Smoked Pork Tacos

Make it a taco night! These Smoked Pork Tacos feature carnitas-style pork topped with all of your favorite taco toppings. They’re perfect for a crowd…or just a Tuesday night!

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Forget Taco Tuesday. We will eat (and we have eaten) tacos on any night of the week in our house. From easy ground beef tacos to grilled fish tacos to everything else in between, tacos are a staple dinner here. They’re an easy way to use leftover meat. Plus, tacos are just delicious!

These Smoked Pork Tacos are a fun twist on a classic taco. For this recipe, we start with a smoked pork shoulder (aka pork butt). From there, the shredded pork gets crisped in a very hot cast iron skillet and then it goes into the taco shells. Add in some cilantro, red onions, avocados and cotija cheese, and you’ve got tacos that’ll rival those from a street vendor in Mexico!

What are Carnitas?

Literally translated as “little meats,” carnitas are made by slow-cooking seasoned pork until very tender. Carnitas can also be made with chicken, but pork carnitas are by far more common. Once the pork is cooked, it is often shredded and then cooked again to achieve the crispy edges that add flavor and texture.

Can you make Smoked Carnitas?

Yes! The traditional method for making carnitas involves braising the pork roast in the oven or using a slow cooker. However, as we’ve talked about in the past, a smoker is a great option for any recipe where the food is cooked over low heat for a long period of time. The smoker adds a nice smoky flavor to the pork, too.

How to Make Smoked Pork Tacos

To make Smoked Pork Tacos, we start with a pork shoulder (aka Boston butt). The name doesn’t refer to the south side of a northern-facing pig. Instead, Boston butt refers to the wider end of the front shoulder of the pig. The word “butt” comes from a late middle English word meaning “wide end.” I know there is an obvious joke here, but the wide end is more like the butt of a gun.

Etymology aside, that pork shoulder gets marinated overnight in citrus juices. The next day, the marinade gets discarded and a seasoned rub gets pressed into the pork. From there, it’s off to the smoker. Now this pork shoulder does smoke for quite a while (~8-10 hours), so I recommend making the pork the day before you want to serve it. That will eliminate the guess work in terms of timing.

Once the pork is smoked and shredded, it gets cooked in a very hot cast iron skillet for a few minutes. This creates little crispy edges and nubbins (yes, a technical term) on the shredded pork – it’s truly fantastic!

Oh, and little secret – save the leftover braising liquid from the smoker. That liquid is a mix of citrus juices and fat that drips from the pork shoulder. (It will harden up in the fridge.) Add a spoonful or two of that to the cast iron skillet, and get ready for a trip into Tastyville!

Ingredients for Smoked Pork Tacos

• 8-10 pound bone-in pork shoulder (aka Boston butt).
• Marinade. Lime juice, orange juice, salt and vegetable oil.
• Spice Rub. Brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, dried oregano and a tiny bit of cinnamon.
• Braising Liquid. Vegetable oil, orange juice, lime juice, onions and garlic.
• Taco Toppings. Tortillas (corn or flour), cotija cheese, diced red onions, fresh cilantro, avocado slices and lime wedges.

Other Ways to Use Smoked Pork

You will end up with a large container of smoked pork, so this recipe is great for parties or saving as leftovers. While we could eat these tacos every.single.night of the week, here are a couple of other tasty ways to use leftover smoked pork:

• Turn it into a burrito! Add some rice, beans, Mexican blend cheese and your other favorite burrito fillings. Roll it all up and dig in!
• Sandwiches. Cook the pork in a skillet as below, but add a bit of BBQ sauce instead. Then top the sandwiches with coleslaw for a delicious (and very different) flavor profile using the same meat!
• Cilantro Rice. Make a batch of Green Rice (Arroz Verde) and serve the crispy shredded pork on top.
• Quesadillas. Use a large flour tortilla and fill it with leftover smoked pork, shredded cheese, beans (and maybe some corn, too) for a fantastic quesadilla.
• Nachos!! And if it’s a Friday night? Pull out the bag of tortilla chips and top ’em with shredded pork, salsa and all of your favorite nacho toppings. Turn on a football game or a movie, and get ready for a good night!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Unless you are feeding a large crowd, you will almost certainly have leftover shredded pork from this recipe. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. (Save any of the leftover braising liquid in a separate bowl.) To reheat, place the pork in a hot cast iron skillet along with a spoonful of the braising liquid.

Smoked pork can also be frozen. Just place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Let the pork thaw overnight and then reheat as normal.

If you’re looking for a fantastic (and I do mean fantastic!) taco recipe, then put these Smoked Pulled Pork Tacos on the menu. Cheers!

Did you make this Smoked Pork Tacos recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Smoked Pork Tacos

Make it a taco night! These Smoked Pork Tacos feature carnitas-style pork topped with topped with all of your favorite taco toppings. They're perfect for a crowd…or just a Tuesday night!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours hours

Marinating Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 18 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 545kcal

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Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 6-8 pound bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup fresh orange juice

For the Rub

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil

For the Braising Liquid

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 red onion chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• large disposable aluminum pan

For Smoked Pork Tacos

• tortillas can use flour tortillas or corn tortillas
• cotija cheese
• diced red onions
• fresh cilantro chopped
• avocado slices
• lime wedges

Instructions

For the Marinade

• Place the pork shoulder in a large ziptop bag or a glass baking dish.
• Using a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients (vegetable oil, salt, lime juice and orange juice). Pour mixture over pork shoulder, turning several times to coat.
• Cover (or seal bag) and refrigerate overnight.

For the Rub

• Preheat smoker for indirect smoking at 225°F.
• Add several chunks of hardwood – I recommend apple or pecan for pork.
• Remove pork shoulder from marinade and pat dry. Discard the leftover marinade.
• Using a small bowl, combine all of the seasonings for the rub (except for the oil). Rub the oil evenly on all sides of the pork shoulder and then season with the rub mixture.
• Place the pork shoulder on the smoker and smoke for 5-6 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F using a meat thermometer.

For the Braising Liquid

• Using a medium bowl, whisk together all of the braising ingredients.
• Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and place in a large disposable aluminum pan. Pour braising liquid over pork shoulder. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and place it back on smoker.
• Increase smoker temperature to 350°F and smoke for another 3-4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 200°F.
• Remove pan from smoker and let pork shoulder rest in pan for at least 1 hour.
• Transfer pork shoulder to a large cutting board and shred meat. Discard bone and any excess fat, but save the cooking liquid that is in the pan.
• Place a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 3-4 Tbsp of cooking liquid (from aluminum pan) along with all of the shredded pork. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flipping occasionally. (Tip: If you're using corn tortillas, save time and dishes by cooking them in the cast iron skillet before cooking the pork!)

For Smoked Pork Tacos

• Assemble tacos by placing ~¼ cup of shredded pork on each tortilla. Sprinkle cotija cheese, diced onions, cilantro and avocado slice on top of each. Finish with a squeeze of lime before serving.

Looking for more smoked meat recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: