These Pulled Pork Street Tacos are seriously dangerous. They’re baked low and slow in the oven to create uber-tender and juicy pieces of pork. Serve this delicious pork on tacos, burritos, salads, and quesadillas.
These pulled pork street tacos are so delicious you’ll want to eat leftover pulled pork tacos all week long! The bold Mexican flavors and juicy pork pieces will elevate any Mexican-inspired dish, from tacos to burrito bowls. You can even make these simple pulled pork tacos in the slow cooker.
If you’re in the mood for more pork recipes this week, try making the following dishes: Pork Belly Tacos, Sticky Asian Pork Ribs in the Oven, Traditional Carnitas, or Dutch Oven Pork Chops.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful – The seasoning and Coca-Cola help create a delicious dish full of flavor.
- Versatile – You can use the cooked pulled pork meat for various recipes, including salads, tacos, quesadillas, etc.
- Tender – Cooking these pulled pork street tacos low and slow creates uber-tender meat.
- Juicy – Pulled pork cooked at a low temperature for a few hours also creates a juicy final product.
- Great for meal prep – It’s easy to portion out the pulled pork meat for meals during the week. Simply pack the toppings and tortillas separately, then assemble before eating.
- Better than takeout – With a homemade version of tacos, you can adjust the seasoning and oil to your preferences.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Pulled Pork Ingredients
Taco Ingredients
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Oil: You can use vegetable, avocado, or olive oil. Lard can also be used for this pulled pork street tacos recipe.
- Coca-Cola: Many grocery stores in Dallas sell bottles of Coca-Cola made in Mexico. They are made with real cane sugar giving the soda a better flavor. If you can’t find this, regular Coke works as well.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Pulled Pork Street Tacos
Quick Overview
- Preheat the oven.
- Toss pork with seasoning.
- Heat the oil.
- Sear the pork.
- Remove the pork from the pot.
- Sauté onions.
- Sauté garlic.
- Deglaze the pot.
- Pour in the Coke.
- Boil.
- Add pork and juices.
- Add orange rinds and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook.
- Remove pork and shred.
- Place the pork back into the pot.
Step by Step Instructions
Do not overcrowd the pan when searing the pork.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the pork with the salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and paprika until completely coated.
Step 2: In a 6 quart Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of the avocado oil (or lard) over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches of about 3 pieces on all sides until brown, adding more oil as needed.
Step 3: Remove from pot. Do not drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to medium.
Step 4: Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the orange and lime juice, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
Step 6: Pour in the Coke and bring the mixture to a boil.
Heat tortillas in a pan until you see golden brown spots before assembling.
Step 7: Add the seared pork and any juices from the plate back into the pot so they are submerged in the braising liquid.
Step 8: Add the orange rinds and bay leaves on top.
Step 9: Cover and bake for 3 hours.
Step 10: Remove the pork from the pot and shred it with two forks. It should be extremely tender.
Step 11: Transfer the shredded pork back into the pot with all of its juices.
Step 12: Optional: Spread shredded pork onto a large sheet pan in an even layer and broil until crispy. Assemble tacos.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish these pulled pork street tacos with crema, radishes, and coleslaw.
I love serving this pulled pork recipe with other yummy taco toppings and a Mexican Mule. Here are a few more topping ideas:
Expert Tips
- Add pork back into the juices. Since most of the flavor is in the pulled pork taco sauce, you’ll want to keep the meat in the juices after it’s cooked. This step will also help keep the meat juicy until you serve it on tortillas.
- Use the sauce for dipping. You can create more flavorful tacos by pouring a small amount of juice into dipping cups. Then, each person can dip their tacos in the sauce as they please.
- Prep the toppings while the meat cooks. In the last 30 minutes of cook time, prep the cheese, veggies, and other toppings so they’re ready to go. That way, when your pulled pork with taco seasoning is done, you can start eating immediately.
- Serve with homemade tortillas. Try making homemade tortillas if you have extra time and want a more authentic pulled pork street tacos recipe. You’ll need corn flour, warm water, and salt. After mixing the ingredients, you’ll roll them into balls, flatten them, and toss them on a pan or griddle until cooked.
