When your next taco craving strikes, you'll be happy to have these flavorful and easy ground pork tacos. The crispy pork is pan-friend in a few minutes, seasoned with Mexican spices then served in tortillas and topped with pickled red onion and cilantro.
These are the less spicy, but equally as delicious cousin recipe to the chorizo tacos with all the best seasonings and toppings. Both will make your Taco Tuesday a hit!
Sometimes we're craving carnitas, but even our Instant Pot carnitas take an hour or so. When life happens, or when the craving strikes, you need pork tacos asap and that's where these ground pork tacos come in. They take under 20 minutes to make (along with the quick Mexican pickled onions).
Today's easy ground pork tacos satisfy even the largest taco craving. Move over Korean beef tacos because we've got an equally flavorful recipe done in under 30 minutes.
Success Tip: wash them down with a Moscow mule with tequila or mango margaritas. And when you're done enjoy Mexican custard pie as dessert.
Looking for another quick and easy ground pork recipe with Asian-inspired flavors? Our sweet and spicy pork lettuce wraps are full of veggies and the most delicious peanut sauce.
Reasons to Love Ground Pork Tacos
- Quick and easy to prepare, ready in 20 minutes.
- Uses simple kitchen ingredients you likely have in your pantry or spice cabinet.
- Rich Mexican-Inspired flavor with bold spices.
- Easy to customize with your favorite toppings.
Grab these Simple Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for these easy ground pork tacos. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find at the grocery store. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Olive oil: use this to soften the aromatics before cooking the pork. Coconut oil or avocado oil are great options.
- Onion: a yellow onion or red onion are both great options.
- Garlic: fresh minced garlic is an easy way to add sweet, pungent flavor to the pork.
- Ground pork: be sure to check the package label for added sugars or corn starch. We like to buy organic and antibiotic-free Heritage pork whenever possible.
- Spices: we like to create our own taco seasoning with chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and dried oregano.
- Honey: pork does well with a little sweetness, but you can omit this.
- Lime juice: the acid balances out the savoriness from the fat and sweetness from the honey.
How to Make Ground Pork Tacos
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. This recipe for ground pork tacos is pretty simple, but these steps will make sure it turns out every time.
Video: watch how to make ground pork tacos.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the onion or shallot and cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Push the onion and garlic to the side and place the ground pork in the pan. Use a meat smasher or spatula to break the pork up into small bits of taco meat and cook until no pink remains.
When the pork is almost done, let it sit in the hot pan, without stirring, for 2-3 minutes so the pork crisps, then stir and repeat 1-2 more times until it's as crispy as you'd like it. Be careful not to crisp it too much or it will end up tough and chewy.
Add the seasoning and honey and continue to cook until well combined. Remove the tacos from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
Serve the tacos with warm corn or flour tortillas and your favorite toppings (more on this below).
Ground Pork Tacos FAQs
Yes, you can substitute ground beef for ground pork in tacos because of their similar texture and cooking time. You can season both in a similar way which makes them both great for tacos.
Ground pork, like any other type of meat, can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. Its nutritional value and health benefits depend on cuts of meat used, the method of preparation, and portion size.
Ground pork is a good source of protein and also contains vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, iron, and zinc. However, it can also be high in saturated fat. Pay attention to the package label for added sugars and corn syrup.
What to Put on Pork Tacos
Tacos with ground pork can be topped with a variety of ingredients to add flavor, texture, and color to the dish. Some popular toppings for ground pork tacos include:
- Salsa: Fresh or store-bought salsa adds a bright, tangy flavor to tacos. We love our pineapple salsa with pork tacos.
- Avocado: Easy healthy guacamole, avocado crema or sliced avocado add fat and fiber.
- Cheese: Try grated cheese, such as cheddar or Monterey Jack, or crumbled Mexican cheese like Cotija or queso fresco.
- Lettuce or cabbage: Shredded lettuce or cabbage adds a crunchy texture and fresh flavor to tacos.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro leaves add a bright, herbaceous flavor to tacos.
- Pickled red onion: the acid in these offsets the pork really well. Skip down to the recipe card for a quick recipe.
- Lime juice: A squeeze of lime juice adds brightness right at the end.
These are just a few examples of the many toppings. Feel free to get creative and experiment with different ingredients to find your perfect combination!
Storage Instructions
Allow leftovers to cool completely then transfer the taco meat to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Ground pork taco meat freezes well for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to eat it, reheat it thoroughly in the microwave or in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Note: I don't recommend storing assembled tacos. Store the ground pork, tortillas, and taco toppings separately and assemble when you're ready to eat.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
Pork Recipes
Use ground pork in our sweet and spicy pork lettuce wraps or sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash.
Combine ground pork and ground beef for added flavor in these gluten-free meatballs.
Craving tender, shredded pork in less time? Try our Instant Pot carnitas, Instant Pot Pulled pork or Instant Pot country-style ribs.
Ground Pork Tacos
Ingredients
Quick Mexican Pickled Onions
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (1/2 large onion)
- 2 Tablespons lime juice (1 lime)
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, honey, or agave
Ground Pork Tacos
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow or red onion diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 lb ground pork (Note 1)
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon EACH: cumin and kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon honey or agavee
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 8 6-inch flour or corn tortillas (Note 2) for serving
- Toppings: queso fresco, cotija cheese, avocado crema, sliced avocado, cilantro, pickled red onion
Recommended Equipment
- Skillet or saute pan
Instructions
- Make the pickled red onions, if using. Place all of the ingredients in a medium bowl or glass jar and let them sit at room temperature, stirring once or twice, while you make the ground pork.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Push the onion and garlic to the side and place the ground pork in the pan. Use a meat smasher or spatula to break the pork up into small bits. Continue to cook, mixing the pork with the onions and garlic, until no pink remains.
- When the pork is almost done, let it sit in the hot pan, without stirring, for 2-3 minutes so the pork crisps, then stir and repeat 1-2 more times until it's as crispy as you'd like it. Be careful not to crisp it too much or it will end up tough and chewy.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the seasoning and honey and continue to cook until completely combined.
- Remove the tacos from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
- Serve the ground pork with flour or corn tortillas (Note 2). Top with crumbled Queso fresco, Cotija cheese, cilantro, or pickled red onion.
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