Easy Ground Pork Tacos are a great way to celebrate taco Tuesday using protein packed ground pork paired with bold spices like cumin, chili powder and chipotle chili pepper. The ground pork is paired with a delicious sweet pineapple salsa. The ground pork mixture works nicely in these tacos, enchiladas, rice bowls or salads.
EASY GROUND PORK TACOS
We are always looking for meals for busy weeknights or even meal-prep on a Sunday for the week.
Today’s Easy Ground Pork Tacos are an easy meal and also nice for taco night.
Ground pork is cooked with red onion, lime juice, honey and bold spices. It makes a great pork taco filling for other Mexican dishes like burritos, enchiladas, or addition to rice bowls or salads.
I love pairing these tacos with a sweet and slightly spicy pineapple salsa. It is the perfect accompaniment to the pork. These really are the best ground pork tacos and remind me a little of tacos al pastor if you have had those.
Now that my kids are back in school and playing sports I also like to make sure they are getting protein to help give them energy.
Eating 20 – 30 grams of protein per meal helps fuel your body and may help you feel fuller. That being said, every 3 ounces of pork is packed full of 22 – 24 grams of protein depending on the cut. This is a great option when trying to feed your family a protein packed meal!
If you like ground pork you should check out this Instant Pot Pork Chili, Air Fryer Pork Taquitos, Easy Pork Chili, Pork Meatballs and this Easy Thai Pork Stir-Fry.
What Ingredients are in Pork Tacos?
- Ground Pork: I used ground pork in these tacos. Usually there isn’t extra fat to drain but if you notice there is I suggest draining it so the tacos are less greasy.
- Garlic: Garlic adds extra flavor to the ground pork mixture. You could also use garlic powder.
- Red Onion: The red onion is diced and sautéed with the group pork mixture. You also could use sweet onion or shallot.
- Lime Juice: Lime juice adds a nice citrus flavor that pairs nicely with the spices. You also could add lime zest for extra zesty flavor.
- Honey: The honey balances the spices and the citrus nicely to bring it all together. You will love the touch of sweetness.
- Spices: I used a taco seasoning mixture that I made with cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano and chipotle chili pepper. You also could use a store-bought taco seasoning if that is what you have on hand.
- Corn Tortillas: I like to use corn tortillas and I slightly heat them before using them. You also could use flour tortillas.
For the Pineapple Salsa:
- PINEAPPLE
- RED ONION
- RED BELL PEPPER
- ROMA TOMATOES
- CILANTRO
- JALAPENO
- LIME JUICE
How Do You Make Pork Tacos?
1. Cook the Ground Pork:
Saute the ground pork: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes until it starts to become fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the ground pork and cook until there is no pink left and it is cooked through.
Add the Lime Juice and Honey: Turn the heat down to low and add in the lime juice and honey and stir.
Add the Spices: Sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, chipotle chili pepper, salt and pepper and stir until combined. Set aside.
Make sure the ground pork is cooked to 160°F.
2. Create the Pineapple Salsa:
In a medium bowl combine the pineapple, red onion, red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice and salt and stir well.
3. To Assemble the Tacos:
Heat the corn tortillas over open flame {optional} or nonstick skillet.
Lay the tortillas out and add a scoop of the ground meat to each taco followed by your favorite toppings like pineapple salsa, more fresh cilantro, sour cream and other garnishes of your choice and extra limes.
Ways to Modify These Tacos:
- Spices: You can add other spices to this recipe like garlic powder, onion powder, taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, coriander, allspice, cloves, thyme or cinnamon.
- Cheese: When I make these tacos sometimes I will add pepper jack cheese or cotija cheese.
- Salsa: Salsa is my favorite addition to tacos. Try Salsa Verde, Homemade Salsa, Avocado Tomatillo Salsa, or this Watermelon Cucumber Salsa.
- Vegetables: You can sauté additional vegetables with the onions. I like poblano peppers, bell peppers, corn or carrots.
- Beans: Adding beans into the pork mixture is a great option. Try black beans or red beans.
- Citrus: I added lime juice to the ground pork mixture but orange juice could also work nicely.
- Coleslaw: Top your tacos with a zesty and crunchy coleslaw made from shredded cabbage, carrots, and a tangy vinaigrette.Try my Mango Cabbage Coleslaw, Easy Mexican Coleslaw or this Healthy Coleslaw.
- Heat: Adjust the heat level by using different types of chili peppers like chopped jalapeños or habeneros or hot sauces.
- Other Garnishes: A few other delicious toppings I like adding are these Pickled Red Onions, Pickled Vegetables, or this Easy Curtido.
- Taco Shells: If you don’t like corn tortillas try flour tortillas, hard shell tacos or even lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
Ways to Use this Ground Pork Mixture:
This ground pork taco mixture is great in so many meals.
- Enchiladas: You can sub this ground pork mixture in these Three Cheese Enchiladas or add it to these Vegetarian Bean Enchiladas.
- Tacos: Tacos are another great way to use this ground pork taco meat. I love adding to these Zucchini Corn Tacos or sub the meat into these Baked Chicken Tacos.
- Salads: When I make salad I often will top it with some sort of protein and this ground pork would be great. Try it on this Mexican Street Corn Orzo Salad or this Mexican Coleslaw.
- Bowls: Add the pork to a rice bowl or hummus bowl. You could add it into this Sweet Potato Bowl or this Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Hummus Bowl.
Other Pork Recipes You Might Like:
HOW TO COOK A PORK BOSTON BUTT
AIR FRYER BONELESS PORK CHOPS
EASY PINEAPPLE PORK CHOPS
CAST IRON PORK TENDERLOIN
BBQ BAKED PORK CHOPS
INSTANT POT CARNITAS
Easy Ground Pork Tacos
Easy Ground Pork Tacos are a great way to celebrate taco Tuesday using protein packed ground pork paired with bold spices like cumin, chili powder and chipotle chili pepper. The ground pork is paired with a delicious sweet pineapple salsa. The ground pork mixture works nicely in these tacos, enchiladas, rice bowls or salads.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsps. olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
- 2 tbsps. lime juice
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsps. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. oregano {or Mexican oregano}
- 1 tsp. chipotle chili pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 8 - 6-inch corn tortillas {or flour}
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
FOR THE PINEAPPLE SALSA
- 2 cups pineapple, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 3 tbsps. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp. chili powder {optional}
- salt to taste
Instructions
TO COOK THE GROUND PORK:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes until it starts to become fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground pork and cook until there is no pink left and it is cooked through.
- Turn the heat down to low and add in the lime juice and honey and stir.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, chipotle chili pepper, salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
FOR THE PINEAPPLE SALSA:
In a medium bowl combine the pineapple, red onion, red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice, chili poweder and salt and stir well.
TO ASSEMBLE THE TACOS:
Heat the corn tortillas over open flame {optional}. Lay the tortillas out and add a scoop of the ground pork to each taco followed by the pineapple salsa, more fresh cilantro and other garnishes of your choice.
Enjoy warm!
Notes
- Make sure and have a meat thermometer handy. Pork cuts like tenderloin and chops should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F no matter what cooking technique you use! They’re safe to eat with a blush of pink. Ground pork should be cooked to 160°F.
Today’s post is sponsored by The Ohio Pork Council. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
