Whether you're hosting friends, or just looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe, these pulled pork tacos are exactly what you need. Make the filling in the morning, pop it in the oven and by the evening you've got a mountain of tender, smoky pulled pork ready to pile into tacos, minimal effort, maximum impact.
At a Glance
Servings:
8
Difficulty:
Easy
Prep Time:
120 mins
Cooking Time:
4-5 hours
The key to great pulled pork is time and low heat. The oven does almost all of the work – your job is just to mix a quick spice rub, sear the pork to build flavour, then leave it alone until it's falling apart and ready to shred. From there it's just a case of setting out your toppings and letting everyone build their own.
What you'll need:
- 2kg pork shoulder, boneless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 16 small flour tortillas
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced or mashed
- Soured cream
- Pickled red onions or sliced fresh red onion
- Fresh coriander
- Sliced jalapeños
- Lime wedges to serve
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 150°C / 130°C fan / Gas Mark 2.
- Mix the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, chilli powder, cayenne, sugar, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Pat the pork shoulder dry with kitchen paper and rub the spice mixture all over, pressing it in well on all sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over a high heat on the hob. Sear the pork for 3-4 minutes on each side until well browned all over. Don't rush this step – a good sear adds real depth of flavour to the finished dish.
- Remove the pork and set aside. Add the sliced onion and crushed garlic to the casserole dish and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Sit the seared pork on top, cover tightly with a lid or foil and transfer to the oven.
- Cook for 4-5 hours until the pork is completely tender and falling apart when pressed with a fork.
- Lift the pork onto a board and use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded pork to the casserole dish and stir through the cooking juices to keep it moist and full of flavour. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds each side.
- Pile the pulled pork into the tortillas and top with avocado, soured cream, pickled red onions, coriander and jalapeños. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
- Energy (Kcal): 620
- Fat (g): 21
- Saturates (g): 6
- Carbohydrates (g): 41
- Sugars (g): 8
- Fibre (g): 6
- Protein (g): 64
- Salt (g): 2.5
Looking for a speedy alternative? Why not try with SPAR’s slow-cooked pulled pork, ready in 40 minutes!
