Smoky pork tinga tacos are a fun twist on classic chicken tinga tacos where pork and potatoes slow cook in a spicy onion and garlic sauce until they’re utterly tender and delicious. Then you’ll add some fried chorizo to REALLY kick these tacos into high gear!
When I came across this recipe a few weeks back, I simply couldn’t pass it up. Elly’s gorgeous photo really helped to prompt me to make something I wouldn’t have normally made on my own.
So I immediately put the recipe on my dinner menu for the following week!
It definitely helped that I had a pork roast sitting in my freezer waiting to be used and that I had almost all of the other ingredients needed already as well.
And what’s best about making these smoky pork tinga tacos with avocado and fresh cheese?
You’ll toss most of the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a fabulous meal in the evening. And if you work during the day, this is the kind of meal you can truly appreciate!!
Now, I’m still a newbie when it comes to traditional and authentic Mexican food so I was surprised to see potatoes included in these tacos but that’s not to say I didn’t like them. In fact, I loved everything about these smoky pork tinga tacos!
The potatoes and tender pork really made for a hearty meal, and the avocado added a nice cooling effect to the smoky and spicy chipotles. All of the ingredients (well…not the avocado) cooked down so beautifully with each other in the slow cooker that you would almost think they had baked together in the oven.
Be prepared that the recipe as it’s written was definitely spicy so adjust the amount of chipotles to your tastes. I’m kind of a wuss when it comes to spicy peppers so next time, I’ll reduce the amount I add to the slow cooker.
More Outrageous Tacos for Your Next Taco Tuesday
- Brisket Tacos
- Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos with Zucchini Slaw
- Healthy Turkey Tacos
- Crispy Baked Fish Tacos with Margarita Slaw
- Roast Chicken Soft Tacos with Cilantro Cream
Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos with Avocado and Queso Fresco
Pork tinga tacos are authentic Mexican tacos made with slow cooked pork, potatoes, onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers with some of their adobo sauce. Stuffed inside a fresh corn tortilla with some avocado and queso fresco cheese, these tacos will certainly spice up your next Taco Tuesday!
Ingredients
For the pork tinga filling:
- 1 lb red or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)
- 3 to 4 chipotle chiles in adobo, sliced (see Note below)
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the can of chipotle chiles
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
For serving:
- 4 oz fresh Mexican chorizo sausage (optional)
- 24 warm corn tortillas
- 1 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco (other fresh cheese, such as Cotija, feta, or goat cheese)
- 2 large avocados, diced or sliced
- Small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Spread the potatoes over the bottom of a crock pot and top with the pork.
- In a large bowl, mix the undrained tomatoes with the chipotles, adobo sauce, Worcestershire, oregano, garlic, onion, and about 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Pour the mixture evenly over the meat and potatoes.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- When the pork is cooked and shredable, fry the chorizo, if using, in a small skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Stir the chorizo into the pork tinga mixture in the crock pot, breaking the pork into smaller pieces. Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.
- Serve the filling with warm tortillas, cheese, avocados, and cilantro.
Notes
You can adjust the spiciness of the pork tinga taco filling by reducing or increasing the amount of chipotle peppers you add to the crock pot. Feel free to omit the peppers if you wish, but don't omit the adobo sauce; you'll need it to help round out the flavor of the sauce.
Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday, via Elly Says Opa!
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So glad you liked the tacos. They look SO great, I want to put them on the menu again. 🙂
Wow – these sound amazing! I love Mexican food – and Rick Bayless so I’m very excited to try them. This recipe is getting bookmarked for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Always appreciate a recipe that can be done in the crock pot but tastes like it was slow roasted in the oven. Thanks!
Those look SO good – and fresh-tasting. Queso fresco is totally key to great tacos…
That looks wonderful. I love the recipe.
These look fantastic! I’m seriously considering getting a slow cooker.
There is always room for more Mexican dishes….such a great variety to play with. These look amazingly good with such a cool mix of ingredients.
These tacos look delicious! I love the flavors. Yum!
Slow cookers are just genius aren’t they? I would seriously love to come home to a big plate of these!
I LOVE tacos and pork tacos are the best. Love the addition of potatoes to the taco- yum!
Oh these are making me soooo nostalgic for Austin. I’m definitely looking forward to trying this recipe!!
Just made these this past week and everyone LOVED them. It was soooo easy and made so much! I cannot wait to make more of them 🙂
really? all these comments in anticipation…has anyone tried them ? please refrain from pre-eating comments and let us know if it is worth the effort ….pendejos
These look scrumptious! Will be making them soon. As an aside, here in New Mexico potatoes are often included in traditional tacos, especially those made with beef and at home. A few small, family owned restaurants serving New Mexican food also include them in their recipes. And many folks here would not consider their tacos complete without the additional of potatoes!
Made these today and they were AMAZING! I think this is the first slow cooker recipe my husband has ever liked (let alone eaten more than he should have). Thanks so much! A little cilantro was a nice addition. Looking forward to leftovers…
I tried that recipe a few weeks back, and I loved it. Your pictures look great. For Mexican I love Picadillo Oaxaqueno: http://creatingnirvanatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/minced-pork-with-almonds-raisins-and.html Sweet Tamales: http://creatingnirvanatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweet-tamales-tamales-de-dulce.html and Pineapple flan: http://creatingnirvanatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/pineapple-flan.html
I’ve been looking for creative new taco recipes for Taco Night in my house. This one looks like a winner – thanks for the inspiration!