Slow Cooker Chipotle Honey Pulled Pork Tacos
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tenderloin Chipotle Honey Tacos are a delicious and easy meal, perfect for weeknight dinners, game day or Taco Tuesday!
I first shared this recipe on the blog in 2013 and it’s been one of the most popular recipes ever since. I decided it deserved some fancy new pictures and a video!
In addition to being totally Instagram-worthy, these tacos are so delicious! They’ve got smoky, sweet and spicy flavors going on in the chipotle honey pulled pork. They’re topped with creamy avocado and salty cotija cheese for the most perfect taco ever!
Since first creating this recipe, I’ve used the pulled pork to make tacos and burritos. I’ve also used it in this Pulled Pork Dip (a must for football season!), Pulled Pork Tamale Casserole and The Ultimate Pulled Pork Nachos (also great for football season!)
This recipe only takes 10 minutes to prep and toss in the slow cooker, making it perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
You can double the recipe and make tacos for dinner during the week, then use the rest for nachos, burritos or pulled pork rice bowls on the weekend!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- 3 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin
- ¾ cup honey
- 3 limes (juiced)
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 8 medium flour or corn tortillas
- 2 large avocados (sliced)
- ½ cup cotija cheese (crumbled)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 lime (sliced into 8 wedges)
Instructions
In a small bowl combine the chipotle powder, cumin and paprika. Rub onto each pork tenderloin.
Place the tenderloins in a slow cooker.
In another small bowl whisk the honey, lime juice and cilantro together. Pour over the pork in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Reach a couple of forks in the slow cooker and watch the pork completely fall apart.
Seriously, I went to pull the tenderloin out of the slow cooker to shred it and it fell right apart as soon as I stuck a fork in it. I will now be using pork tenderloin for all of my pulled pork recipes. It’s the most tender cut of pork and ounce for ounce it’s as lean as a skinless chicken breast!
Once the pork is shredded inside the slow cooker, prepare the tacos.
Spoon the pork into warmed tortillas and add the toppings of your choice.
Topping ideas
I like to top the pulled pork tacos with avocado, cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. And I always serve each taco with a lime wedge for squeezing over the taco. You can use these same toppings or mix it up with any of the following topping ideas.
- Shredded pepper jack cheese
- Creamy avocado salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Hot sauce
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Diced onions
- Sliced jalapenos – fresh or pickled
- Creamy chipotle sauce
More pork tenderloin recipes
Lean, healthy pork tenderloin is delicious for making more than just pulled pork tacos! Try it in any of these delicious recipes.
- Coffee Crusted Balsamic Pulled Pork Tenderloin
- Rosemary Sage Pork Tenderloin Skewers
- Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Pork Tenderloin
- Pumpkin Pulled Pork Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Pork Ragu
Chipotle Honey Pulled Pork Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin
- ¾ cup honey
- ¼ cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- 8 soft taco tortillas, flour or corn
- 2 large avocados, sliced
- ½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 lime, sliced into 8 wedges
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the chipotle powder, cumin and paprika.
- Rub onto each pork tenderloin.
- Place the tenderloins in a slow cooker.
- In another small bowl whisk the honey, lime juice and cilantro together.
- Pour over the pork in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Reach a couple forks in the slow cooker and pull the pork apart.
- Once the pork is shredded inside the crockpot, prepare the tacos.
- Spoon the pork into warmed tortillas and top with avocado, cotija cheese and fresh cilantro.
- Serve each taco with a lime wedge for squeezing over the taco.
Video
Nutrition Facts
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29 Comments on “Slow Cooker Chipotle Honey Pulled Pork Tacos”
We really enjoy these pork tacos. I first found the original recipe in 2016 when my husband was newly diagnosed with diabetes. It was an answer to a prayer to be able to cook something like “pulled pork comfort food” without the extra brown sugar carbs. I only use 1 T. of honey and it suits our tastebuds just fine. If you don’t mind telling me, was the original recipe slightly different? Either way it’s wonderful and easy to make diabetic friendly without compromising flavor! Thank-you, Julie
This was absolutely delicious!!!!
