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three pork tenderloin tacos topped with avocado corn salsa and crema
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5 from 5 votes

Pork Tenderloin Tacos

Forget Taco Tuesday – these pork tenderloin tacos with street corn avocado salsa make a great recipe for any weeknight dinner. View the recipe post above for step-by-step images.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: dairy free, healthy tacos, pork
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • High speed blender or food processor

Ingredients

Pork Tenderloin Tacos

  • 1 ½  lbs pork tenderloin thinly sliced into 1/8-inch strips (Note 1)
  • ¼ olive oil or avocado oil
  • Juice from 2 limes (1/3 cup lime juice)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons EACH: ground cumin, chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon EACH: paprika, dried oregano, kosher salt
  • 12 corn or flour tortillas more if double wrapping

Street Corn Avocado Salsa

  • 2 cups grilled or steamed corn fresh or frozen
  • ½ jalapeno seeded and minced
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • 1 large avocado diced
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • Juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cashew Crema

  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews plus water for soaking
  • 2/3 cup fresh cold water
  • Juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder and kosher salt

Instructions

  • Add all of the marinade ingredients, including the oil, lime juice, honey, garlic and spices to a bowl or ziplock bag and mix or shake to combine. Place the sliced pork tenderloin in the marinade and toss to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes or up to 12 hours. You can prep the salsa and crema while you wait to maximize time.
  • To make the salsa, add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl and toss to combine. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
  • To make the crema, add the cashews to a microwave-safe bowl and cover them with water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes then drain the water from the cashews and rinse them with cold water to bring their temperature down. Add the softened cashews to a high-speed blender or food processor with the fresh water, garlic, salt, onion powder, and lime juice. Blend on high speed for at least 2 minutes until it’s really creamy and smooth, with no visible lumps from the cashews. Transfer it to a bowl and store in the fridge while you finish the tacos.
  • Heat a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a heavy bottom skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot and shimmering, add half of the marinated pork, shaking the pork to remove excess marinade. Too much moisture from the marinade and overcrowding the pan will cause the pork to steam rather than crisp. Cook the pork slices on both sides for 2-3 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F. The thinner the pork slices, the faster it cooks. Transfer the first batch to a clean plate or bowl and repeat with the remaining half of the tenderloin.
  • Warm or char the taco shells (Note 2) then fill with seared pork. Top the tacos with the corn salsa, drizzle with crema and finish with finely chopped cilantro.

Video

Notes

Note 1. Sliced Pork Tenderloin. Lay the pork tenderloin lengthwise on the cutting board and slice it into 1/4-inch slices. Take those 1/4-inch slices and cut them into 1/8-inch strips. The thinner they are, the quicker they cook and the crispier they’ll be.
Note 2. Charred Tortillas. Heat an open burner over medium-low heat. Cook for approximately 45 seconds on each side, until they begin to bubble and char around the edges. Transfer to a towel and wrap it up to stay warm while you char the rest of the tortillas.
*Nutrition information includes 2 tacos with one corn tortilla and no cashew crema.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.1g | Protein: 29.7g | Fat: 21.5g | Cholesterol: 72.7mg | Sodium: 505mg | Fiber: 5.3g | Sugar: 9.9g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 13.8mg