Additions & Variations
- Use chicken – You can use chicken breasts instead of pork for this recipe if you prefer leaner meat. Follow the pulled pork street tacos recipe step-by-step when making this swap.
- Add veggies – You can make this pork taco recipe more nutritious by tossing in some veggies toward the end of the cooking process. Heartier veggies like bell peppers work well in this dish.
- Slow cooker – Instead of making Mexican pulled pork (oven-cooked), consider making these spicy shredded pork tacos in the slow cooker. Allow them to cook on low for about eight hours, then follow the final two steps of my recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Many toppings work well with pulled pork street tacos, including fresh cilantro, lettuce, avocado, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped onions.
Yes, carnitas and bbq pulled pork tacos are similar to each other. Both are made using pork and use the process of slow cooking to create juicy, tender meat. There are a few differences between the two. The seasoning of each dish is different. Also, carnitas usually includes an extra step where the meat is roasted for a crispy texture.
A street taco is typically made with a corn tortilla. Additionally, street tacos are much smaller than standard tacos.
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Pulled Pork Street Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
Pulled Pork
- 4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 7-9 pieces
- 1 Tablespoon Morton kosher salt*
- 2 Tablespoons cumin
- 1 ½ Tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2-3 Tablespoons neutral oil or lard*
- 1 large yellow or white onion, diced
- 10-12 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, plus rinds
- 3 limes, juiced
- 1 12-ounce Mexican Coca-Cola*
- 2 bay leaves
Assembly
- Chopped cilantro, diced white onion, salsa verde, cotija cheese, limes, corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the pork with the salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and paprika until completely coated.4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 7-9 pieces, 1 Tablespoon Morton kosher salt*, 2 Tablespoons cumin, 1 ½ Tablespoons dried oregano, 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder, 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- In a 6 quart Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of the avocado oil (or lard) over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches of about 3 pieces on all sides until brown, adding more oil as needed.2-3 Tablespoons neutral oil or lard*
- Remove from pot. Do not drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.1 large yellow or white onion, diced
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the orange and lime juice, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.10-12 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, plus rinds, 3 limes, juiced
- Pour in the Coke and bring the mixture to a boil.1 12-ounce Mexican Coca-Cola*
- Add the seared pork and any juices from the plate back into the pot so they are submerged in the braising liquid.
- Add the orange rinds and bay leaves on top.2 bay leaves
- Cover and bake for 3 hours.
- Remove the pork from the pot and shred it with two forks. It should be extremely tender.
- Transfer the shredded pork back into the pot with all of its juices.
- Optional: Spread shredded pork onto a large sheet pan in an even layer and broil until crispy. Assemble tacos.Chopped cilantro, diced white onion, salsa verde, cotija cheese, limes, corn tortillas
Notes
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Oil: You can use vegetable, avocado, or olive oil. Lard can also be used for this pulled pork street tacos recipe.
- Coca-Cola: Many grocery stores in Dallas sell bottles of Coca-Cola made in Mexico. They are made with real cane sugar giving the soda a better flavor. If you can’t find this, regular Coke works as well.
- Add pork back into the juices. Since most of the flavor is in the pulled pork taco sauce, you’ll want to keep the meat in the juices after it’s cooked. This step will also help keep the meat juicy until you serve it on tortillas.
- Use the sauce for dipping. You can create more flavorful tacos by pouring a small amount of juice into dipping cups. Then, each person can dip their tacos in the sauce as they please.
- Prep the toppings while the meat cooks. In the last 30 minutes of cook time, prep the cheese, veggies, and other toppings so they’re ready to go. That way, when your pulled pork with taco seasoning is done, you can start eating immediately.
- Serve with homemade tortillas. Try making homemade tortillas if you have extra time and want a more authentic pulled pork street tacos recipe. You’ll need corn flour, warm water, and salt. After mixing the ingredients, you’ll roll them into balls, flatten them, and toss them on a pan or griddle until cooked.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
