Ground Pork Tacos in just 20 minutes! Juicy pork flavored with adobo chili, orange, and lime, with a bright and flavorful Tajin-infused pineapple salsa. These tacos are perfect for weeknights, with big flavor that’s customizable to your tastes!
Great for busy weeknights, these fast and delicious Ground Pork Tacos are a staple of my dinner rotation. With perfectly seasoned and saucy ground pork and a tangy, sweet and spicy fresh pineapple salsa, infused with spicy and citrusy Tajin.
I’ve tested plenty of fast taco fillings for weeknight dinners, and this method for browned and delicious pork simmered in adobo and citrus makes for a glossy, flavorful coating for tasty tacos any night of the week!
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Notes
- Substitutions and Additions
- Step by Step Photos
- Serving the Ground Pork Tacos
- Storing Leftovers
- What to make with Leftovers
- More Great Taco Night Recipes!
Ingredient Notes
Ground pork. Ideally, you want to work with ground pork that has a bit of a fat content. of around 80-85 percent lean makes for for juicy taco meat that still crisps and sauces well, without drying out.
Homemade taco seasoning. This seasoning blend plays beautifully with the adobe sauce and citrus for ultra-flavorful tacos. Most are probably already in your spice cabinet!
Adobe sauce (from a can of chilis in adobo sauce). This adds a smoky, spicy flavor to the tacos. You'll only need the sauce from the can for these tacos, but you can save the rest portioned in the freezer for another use, or make some Creamy Chipotle Sauce for the tacos, or whip up my Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Meatloaf!
Citrus. You'll need the zest and juice of 1 lime, and fresh squeezed orange juice from one naval orange. This adds a nice balance of sweetness and freshness to the pork, and helps balance out the spicy notes in the adobo sauce.
Substitutions and Additions
Add a half a can of drained and rinsed black beans to the meat mixture when the pork is cooked through to stretch out the taco filling to feed a larger crowd, and add extra protein and fiber!
Use jarred pickled jalapeños in place of fresh for the salsa.
Like less spice? Cut the amount of adobo sauce in half.
Swap the fresh pineapple for canned pineapple if that's what you have in your pantry!
Step by Step Photos
Below are step by step process photos with visual cues, for the perfect ground pork tacos, every time!
Ground Pork Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Pork Taco Meat
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 lb ground pork (preferably 80-85% lean)
- ½ red onion, diced (use other half for salsa)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (regular or Mexican)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon Adobe sauce (from a can of chilis in adobo sauce)
- the zest and juice of 1 lime
- fresh squeezed orange juice from one naval orange
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- ½ red onion, diced (reserved half from pork taco meat)
- 1 jalapeno, diced and seeds removed , (or 1 tablespoon diced jarred pickled jalapeño)
- the juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon Tajin seasoning
For Serving
- corn or flour tortillas
- more cilantro for garnish
- crumbled Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco
- avocado slices
Instructions
- Stir together pineapple salsa ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined, and set aside. 2. Heat avocado oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or large skillet. 3. Add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, 3-5 minutes. 4. Add pork and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon as you go until cooked through, 3-4 minutes. 5. Stir in garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds. 6. Add ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat the pork. 7. Add adobo sauce, orange juice, lime zest and lime juice and cook 1-2 minutes more, until slightly thickened and saucy. 8. Serve with warmed or charred tortillas, pineapple salsa, avocado, cilantro and queso fresco or cotija cheese, if desired.
Serving the Ground Pork Tacos
You can use any of your favorite taco toppings for these ground pork tacos! Here are some great ideas for serving:
| Avocado | Serve the tacos with diced or sliced ripe avocado, or homemade or store bought guacamole. |
| Cilantro | Add a fresh flavor to the tacos with some fresh cilantro leaves! |
| Tortillas | Pick you favorite! These pork tacos are great with charred corn or flour tortillas, or hard shells from the grocery store! |
| Salsa | Not a fan of pineapple? Try pico de gallo, red salsa, or salsa verde. |
| Beans | Add some extra protein and mix in ½ cup drained and rinsed black beans to the taco meat, or serve with Cuban style black beans, or refried beans. |
| Sauce | Try some sour cream, Mexican crema, or creamy Chipotle Sauce to the tacos! To make your own crema, add a pinch of salt and some fresh squeezed lime juice to a bit of sour cream! |
| Cheese | Top the tacos with shredded Mexican blend cheese, grated cheddar, Queso fresco, or Cotija cheese. |
| Limes | Add a fresh burst of citrus, and serve the tacos with lime wedges. |
Storing Leftovers
To store the leftover pork taco meat, cool to room temperature, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pork taco meat freezes well too, and can be frozen for up to 2 months!
What to make with Leftovers
The leftover pork taco filling is great for meal prep, and can be used for a variety of recipes and meals! Here are a few ideas!
- Taco salads. You can whip up a quick and easy taco salad with the leftover pork and salsa for lunch! Just add in your favorite veggies and some lettuce.
- A grain bowl. This ground pork taco meat is great in a Mexican inspired grain bowl, with some farro!
- Breakfast Burritos! Add the pork to some scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese for a quick and satisfying breakfast option.
- Use the leftover canned adobo chilis to make Pulled Honey Chipotle Pork, Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Meatloaf, Crockpot Birria Tacos, or 5 Minute Creamy Chipotle Sauce! The chilis can be frozen for up to 3 months for a later use, too!
More Great Taco Night Recipes!
Try my cheesy, beefy and delicious Crockpot Beef Birria Tacos!
Whip up a batch of my Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes.
Have a seafood night with my tasty and light Baja Shrimp Tacos.
Make my casserole version of a walking taco, the Chili Frito Pie.
Try my Pulled Honey Chipotle Pork (pork shoulder) for a tasty taco night.
Make a batch of my easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos!
© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.
Leave a Reply