finishing touch.
Assembling the tacos
Start with the toasted tortilla as the base to these street delights. First layer is the smoked pulled pork. Put down a generous heap of tender shredded pork butt in the middle of the tortilla.
Then, sprinkle the white onion, jalapeño chilis mixture, and the crumbled cotija cheese on top of the pork. Garnish with some chopped up cilantro and a slice of avocado.
Lastly, squeeze some fresh lime and voila, you have a stunning homemade street style smoked pulled pork taco!
Wanting to add a little more flavor or spice? Top with your favorite hot sauce or salsa. Pico de gallo goes great on these as well!
FAQ
Pork shoulder aka pork butt because of its high fat content which helps the meat stay super tender and juicy while slow cooking.
It means "little meats" in Spanish. Carnitas are a Mexican version of pulled pork.
Chopped white onion/red onion, chopped jalapeño, and chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija, shredded cabbage, guacamole/slice of avocodo and to finish it off, a squeeze of lime juice.
Yes! You can either cook the pork butt in the oven or use a slow cooker. The taco will still taste great, it just won't have that smoke flavor.
The seasoning on the smoked pork butt combined with the onion, peppers, and cheese give this all the flavor it needs!
You can. Pork tenderloin is much smaller than a pork butt however and has much less fat. I would recommend using the pork butt for best results.
You can use previously frozen pork, but make sure to defrost it before smoking. You can not smoke frozen meat for these tacos.
Cook's Tips
- I recommend using Mission brand of white corn tortillas. The corn flavor balances nicely with the flavors of the rest of the ingredients.
- Warm corn tortilla up in heated pan until it begins to blister, provides a nice crisp texture
- I prefer Cotija cheese above all other kinds
What to serve with pork tacos
One of my favorite things to serve with these tacos is some buttery smoked corn on the cob. Other great side dishes include Charro beans and creamy cole slaw.
How to store and reheat leftovers
Store the shredded pork separate from the other ingredients in tupperware with a lid in the fridge. Reheating is actually best in the microwave. OMG, I know! Yes, it does a better job than trying to reheat in the oven or in a pan.
Simply place some shredded pork in a microwavable dish and heat on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Then cook tortillas in pan and prepare as listed above.
Check out these other great recipes
Ingredients
- 4 corn tortilla (mission brand )
- 1 cup pulled pork
- ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
- ½ cup cotija cheese (crumbled)
- ¼ cup jalapeños (chopped)
- ¼ cup white onion (chopped)
- 1 avocado (sliced 4 pieces)
- 2 limes (sliced 4 wedges)
Equipment
Instructions
Smoking the Pork
- Use left over smoked pulled pork or smoke a pork butt. Smoke 8lb pork butt / shoulder at 250ºF for 6 hours, then increase temperature to 275 for 3 hours or until an internal temperature of 195-202 F.For more detailed instruction on smoking pork butt, visit my perfect smoked pork butt recipe.
Prepping Ingredients
- Shred pork with two forks or a meat claw. Place aside.
- Chop up white onion, jalapeño, cilantro and place aside. Slice avocado into 4 long slices and quarter the small limes into 8 wedges.
- Crumble cotija cheese and place aside
- Toast white corn tortilla in heated pan till it begins to blister. Remove and put on plate. Repeat for all tortillas.
Assemble Tacos
- Start with the corn tortilla as the base and place ¼ cup of warm pulled pork on top of tortilla.
- Sprinkle some cotija cheese on top of the pork, then top with chopped white onion, jalapeño, cilantro and 1 avocado slice.
- Squeeze 1 wedge of lime juice as a finishing touch. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- I recommend using Mission brand of white corn tortillas. The corn flavor balances nicely with the flavors of the rest of the ingredients.
- Warm corn tortilla up in heated pan until it begins to blister, provides a nice crisp texture
- I prefer Cotija cheese above all other kinds
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