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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!
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.
What you need
Now that we have the key ingredient, smoked pork butt, let's prepare the rest of the ingredients for this pulled pork taco recipe.
Ingredients
- Smoked pork butt (shredded)
- Corn Tortillas (mission)
- Cotija cheese
- White onion (diced)
- Jalapeno (diced)
- Cilantro (chopped)
- Avocado (sliced)
- Lime
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.
I prefer to toast it in a hot pan. Pull the tortilla off the hot pan once it begins to blister a little. It doesn't crumble when you fold it into a taco either.
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.
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.
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
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
Nutrition
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