Pulled Pork Tacos

Pulled pork taco with corn salsa on a white plate.

5 from 3 votes

These irresistible pulled pork tacos are made with pork shoulder that's slow-cooked in the oven to perfection. It's fork-tender, juicy, and seasoned to perfection- the perfect addition to your next taco night!

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 237kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Dutch oven

Ingredients

Braised Pork:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2.5-3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 ½ -2 chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup reduced sodium chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon vinegar (I like to use cider vinegar but you can use any)

Serve with:

corn or flour tortillas, chipotle corn salsa (see Notes section below for recipe), sour cream or Greek yogurt, lettuce, salsa, pickled onions or jalapeños, lime wedges

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other large oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Trim the pork of excess fat and cut it into 4 or 5 equal pieces. Season the pieces generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pot and brown the meat on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pork from the pot and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and add the onions. Sweat the onions until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, allspice, diced tomatoes and chicken stock (or water) and stir to combine. Add the browned pork back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook 2-2 ½ hours until meat is fork tender.
When the pork is done, remove from the pot from the oven. Remove the pork pieces from the pot and place them on a cutting board or plate. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into pieces.
In the meantime, bring the sauce in the pot to a simmer on the stove. Add the vinegar and simmer another few minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put the shredded pork back into the sauce and stir to coat all of the meat with the sauce. Add more chicken stock or water as needed. The meat should be juicy and coated with sauce but it should not be soupy.
To assemble the tacos, place some of the braised pork on a tortilla. Top with some chipotle corn salsa and other desired toppings. Serve lime wedges on the side. Enjoy with a cold Mexican beer or beverage of your choice!

Notes

Try this recipe with my Chipotle Corn Salsa or my Mango Salsa.

Chipotles in adobo are very spicy so I usually remove the seeds (where most of the spice is). If you touch them with your hands, be very careful to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and don't touch your eyes. I always mince my chipotles with a knife and fork.

If you don't eat pork, you can substitute other meats such as chicken, beef, or lamb and adjust the cooking time. If using chicken, I would use chicken thighs rather than the breast meat which tends to dry out more easily. Here's a recipe for my BBQ pulled chicken.

Adding a splash of vinegar at the end of cooking adds some acidity and brightness to the sauce. I also wait to season with salt until the very end because as the sauce reduces, the flavors concentrate and you may over-season if you do it too early.

Nutrition