Easy Ground Pork Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

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Want to make the best ground pork tacos?! Look no further! These tacos are bursting with flavor from perfectly seasoned, savory pork, crunchy slaw, and a cool lime sour cream. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll be devouring these tacos and loving every single bite!

Close up on easy ground pork tacos recipe.

Ah, tacos. What’s not to love?! These tacos are unique and bursting with all sorts of flavors and textures! I, for one, love recipes like this! You get a nice savory flavor from the pork, that’s is balanced out by the coolness of the sour cream and then a big flavor punch and crunch with the slaw! It’s heaven, I tell you.

I have never met a taco I didn’t like! From more traditional tacos like my Easy Creamy Tacos or these Baked Chicken Tacos to less traditional, yet amazing Buffalo Chicken Tacos….They are all taco heaven!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

  • Amazing flavors and textures: From the savory pork, to the crunchy slaw to the creamy lime sour cream…these tacos are bursting with flavor!
  • Easy Meal: This recipe can easily be made in less than 30 minutes…perfect for busy weeknights!
  • Unique: Great, family-friendly way to spice up taco night!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Ground Pork Tacos Recipe:

Ingredients needed to make easy ground pork tacos with cilantro slaw.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Ground Pork: Make sure you get plain ground pork (as opposed to pork sausage or breakfast sausage!). I try to buy 90% lean or more.

Fresh Cilantro or Parsley: I prefer cilantro for the crunchy slaw mix, but if you are averse to it, Italian flat-leaf parsley works, too.

HOW TO MAKE GROUND PORK TACOS: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the printable recipe card below!

Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine slaw mix with cilantro/parsley, lime juice, sugar, and onion powder. Toss until the slaw is well-coated. Also, in a small bowl, stir together sour cream and lime juice. Set both aside.

Slaw for the ground pork tacos being mixed together in a glass bowl.

Step 2: In a large pan, brown the ground pork. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and smoked paprika.

Ground pork taco filling being cooked in a large skillet.

Step 3: Warm your tortillas, then fill them with pork taco filling and slaw. Drizzle with sour cream and pile on any of your favorite taco toppings!

Ground pork tacos being assembled on a plate with the cilantro slaw.

🌟CONFIDENCE TIP 🌟
If you can’t find lean ground pork in the meat case, don’t be afraid to ask the butcher! Ground pork tenderloin or shoulder work best. I aim to buy pork that’s 90% lean or more, if possible.

STORAGE & REHEATING

  • Storage: Store leftover taco meat in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Store the slaw separately for up to 2 days.

  • Reheating: Place meat in a skillet over medium heat and warm for 2-3 minutes. Or, re-warm meat in the microwave.

  • Freezing: Make a double batch of this meat!! Freeze half in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months for max freshness. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat following the instructions above.

ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

SUBSTITUTIONS:
Meat: Any ground meat works well! Ground chicken, ground beef, or turkey are good options.

Slaw Mix: You can freshly chop Napa or purple cabbage in place of the slaw mix. You can also replace the slaw mixture with a mango salsa like this one!

Tortillas: I prefer small “soft taco size” flour tortillas, but corn tortillas or good old hard tacos shells also work!

ADDITIONS
Spice: Add some spice, by adding some chopped jalapeños to the slaw. You can also add cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes to the pork mixture.

Cheese: Creamy, crumbled cotija cheese is a fantastic addition! Monterey Jack is also a great option.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the best side dish to serve with these ground pork tacos?

These tacos are fantastic with a side of refried or black beans, Mexican rice, or just some chips and pico de gallo!

Do I need to drain the grease from the pork?

If use you lean ground pork (90% lean or more), then you won’t get much excess grease. However, if you are using ground pork with a higher fat content, yes, I would recommend draining the grease before you season the meat.

What are some additional toppings I can add?

Sliced red onion, tomatoes, and diced avocado are my faves! You can also add pico de gallo, salsa verde, mango salsa, radishes, and sliced black olives.

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Close up of ground pork taco garnished with tomatoes and red onion.

TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE

Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!

Nonstick Skillet

Mixing Bowls

Potato Masher (optional): Gets the meat broken up nice and fine 🙂

Tongs

TRY THESE NEXT…

I hope you love this Ground Pork Tacos! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

pork tacos with vegetable toppings

Easy Ground Pork Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

Casey Rooney
Want to make the best ground pork tacos?! Look no further! These tacos are bursting with flavor from perfectly seasoned, savory pork, crunchy slaw, and a cool lime sour cream. In less than 30 minutes, you'll be devouring these tacos and loving every single bite!
5 from 13 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Servings 4
Calories 505 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the pork:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb lean ground pork
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika can substitute sweet paprika

For the slaw

  • 2 cups cole slaw mix or cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped can substitute parsley
  • 1/2 tbsp lime juice about 1/2 a lime
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

For the sour cream

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tbsp lime juice about 1/2 a lime

Other

  • 8 small flour tortillas can substitute corn tortillas or hard taco shells
  • Favorite Taco Toppings (optional): avocado, red onion, diced tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Make the Slaw: In a medium bowl, mix together slaw mix (or cabbage), cilantro, lime juice, sugar, and onion powder. Set aside.
  • Make the Sour Cream: In a small bowl, mix sour cream with lime juice. Set aside or place in the fridge while you make the taco filling.
  • Cook the Pork: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook 5-6 minutes until no longer pink. Pro Tip: Use a potato masher to break up the meat into small crumbles.
  • Season: Add the garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper and smoked paprika to the ground pork. Cook one minute more, stirring until meat is evenly seasoned.
  • Warm Tortillas: Warm tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds on the first side, or until golden brown marks form. Use tongs to flip, then cook on the second side for about 15 seconds (See Note 1).
  • Assemble: Top each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the pork taco filling, followed by a generous helping of the slaw. Drizzle on sour cream and garnish with your favorite toppings!

Notes

Note 1: You can also just heat the tortillas in the microwave (about 2-3 at a time) if you are short on time!
 
Nutrition is only an estimate based on the Very Well Fit Nutrition Calculator
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Nutrition

Serving: 2tacosCalories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 30.4gProtein: 27.6gFat: 30.4gSaturated Fat: 11.8gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 486mgPotassium: 464mgFiber: 2.4gSugar: 3.3gCalcium: 155mgIron: 3mg
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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. These tacos were so good that the kids asked if we could have them every time we have tacos – they devoured it quickly! I’ll be making that slaw as a side dish too. So good!

  2. 5 stars
    We made these tacos for Taco Tuesday this week and the whole family loved them! So flavorful and delicious!

  3. 5 stars
    This looks like the perfect way to use up some ground pork in my fridge. I’m so excited to try the lime sour cream, too!

  4. 5 stars
    Ground pork is a perfect substitute for beef in this easy and fantastic taco recipe. The cilantro slaw is bursting with great flavor and adds the perfect pop to the tacos.

  5. 5 stars
    I Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so easy and the flavors were fantastic.