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
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:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use tofu i never had smoked pork tacos before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
I’ve never tried this recipe with tofu, Ramya, but I bet it would be delicious! Give it a try, and let me know how it turns out??
Beautiful tacos! Great recipe. Love the rub.
Thanks, Mimi – this pork is SO tasty!!
Great marinade and rub, this pork would also be wonderful used for Cuban sandwiches. The tacos look delicious!
Oh I love that idea, Barb – I should make this pork again and then make Cubans. Funny enough…I’ve been craving a good Cuban sandwich lately! 🙂
I really like this, David! A lot of times, I take a pass on pork shoulder, because I often find it fatty in a bad way, even though I love the flavor. Yours doesn’t look like that at all! I have a feeling I’d be very happy with a few of these tacos and a margarita. I also love that you’ve paired them with beautiful slices of avacado.
By the way, “the south side of a northern-facing pig” should win some kind of literature prize. I love It!
I totally know what you mean, Jeff. Pork shoulder can be fatty for sure. I leave the fat cap on when I smoke it, but when I go to shred it, I always pull out the larger ‘pieces’ of fat. And more of the fat renders off when you cook that shredded pork in a hot cast iron skillet. Also, I had fun writing up this post!
these look so pretty with the slices of avocado on top and avocado is always a good thing :=) Have a great weekend.
cheers
sherry
Agree! Avocado is always a good thing! 🙂 Have a great weekend yourself, Sherry!
Hope you guys are staying safe down there with the tropical storm — these smoked pork tacos look amazing! Pork shoulder is our favorite cut of meat for carnitas, and great tip about saving the braising liquid for even more flavor.
Hey Michelle! We’re finally up and going here again. Helene absolutely destroyed this area, but we will rebuild! 🙂 On other topics, these pork tacos are delicious. And that braising liquid is like gold when it comes to flavor!
We’re not really a tacos family, but I admit this looks and sounds phenomenal – particularly thanks to the smoked meat. Smoked things do make a difference, right? And I love your idea to turn the filling into quesadillas, which we like more.
It’s funny how the ingredients for tacos and quesadillas can be quite similar…but the result is entirely different. Must be all of the extra cheese! Whether it’s tacos or ‘dillas, I highly recommend the smoked pork here. It’s so flavorful!
Fantastic indeed! Do these smoked pork tacos ever look good, David! I could seriously eat these for any meal of the day and be quite happy. I could always go for a taco and, after seeing this, I’m craving some. 🙂
Your comment about any meal of the day made me wonder about adding shredded pork to cheesy scrambled eggs…and then putting that mixture into a taco! I think that needs to happen ASAP!
With your spice rub and the braising liquid, the pork has to be so flavorful. Hope all is well with you and your family and that you weren’t impacted by the weather.
Thanks so much, Karen. We got internet back this weekend, so we’re fully back to “normal” here…although as you know from living in Florida, rebuilding after storms is a long process. We will get there though!
Your gorgeous tacos are a real feast for the eyes. The toppings are amazing, but I am most excited about your fabulous seasoning blend… and finishing the pork in the smoker. Using the smoker is pure genius!!
Why thank you so much, Heidi! I have to say that this pork is so flavorful and soft. It can be used in so many ways, but tacos are always a winner!
I love carnitas and make them every so often. This smoked version sounds really intriguing. Alas I don’t have a smoker. Maybe one day..
You should venture into the world of smoking, Frank! You certainly know your way around the kitchen, and learning to use a smoker adds a fun new option to just about any recipe. Maybe that can be a retirement goal?? 🙂
Nice, I never thought of using smoked pork on tacos, now it opened a lot of ideas, thanks for the inspiration and your tacos sounds amazing
Thanks so much, Raymund! These smoked pork tacos are a favorite here in our house!