Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos
March 8th, 2011 § 58 Comments
Twelve very important life lessons I learned last weekend:
- Given the amount of baking I do, I need to always wash butter down the drain using the cold faucet so that the butter clumps and flows right on through. Hot water causes the butter to melt and coat the lining of your pipes, eventually leading to build up and blockage.
- That watching CNN while I cook all day on Sunday and allowing the news to seep into my brain semi-subconsciously makes me feel either a.) smarter and better informed about world affairs, or b.) closer to Anderson Cooper. I really hope he finds love.
- That The Next Karate Kid makes no logical sense, evidenced by the main character, Julie, taking meticulous care of a hawk and wearing an excessive number of cropped shirts.
- That watching The Next Karate Kid kills at least 25 brain cells per hour. Run time: 2 hours 49 minutes. Should have stuck with CNN.
- Whenever possible, double the recipe I’m cooking, wrap it well, put it in Tupperware, and freeze half. Saves time and energy.
- I need to wash my floor more often. The hard wood in my kitchen should not resemble a Jackson Pollack in food splatter art.
- Cleaning said floors hurts my spirit.
- Dark chocolate Almond Joy cookies heal said spirit.
- Roasting two whole chickens means ten no-fuss, delicious meals.
- When and if the DVR fails to record Jersey Shore, The View, and/or Oprah, because Daniel has maxed it out with recorded sporting events, I should not threaten a divorce. Mainly because we are not married yet.
- That my slow cooker never fails me.
- Ever.
These pulled pork tacos are so easy and delicious. The meat is tender, sweet, and spicy at the same time. And the best part is that they only require a few ingredients that most of us have on hand all the time. Toss your tenderloin in the slow cooker with sweet tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, and a kick of cayenne, walk away for eight hours, and come back to find full-of-flavor shredded pork to stuff inside corn tortillas with all the fixins’!
Slow Cooker Mexican Pulled Pork
serves 4
1 lb pork tenderloin, or chicken
1 15 oz can tomato sauce, or one 12oz jar salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
Place pork in the base of your slow cooker. In a small bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour evenly over pork. Cook on low for 8 hours. When done, shred the pork using two forks, pulling against the grain of the meat. Serve in warmed tortillas with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Garnish with chopped scallions.
Nutrition info for 1 serving of pork: Calories: 213.4, Fat: 7.2g, Cholesterol: 67.2mg, Carb: 11.4g, Fiber: 3.4g, Sugars: 8.5g, Protein: 26.2g
You crack me up!! Keep up the good work.
From what I read on the gossip websites, Anderson Cooper has found love.
Never knew that about butter. Makes sense though. Thanks!
Ahh Anderson… this makes me happy!
So funny! I love slow cookers…they make my life so much better! The tacos look delish!
with a full commute and work day my meat would be ten hours in the crock pot – do you have any suggestions to keep it yummy? Also, I’m with you on Anderson Cooper – he and Jon Stewart are my News Boyfriends if only they knew! and THANK you for your numbers post you are the best and reminded me that my 2# gain of late isn’t catastrophic. You remind us it can easy to make good choices and we’ll feel better for it!
Hi Stacy! Yes, I love Jon Stewart too! And you can just cook the pork on low for 10 hours- no problem! If the crock pot shuts off after that and you’re still not home yet, it can just sit for a bit with no ill effects! And thank you for the kind words about my last post.
YUMMY! And your photos always look so stunning — what do you shoot with?
Thanks Jenn! Canon Rebel t1i 35mm lens!
Just in the nik of time — I was going to post that chocolate should be washed down the drain with hot water — now I realize I’d better move before my landlord finds out what I’m up to.
De-greaser is also something to keep on hand and use regularly if you pour a lot of grease and/or chocolate down the drain.
And as a recovering news junkie, I’ve discovered that the less I know about Libya and Charley Sheen, the happier I am. So forget CNN; all you really need to convince people you are up to date on the news is to occassionally shake your head and mutter something about A) the Mideast; B) Congressional mudslinging; or C) Steve Jobs has done it again. Your guests will be so excited enjoying the delicious food that they’ll jump right in and fill in the rest of the conversation, impressed with how you manage to keep up with the news and cook so well!
Haha, Janice this cracked me up! I will absolutely use your news advice!
And great call on the drain degreaser- I know that will come in handy!
looks delicious, as usual
Thank you Lindsay!
I love the idea of pulled pork tacos!
I am SO going to try these!!!!!
I’ve never seen pulled pork tacos look so good – *stunning* photos! I can definitely wholeheartedly agree with you on #11, I try to do dinner in the slow cooker at least once a week. I’ll be trying your pulled pork very soon!
Thanks Kathy! Yes, the slow cooker has yet to produce something that isn’t almost a world better than I could have made on the stovetop or in the oven. There’s magic in there
Oh by the way that mashed cauliflour dish sure was delicious! Just tried it last night and mixing in the potatoes was the key change to bring us back to it. My wife and I tried it once when i was dieting before and it was awful and runny so we never tried it again. yours was great.
Love the pulled pork taco idea, have been eating pulled pork forever and that looks like a nice addition to the pulled pork ideas.
I work maintenance at an apartment complex and the number of drains I have had to unclog because of butter/animal fat is unbelievable. Running hot water and using a degreasing agent (lemon juice is one that also makes your drain smell good too!) works everytime. Any acid will do the trick such as vinager.
