Easy Ground Pork Tacos with Cilantro Slaw
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!
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:
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.
Step 2: In a large pan, brown the ground pork. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, and smoked paprika.
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!
🌟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
These tacos are fantastic with a side of refried or black beans, Mexican rice, or just some chips and pico de gallo!
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.
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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TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
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Potato Masher (optional): Gets the meat broken up nice and fine 🙂
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!
Easy Ground Pork Tacos with Cilantro Slaw
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!
Sounds like a burst of delicious flavors. Perfect for an evening snack or a snack box option too.
These pork tacos have such great flavor. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I made these tacos for dinner last night and my whole family loved them. Our new favorite taco recipe!
Thank you so much for this recipe – my friends really enjoyed this! Great idea!
The slaw on these tacos was such a delicious combination! My whole family loved them!
Love these tacos! SO yummy and so easy to get on the table!
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!
Love how easy these are! Lots of tasty flavor in the pork, too.
We made these tacos for Taco Tuesday this week and the whole family loved them! So flavorful and delicious!
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!
These were incredible. That cilantro slaw was to die for!
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.
I Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so easy and the flavors were fantastic.