These Pulled Pork Tacos are a symphony of exotic and spectacular Asian flavor and texture in each can’t stop eating bite!
Crazy delicious Pulled Pork Tacos stuffed with juicy, tender Asian Caramel Pulled Pork smothered in delectable savory, sweet and spicy sauce and piled with fresh and tangy Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa and luxurious Sriracha Crema. The Caramel Pork is easy to make in the slow cooker (already with rave reviews) and the Salsa and Crema can be made ahead of time for a dinner that comes together quickly when it’s “go” time! Asian fusion never tasted so good.
Pulled Pork Tacos
Asian fusion is one of my favorite cuisines from my Thai Chicken Tacos (terrible pics but SO good!), Teriyaki Chicken Tacos, Korean BBQ Burgers, Sweet Chili Chicken Enchiladas, Taco Spaghetti, Red Curry Beef Tacos, Thai Chicken Pizza, Asian Burgers, Salsa Verde Mac and Cheese , Korean Tacos and on and on! So when I first made my Slow Cooker Asian Caramel Pulled Pork (already with rave reviews), I immediately knew it would be fabulous Pulled Pork Tacos.
Why you’ll love this Asian Pulled Pork
The Caramel Pulled Pork is the star of these Pulled Pork Tacos and is stand alone delicious – thus it’s own recipe – bathed in a multi-dimensional sauce infused with coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, ginger and garlic. It’s luxuriously silky, savory, tangy and zingy, with a splash of heat.
Pulled Pork Taco Ingredients
- Pork butt/shoulder: Use 4-5 pounds of pork butt or pork shoulder. Both come from the front of the pig (not the rear). If you have a choice between pork butt and pork shoulder, use pork butt, often called Boston butt. It is named after the barrels (butts) pork used to be stored around the time of the Revolutionary War. Pork butt has more fat marbling throughout the meat, so it emerges more fall-apart-tender. Be sure to trim off any excess fat.
- Wet rub: Toasted sesame oil, ginger powder, garlic, salt, onion powder and pepper are combined to create a flavorful rub. Take care to use toasted sesame oil and not regular which doesn’t have as much flavor.
- Coconut milk: Please use full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk for restaurant-style creamy, flavorful sauce. Most importantly, light coconut milk can split due to the long cooking time in the slow cooker.
- Soy sauce: Use reduced-sodium so the sauce isn’t too salty.
- Fish sauce: I promise fish sauce will not make your Thai chicken curry taste fishy – even though it smells fishy! It is necessary to infuse the dish with its nutty, rich, savory, salty flavor. If you’ve never used fish sauce before, it can be found in the Asian section of any grocery store.
- Rice wine: If you cook much Asian food, this should become a pantry staple. I use “Kikkoman Aji-Mirin: Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning,” which is commonly found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. You can also Amazon it. I highly suggest you Google images before you head to the grocery store so you know exactly what you are looking for. The best substitute for rice wine is pale dry sherry.
- Chili sauce: Use your favorite Asian chili sauce. I use Sambal Oelek with a green lid.
- Asian sweet chili sauce: Instead of adding sugar to balance the umami-rich ingredients, Asian sweet chili sauce adds both sweetness and spice. It is made with chilies, onion, garlic, brown sugar, and fish sauce. You should be able to find it easily in the Asian aisle of your grocery store.
- Cornstarch: This helps the sauce thicken up so it isn’t watery.
- Brown sugar: This is combined with water at the end of cooking to make our “caramel” sauce. Use light brown sugar.
- Pineapple Snow Pea Slaw: This refreshing, sweet, tangy, and crunchy slaw is made with chopped fresh pineapple, julienned snow peas, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, minced cilantro, and lime juice. Add additional lime juice or jalapeno seeds to taste.
- Sriracha Crema: This easy crema marries the flavors together with a kick of creamy heat. It’s quick whisking of sour cream (may sub Greek yogurt), mayonnaise, and sriracha.
How To Make Pulled Pork Tacos
- The Pulled Pork itself is rubbed with spices and seared for maximum flavor and tenderness and then bathed in the dump-and-run-sauce.
- Next, let the pulled pork cruise on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5-6 hours OR until pork is fall apart tender while the aroma permeates every nook and cranny of your home and reminds you what deliciousness awaits. As with all meats, if it’s not easy to shred with a fork, it just needs to cook longer. The key to crazy tender meat is the cooking time.
Pork Taco Toppings
While the Pulled Pork is stand-alone-delicious it becomes exponentially more delicious when piled with Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa and silky Sriracha Crema all cocooned in a tortilla. The refreshing sweet tang of the crunchy Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa against the rich caramelized pork is a match made in in ying and yang heaven. Because after all, the best thing about tacos is layering them with flavors and textures so you have mouthfuls of savory, sweet, tangy, fresh, creamy, crunchy all in one mouthful.
The Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa is a quick tossing together of fresh pineapple, snow peas, red bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro and lime juice – so fresh and bright and so ready to be piled on your Asian Pulled Pork Tacos!