Yay! Love to hear that Jess!
Hi! Making these tacos for the first time- am I reading this right, there is no salt on the pork? Thanks!
Hi Christina, I’m so excited for you to try them! This recipe is a family favorite! I don’t add salt to the rub. You’re welcome to, but it definitely doesn’t need it. I like to add the cotija cheese to the tacos for a little saltiness at the end. Enjoy!
This tastes amazing! I thought it would be too spicy, but after you shred it and let the juices saturate all through the meat, it was just the right blend of spicy and sweet. Great on soft tacos with salsa and grated cheese also amazing when used on pulled pork nachos!??
Hi Carol, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I used 3 lime juice bottles it tasted like lime should I just use one bottle or half
I got 1b of tend loin but only 2 lime juices do I need to go to the store for the third?
Hi Mary,
Since the original recipe calls for 2.5 lbs tenderloin and 3 limes (juiced), with only 1 lb of tenderloin you will only need about 1 1/2 limes (juiced). Enjoy!
Thanks so would the measurements be the same for the seasoning a and ciletro?
Hi Mary, yes, you’ll want to cut everything in half for 1 lb of pork tenderloin, like so:
1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
6 tbsp honey
1 1/2 limes (juiced)
1 1/2 tbsp fresh cilantro
Enjoy!
Im new at cooking should I just use half of a lime bottle becuase i want to make these for my husband for fathers day
Hi Mary, if you’re using lime juice out of a bottle, one lime equals approximately 1 tbsp lime juice, so you’ll want to measure out 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice out of the bottle to equal approximately 1 1/2 fresh limes (juiced).
Wanting chicken tacos, have you substituted chicken breasts for this recipe? What were the results? How many lbs. of chicken breasts? Thanks.
Hi Brenda,
I haven’t made it with chicken breasts, but I’m sure it would work well by just substituting 2.5 lbs chicken breast for the pork tenderloin. Enjoy 🙂
Hi! For the slow cooked pork tacos, do you add water into the crock pot with the pork? If so, how much of it? ( I noticed there’s no liquid mentioned except that of lime juice and honey. ) Thanks!
No need to add water. Enjoy 🙂
Hi! If I wanted to scale back on the honey a bit, but I didn’t want to lose the liquid that keeps the pork tenderloin moist and helps it to shred…what kind of liquid would you add into the slow cooker?
Hi Erica! I would go with chicken broth.
Question: I like this recipe, but personally do not love the smokey flavor of chipotle – in anything. Can I substitute regular chili powder for the chipotle powder? If yes, would i use the Same qty? Thanks!
Hi Jill, chili powder would work great, just swap out for the same amount! Let me know how you like it 🙂
Hi. The pulled pork tacos recipe looks great. One question – I have a 1.5 lb pork tenderloin. I will scale back the amount of ingredients for the rub (chipotle powder, cumin and paprika) since I only have one tenderloin, but would you also scale back the amount of honey, lime juice and cilantro? Or would you use the full amount of liquid even though there is less meat? And with less meat, would it take less time to cook?
Thank you
Hi Adam! I actually made the recipe with a 1 lb. pork tenderloin yesterday, I used 1/2 cup honey, 1 large lime and 1 tbsp cilantro. I cooked mine the same amount of time. Hope this helps 🙂
Made the tacos last night for the NFC playoff game…they were a huge hit! Great flavor, super simple and melt in your mouth. Thanks for the great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing Pamela! Those are my favorite! I’m so glad you all enjoyed them too 🙂
Both of those dishes look incredible, and so does the new site! I love it, Whitney!
Thanks Sean! Maybe you can make one of the recipes for your new FIANCE!! Congratulations!!! 🙂
Yes, good idea. 🙂