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About This Recipe
These homemade carnitas tacos are my new go-to for taco night! Made with crispy carnitas, mexican corn salsa and soft tortillas, these tacos have amazing flavor and are so easy to make!
Just let your pork cook in the crock pot all day then throw together your corn salsa and top some tortillas for an easy meal everyone will love!! These tacos are great on their own or you can serve them with a size of my cilantro lime brown rice, black beans or refried beans, or my favorite healthy queso with tortillas chips!
And if you’re looking for more fun ways to mix up taco night, try my taco braid, chicken tacos or use your extra pork carnitas my favorite burrito bowls or taco salad!
Why You’ll Love These Pork Carnitas Street Tacos
- So easy to make! The slow cooker cooks the pork low and slow all day so it’s super tender and juicy!
- The best tacos to make for taco Tuesday (or any day of the week)!
- Packed with tons of lean protein! Over 37 grams per serving!
- Super fresh and flavorful! Perfect for any taco lover!
- Versatile! You can also use pork for my pork burrito bowls or on a salad!
- Pork tenderloin: You can also use pork shoulder or pork butt. I used the tenderloin to keep the fat lower.
- Orange: The fresh, sugary juices help pack the carnitas with incredible flavor and crisp them up!
- Lime: For more dimension of flavor and tang.
- Spices: I used salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Fresh cilantro: Make these carnitas and corn salsa taste so fresh!
- Corn: You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn. If using frozen corn, thaw first and drain excess liquid well. If using ears of corn and cooking first you’ll need about 3 ears.
- Garlic: If fresh minced or garlic cubes both work!
- Green onions: Can also sub for diced red onion.
- Tortillas: I used the street taco size flour tortillas for these tacos but you can also use corn tortillas if you prefer!
- Cojita cheese: Can also substitute with feta or your favorite cheese!
- Mexican crema: To make mexican crema just mix together 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 Tbsp taco sauce. You can use hot sauce or mild sauce depending on your taste preference.
- Jalapeno: throw some diced jalapeno into your corn salsa for spicy kick.
- Pico de gallo: you can also top these tacos with my homemade pico de gallo for added freshness
- Chicken tacos: if you don’t love pork, use my taco chicken for these street corn tacos
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Carnitas: Place the pork tenderloin in the Crockpot. Add the orange juice, lime juice and all the spices; toss everything around.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Pork is done when you’re able to shred easily with a fork). Use two forks to shred pork (leave some thick pieces). Taste and add more salt, if needed, then simmer for another 30 minutes to absorb the juices.
3. Preheat the broiler to low. Line a large baking sheet lined with foil (for easy clean up). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shredded pork to the baking sheet leaving juices in the Crockpot. Spread into an even layer. Broil for about 5 minutes, until the ends start to brown then remove from the oven. Add the pork back to the Crockpot and toss with the remaining cooking liquids. Stir in the cilantro.
4. Mexican street corn: To a medium bowl add the corn, garlic, mayo, lime juice, salt, chili powder, cilantro and green onions.
5. Mix together well. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.
6. Assemble tacos! Warm tortillas first if desired (see notes) then add carnitas, corn salsa and crumbled cotija – about 1/2 cup (56g) carnitas, 2 tablespoons (37g) corn salsa and 1 tablespoon (7g) cotija cheese per taco. Drizzle with Mexican crema if desired and enjoy!
Store the pork carnitas and mexican street corn salad (separately) in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat.
To freeze, let pork carnitas cool to room temperature. Add pork to a freeze size plastic bag or portion into smaller size sandwich bags (for easy thawing)!. Press bag flat, squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
A few ways to heat tortillas for street tacos:
- Stove: Heat a skillet over medium-high and cook tortillas for 15–30 seconds on each side. A cast iron skillet works best. For gas stoves, you can warm them directly over the flame.
- Microwave: Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in 30-second bursts until warm.
- Oven: Preheat to 300F, wrap tortillas in aluminum foil, and heat for 10–15 minutes. This method is ideal for 6–8 tortillas.
Can I make these pork carnitas in the instant pot?
Yes! You can make these pork carnitas in the instant pot. Just add all the pork ingredients to the instant pot (you can sear the pork first if you want!) then set for 45 minutes and let naturally release. Once pork is done, shred with two forks or Kitchen Aid and broil.
What type of pork should I use for these carnitas tacos?
I like using pork tenderloin for these pork carnitas since pork tenderloin is one of the leaner cuts of pork and it’s higher in protein. It typically comes in a package with two, slender loins. If you can’t find pork tenderloins, you can use other cuts of pork like pork loin (like I used in my cuban pulled pork) or boneless pork shoulder but just note that they will have a higher fat content.
Can I freeze this pork tenderloin?
Yes, this recipe is great for meal prepping in bulk. To freeze, let pork carnitas cool to room temperature. Add pork to a freeze size plastic bag or portion into smaller size sandwich bags (for easy thawing)!. Press bag flat, squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn. Seal, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Mexican Street Corn Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb. pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (120g) ~2 oranges
- 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 tsp EACH: chili powder & cumin
- 1 tsp EACH: salt & oregano
- 1/2 tsp EACH: black pepper, onion powder & garlic powder
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Mexican street corn (makes 4):
- 2 cups cooked corn (270g)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbsp light mayo (30g)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/4 tsp each: salt & chili powder
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
For serving:
- 8 flour tortillas street taco size
- 4 Tbsp cotija cheese (56g) 56g
- Mexican crema optional – see notes
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Instructions
- Carnitas: Place the pork tenderloin in the Crockpot. Add the orange juice, lime juice and all the spices; toss everything around. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Pork is done when you’re able to shred easily with a fork). Use two forks to shred pork (leave some thick pieces). Taste and add more salt, if needed, then simmer for another 30 minutes to absorb the juices.
- Preheat the broiler to low. Line a large baking sheet lined with foil (for easy clean up). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shredded pork to the baking sheet leaving juices in the Crockpot. Spread into an even layer. Broil for about 5 minutes, until the ends start to brown then remove from the oven. Add the pork back to the Crockpot and toss with the remaining cooking liquids. Stir in the cilantro.
- Mexican street corn: To a medium bowl add the corn, garlic, mayo, lime juice, salt, chili powder, cilantro and green onions. Mix together well. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.
- Make tacos! Warm tortillas first if desired (see notes) then add carnitas, corn salsa and crumbled cotija – about 1/2 cup (56g) carnitas, 2 tablespoons (37g) corn salsa and 1 tablespoon (7g) cotija cheese per taco. Drizzle with Mexican crema if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Stove: Heat a skillet over medium-high and cook tortillas for 15–30 seconds on each side. A cast iron skillet works best. For gas stoves, you can warm them directly over the flame.
- Microwave: Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in 30-second bursts until warm.
- Oven: Preheat to 300F, wrap tortillas in aluminum foil, and heat for 10–15 minutes. This method is ideal for 6–8 tortillas.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