Oh good advice on the drain Johnny! Thanks! And glad you liked the mashed cauliflower!
Once again, you blew my mind. I’m off to the store for a tenderloin, fresh(er than what I have here) cumin and some degreaser. Guess who always runs boiling hot water down the drain to be rid of that pesky grease and butter. WHOOPS. At least you’re really teaching us something instead of teasing our eyeballs with such delicious treats.
this makes me want to buy a slowcooker.
Dooooo it! Thanks Sarah
Sarah, I agree with Andrea DOO ITTTTTTTTTT. Peer pressure. It’s money you won’t regret spending for one single moment! When mine went on the fritz I cried, literally. Then drove to Wal-Mart in jammies to get another. It’s that important.
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I have this is my slow cooker right now! I can’t wait to get home a try it.
YAY! Let me know how it goes!
This recipe is soooo delicious! Thank you for your yummy wisdom!
Made them, loved them, shared them with my friends. We’re eating them for leftover tonight as well. Thanks!
Yes! This makes me so very happy! Thanks for telling me, L!
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So I just discovered your blog and OMG I WANT THESE TACOS RIGHT NOW.
i am making these next week!! So good!
Thank you!!
Nice to meet you
Made these this past Saturday for a lunch guest. I substituted chicken for the pork since tenderloin was not in the budget this week. Sooooooo delicious!! The chicken was so juicy and tender and had such an amazing flavor. They were also the easiest thing on earth to make. Loved them!!
I enrolled my son in a wonderful pre-college summer Shakespeare institute for 4 weeks, two towns away, arriving and departing during my work hours. He does not have his license and we’ve been “learning” the bus for the past week, which does not stop at the places it says (or the times) So I’m sitting and growling while making a grocery list. Your blog is quite literally the only thing that made me laugh today and THAT was the point of my comment. Thank you
ps these sound amaaazing pps the next karate kid… wtf??
I’m having company on Saturday night….4 adults, 4 children. Can I double this recipe? Thanks in advance.
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Great website. Lots of useful information here. I am sending it to a few pals ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks in your effort!
Now, I’ve already told you how much I’m loving you and your blog but. I made your buffalo chicken egg roll things (deeeelish btw!!) and I have left over shredded chicken. How do you suppose I could use that in this recipe to make chicken tacos???
Now, I’ve already told you how much I’m loving you and your blog but. I made your buffalo chicken egg roll things (deeeelish btw!!) and I have left over shredded chicken. How do you suppose I could use the leftovers in this recipe to make chicken tacos??? Would I need to somehow slow cook them?
Sorry this posted twice!
These were AWESOME! I added a jar of cilantro lime salsa and 2 Tbsp of cream cheese to a lemon garlic pork tenderloin. Thanks for sharing all of these wonderful recipes (we’ve tried, and loved many)!!!
SOOO Good! I tried this one tonight and I definitely went back for seconds! I don’t know how you come up with these recipes but they are sooo amazing!
Hey girl I made this recipe yesterday for a family and friends get-together. I actually made it once over the summer using beef that I decided to try my first ever pork cooking experience. I used 2, 4 pound pork shoulders and tripled all the ingredients just to make sure it had enough flavor and moisture. I cooked it on low for 10 hours then let it cool for 2 before I shredded it. I also made a bbq sauce from the strained liquid using another recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen. The meat had the best flavor from your recipe and it was just melt-in-your-mouth tender! Thank you for making my life easy yesterday. I didn’t have to worry about my food tasting good for my guests b/c I knew it would be amazing. I got to focus all my energy on cleaning my home instead for the few hours before everyone arrived
Everyone raved about the meat and I printed off your recipe for them to take home too. Thanks again and blessings to you in the new year!
I made this pulled pork on Sunday and it is amazing. The flavor is beautiful. As a single person (and never having tried the recipe), I only made one 1-lb. pork tenderloin, but it is so delicious that I know next time I’ll have to double it so I have more and can offer some to friends (if I’m feeling nice!).
I eat it with broccoli slaw and it’s such a good combo.
Thanks!
I am so making this for supper tomorrow night! Yum
I was looking for a pulled pork recipe for this week and found your website. I agree the pictures are great and the recipe was just what I had in mind. We’re going to double it so we have leftovers all week. It should be good to reheat and eat as we come and go at different times. I’m bookmarking you for future recipes! Thanks!
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I made this recipe tonight. HOLY HANNAH! I really think this is the best crock pot recipe I have…. so good. Thank you so much!
[...] From Can You Stay for Dinner [...]
I just discovered your website and this was the first thing I’ve made. I used chicken instead of pork and it was so incredibly delicious! I put one portion in a tortilla and the other over rice. Both were amazing!
Hi, just wondering if I need to remove the silver skin beforehand? Thanks!
I found this site while looking for a pork taco recipe and had to comment on your life lesson #1. Washing butter down the drain using cold water may prevent some of it from clogging up your pipes but it will do nothing to prevent it from cloggin up the sewer pipes under the street. Cities spend millions every year cleaning grease and fat out of sewage systems. Even oils will turn into a goopy nasty gunk that clogs everything up. Any fat should go into the trsh can. Either soak it up with paper towels or save an old plastic PB or mayo jar to collect it in.