The Sriracha Crema is a quick whisking of sour cream, mayo and Sriracha. You can completely customize the heat on the Sriracha Crema from a hint of spice to blow-the-roof-off spice – totally up to you!
You can make both your Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa and your Sriracha Crema while your pork is tenderizing. which I love because not only does it make dinner time easy, they actually tastes better this way!
Now pile your tortilla with Caramel Pulled Pork, Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa and your Sriracha Crema and prepare yourself for the best Pulled Pork Tacos of. your. life.
How to serve this Pulled Pork Tacos Recipe
We love serving this pulled pork tacos recipe with bok choy, coconut rice, macaroni salad, or ramen noodle salad.
How to store leftover Asian Pulled Pork Tacos
To store leftover Asian pulled pork tacos, keep the pulled pork, slaw, and crema separate. Refrigerate the pulled pork in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Tortillas should be kept in a resealable plastic bag or wrapped in foil to keep them from drying out. When ready to eat, reheat the pork in the microwave or on the stove until it is thoroughly warmed, then assemble the tacos with the fresh slaw and tortillas.
Pulled Pork Taco Recipe FAQs
Carnitas are a type of pulled pork. Both carnitas and pulled pork are slow-cooked pork dishes. Still, carnitas is a Mexican dish where the pork is typically braised or simmered with seasonings like cumin, oregano, and citrus until tender, then crisped up by cooking at a high temperature just before serving. Pulled pork, on the other hand, is an American dish usually associated with barbecue (or Asian fusion in this case), where the pork is slow-cooked with a smoky flavor profile and often coated in a tangy barbecue sauce. The primary difference lies in their seasoning and preparation methods, giving each a distinct flavor and texture.
The difference between shredded pork and pulled pork mainly lies in their preparation and texture. Pulled pork is specifically slow-cooked, often smoked or braised, until it is tender enough to be easily pulled apart by hand or with forks, resulting in a stringy texture. Shredded pork, on the other hand, refers to pork that has been cooked and then shredded by any method, which could include roasting, boiling, or baking. While pulled pork is a type of shredded pork, shredded pork can encompass a wider range of cooking methods and doesn’t necessarily have the distinct smoky or slow-cooked flavor of pulled pork.
If you love everything pulled pork, be sure to check out my Tacos Al Pastor, Carnitas, BBQ Pulled Pork, Beef Barbacoa to find more new family favorites!
LOOKING FOR MORE TACO RECIPES?
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos
- Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
- Tacos Al Pastor
- Turkey Tacos
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Blackened Fish Tacos
- Baked Fiesta Ranch Chicken Tacos
- Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- and on and on…
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Asian Pulled Pork
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Ingredients
Asian Caramel Pulled Pork
- 1 recipe Asian Caramel Pulled Pork
- 10-12 taco size flour tortillas
Pineapple Snow Pea Salsa
- 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
- 6 oz. snow peas, ends trimmed, julienned then cut in half
- 1 red bell pepper chopped small
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 whole jalapeno, seeded, deveined, minced
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Sriracha Crema
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sriracha more or less to taste
Instructions
- ASIAN CARAMEL PORK – Prepare Pork according to directions. While the pork is cooking, prepare Salsa and Crema – directions to follow.
- PINEAPPLE SNOW PEA SALSA – Add all of the Salsa ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to combine. Can be served immediately or even better chilled.
- SRIRACHA CREMA – Add all of the Crema ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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Heather Torre says
By the time I was done making these, I joked that I hoped we’d dislike them and would never make them again. They were quite labor-intensive! But, I’ve never made a single recipe of yours I didn’t love, and sure enough, these were absolutely deliclious!
Jen says
Haha I am so glad that it was worth the effort! Thanks for giving them a try!
Tracie says
Great recipe, made lunch for my coworkers and they loved it! Followed ingredients for both the pork and the salsa but did cook the pork in my Instant Pot instead of a crock pot!
Jen says
You sound like the best coworker ever! I am so glad it turned out great!
PeteLee says
One of my favorites! Yes a bit of labor at the beginning. But, once the pork is in the slow cooker it is smooth sailing. The flavor in these in simply amazing!
How can you store the leftovers?
Jen says
I’m thrilled you love this! For leftovers, I recommend keeping the pulled pork, slaw, and crema separate. Refrigerate the pulled pork in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Tortillas should be kept in a resealable plastic bag or wrapped in foil to keep them from drying out.
Then, when ready to eat, simply reheat the pork in the microwave or on the stove, then assemble the tacos with the fresh slaw and tortillas. Enjoy!
Erin says
Making these today! What did you do to blacken your taco shells in that photo?
Jen says
Hi Erin, I char them on my open gas stove. Just place them on the burner for 15 seconds or so per side. Enjoy!
Anne says
Can you make the pork this ahead of time and freeze?
Anne
Jen says
Hi Anne! You can freeze this pulled pork for 3-6 months. I hope you love it!