How to make slow cooker pulled pork tacos

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Pulled pork is one of those dishes that nearly screams to be made in the slow cooker. If you want to make the entire dish, including the sauce, in the slow cooker, using a prepared sauce is best. Typically barbecue sauce is made using a ketchup base and so, if that ketchup isn't given enough time to cook out, the flavor will be overpowering and can ruin the entire sauce. The sauce recipe that's included can be made up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Once the pulled pork is made, there's nothing better than stuffing it into tacos, and this is where you can really get creative. Use traditional guacamole, salsa, sour cream and lettuce; or think outside of the box and top with coleslaw, gremolata, or chimichurri sauce - Argentina's national condiment. Stuff it all into a hard taco, or wrap it into a soft shell, and then take it one step further and turn it into a burrito. Pulled pork was meant to be made in a slow cooker and when you turn it into tacos, the possibilities are endless!
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Ingredients:
For the pork:
3 pound (1.5 kilograms) pork shoulder
2 tablespoons (30 ml) brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic powder
1 tablespoon (15 ml) onion powder
1 tablespoon (15 ml) paprika
1 teaspoon (5 ml) dry mustard
1 teaspoon (5 ml) chili powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
For the sauce:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) mustard powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons (45 ml) brown sugar
2 cups (500 ml) ketchup
1/3 cup (80 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) molasses
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Optional pulled pork taco toppings:
Shredded lettuce
Salsa
Guacamole
Pico de galo
Diced red onion
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chimichurri sauce
Coleslaw
Gremolata
Bruschetta
Crispy onion strings
Instructions:
1. Combine all of the spices for the pork shoulder and stir to mix thoroughly. Pat pork shoulder dry before sprinkling generously with the spice mixture and giving the pork a good rub to really get the spices into the meat.
2. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker with about 1/2 cup of water. Set the slow cooker to Low and cook for 7 to 8 hours, or set to High and cook for 4 to 5 hours.
3. While the pork is cooking (or beforehand), prepare the sauce. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat. When hot add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mustard powder and red pepper flakes, stir, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan and stir. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. When pork has finished cooking, remove from the slow cooker and allow to cool just slightly. When ready to handle, shred pork using either your hands or two forks, placing into a large bowl as pork is shredded. Add as much barbecue sauce as you'd like, and mix thoroughly to combine.
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5. Pile into hard or soft taco shells and top with all your favorite taco toppings!
Pro tip: The dry rub in this recipe uses fairly traditional ingredients for pulled pork, but you can switch it up any number of ways. Use orange juice and limes for Mexican Pork Carnitas, a Mexican version of pulled pork. Add stewed tomatoes, chopped onions, or experiment with garam masala, cumin, and coriander. The ingredients in the slow cooker are what flavors the pork, and they can be whatever you want them to be!
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