Pulled Pork Tacos with Creamy Coleslaw

Mouthwatering tacos filled with tender pulled pork and a creamy coleslaw. The perfect recipe for entertaining! Recipe instructions for stovetop, slow cooker, pressure cooker and Instant Pot.

pulled pork tacos on white plate

Pulled Pork Tacos

One of my favourite dishes to make when entertaining a crowd is BBQ Pulled Pork. There are so many different ways of serving pulled pork, and Pulled Pork Tacos is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Why This Recipe Works

  • You need just 10 minutes of prep, and the oven or pressure cooker/Instant Pot does the rest of the cooking.
  • This recipes takes about 3 hours in the oven, or 1 hour in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
  • Pulled Pork Tacos is the perfect dish to make when entertaining many people, including kids – this recipe feeds 8 to 10 people!
pulled pork tacos with creamy coleslaw on white plate

Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

To make pork tacos, you need to start, of course, with making the pulled pork. I have an easy and delicious recipe for BBQ Pulled Pork which you can either make on the stove or by using a slow-cooker, pressure cooker or Instant Pot. The latter is a great option if you are short on time but still want to make something tasty without compromising on taste.

pulled pork tacos with fresh herbs on white plate

How to Make Pulled Pork

For my pulled pork recipe, I like to use pork shoulder, which is also called pork butt. It is an inexpensive cut of meat which needs slow-cooking over low heat to produce mouthwateringly tender pork.

As I work from home often, I typically make pulled pork the old-fashioned way by slow-cooking on the stove, but you could also use a slow-cooker, pressure cooker or Instant Pot (see Kitchen Notes in recipe card below).

You only need about 5-10 minutes of prep time to make pulled pork, which makes it a very good option for entertaining as it requires minimal effort.

how to make pulled pork

What to Serve With Pulled Pork Tacos

When it comes to tacos, I like to keep things simple. That means using store-bought flour tortillas, and even ready-shredded cabbage for the coleslaw.

Other suggestions for taco fillings include:

  • salad leaves
  • iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
  • tomatoes, finely chopped
  • cucumber, finely chopped
  • avocado, sliced

More Tex-Mex Recipes

If you are looking for more tex-mex recipes, you may also like:

BBQ Pulled Pork

Chilli Con Carne

Cornbread

Print

Pulled Pork Tacos with Creamy Coleslaw

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5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Mouthwatering tacos filled with tender pulled pork and a creamy coleslaw. The perfect recipe for entertaining!

Ingredients

For the Spice Rub

For the Pulled Pork

  • 1.5 to 1.8 kg (3.3 to 4 lb) pork shoulder (or pork butt)
  • 12 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock

For the Barbecue Sauce

For the Creamy Coleslaw

  • 1 small red or white cabbage (about 4 cups shredded)
  • 12 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 lime, plus more to taste

To Serve

  • Soft flour tortillas
  • Coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
  • Jalopenos, finely sliced

Instructions

For the Pulled Pork

  1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the spice rub.
  2. Cut the pork into very large chunks. I generally buy a whole pork shoulder and cut this into 4 large pieces.
  3. Place the pork into a large bowl.
  4. Rub the spice rub all over the pork.
  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
  6. Leave the meat to marinate for about 30 minutes, but you can also do this overnight.
  7. Before cooking, let the meat come to room temperature first. This might take about an hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
  8. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
  9. Heat a large oven-proof pan with some olive oil. The pan should be large enough to snugly fit the pieces of meat in one layer.
  10. Brown the meat on both sides, taking care not to burn the spice rub.
  11. Remove the meat to a large plate.
  12. Cook the onion until it has softened.
  13. Return the meat to the pan, sitting it on top of the onions.
  14. Pour over the chicken stock. The liquid should come to about halfway up the sides of the meat.
  15. Place a lid on the pan, and place the pan into the oven.
  16. Cook for about 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the meat is very tender and a metal spoon cuts through the meat easily. I recommend checking on the meat about 2-3 times, basting the meat each time. (See Kitchen Notes below for using a slow cooker, pressure cooker or Instant Pot.)
  17. Once the meat is ready, shred the meat directly in the pan, into the pan juices. The liquid in the pan (which should be very flavourful by now) will help to keep the meat moist. But if you prefer a drier pulled pork, simply discard some of the liquid.
  18. The pulled pork is ready to use.

For the Barbecue Sauce

  1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a small saucepan.
  2. Simmer gently on medium-high heat for a few minutes.
  3. Taste for seasoning.

To Assemble the Pulled Pork

  1. Pour the Barbecue Sauce into the pan with the pulled pork.
  2. Mix well over medium-high heat. 
  3. Simmer for a few minutes for the flavours to mingle.
  4. Taste for seasoning.

For the Creamy Coleslaw

  1. Finely shred the cabbage (unless you are using ready-shredded cabbage). I like to use a mix of red and white cabbage for a nice colour contrast.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coleslaw, mayonnaise and lime juice.
  3. Taste for seasoning and add more lime juice if needed.

To Assemble the Pulled Pork Tacos

  1. Warm the tortillas according to packet instructions. I like to warm them individually in a small non-stick, oil-less pan over medium heat.
  2. Place a few tablespoons of coleslaw onto the warm tortillas, followed by a few tablespoons of pulled pork. 
  3. Garnish with coriander (cilantro) and jalopenos.
  4. Serve immediately.

Kitchen Notes

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRESSURE COOKER OR INSTANT POT
Follow the instructions as above, and cook using the manufacturer’s instructions on high pressure for 50 to 60 minutes with a slow release

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLOW COOKER
Follow the instructions as above, and then transfer the cooked onions and browned meat to the slow cooker. Add the chicken stock. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 9 hours, or until the pork is meltingly tender. 

LEFTOVERS
This recipe makes more pulled pork than you will need for one meal. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge in a covered container for a few days.

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

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4 comments

  1. Matt 16 September 2021

    Delicious! I’ve made your pulled pork a few times now. I made it last night using the Instant Pot and the family couldn’t believe we were eating pulled pork for a mid week dinner! Big fan of your website.






    Reply
  2. Mark 9 February 2022

    Beautiful pulled pork! Taco Tuesday is a favorite in our home and this recipe was 10/10!






    Reply
  3. Janie 21 May 2022

    This was really delicious and so easy with the Instant Pot! One of the best pulled pork recipes I have ever tasted.






    Reply
  4. Russ 25 October 2022

    Insanely delicious!






    Reply