Name: Ground Pork Tacos at Home
Yield: 6

These Ground Pork Tacos start with warmed tortillas filled with a carnita-inspired ground pork mixture and are then loaded up with your favorite taco toppings. Add a lime crema on top for the reliable finishing touch!

Try some of our other favorite taco recipes next, like these Shrimp Tacos, Chicken Tacos, or Beef Tacos.

Ground Pork Tacos

My whole family loves pork carnitas, but sometimes the craving strikes and we don’t have the hours to wait for an entire pork shoulder or butt to cook. While pork carnitas are straightforward to make and quick to assemble, the pork itself does take a while to cook (even in a pressure cooker!).

So I decided to take the concept of pork carnitas and apply it to create an straightforward 30-minute dinner recipe — carnita-inspired ground pork tacos! I’ve borrowed flavors from traditional pork carnitas by using similar Mexican seasonings and pairing fresh citrus with the ground pork.

Below I’ll break down each component of these tacos from the tortillas to the ground pork filling to the toppings and finally the crema! Let’s get started!

Process shots of sautéing the onions, garlic, jalapeño and seasonings.

Ingredients

Tortillas: You can use corn or flour tortillas.We like Street-sized flour tortillas best. Char or warm the tortillas to add even more flavor.
Ground Pork: When browning the pork, let it cook without touching in the skillet for a bit; we want to avoid stirring too much at the start, so it can get a nice brown crust. Browning equals flavor, so the more browning, the more flavorful the pork will be.
Onion, Garlic, Jalapeño: Save time by chopping them together in a food processor. Adjust the amount of jalapeño to control the spice level.
Seasonings: Add more or less depending on what you like.
Orange and Lime Juice: These juices make the meat taste fresh and a bit tangy. For stronger citrus-flavored ground pork tacos, add in the zest of the oranges and limes before juicing.

How To Make Ground Pork Tacos

Cook Pork: Brown the pork in a pan. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño, and spices. Cook until it smells good. Let the pork get a bit crispy for more flavor.
Make Lime Crema: Mix sour cream, heavy cream, lime juice, and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. check the seasoning and adjust the lime for extra zing.
Warm Tortillas: Heat tortillas in a pan or over an open flame until they are a bit brown. Keep them warm under a cloth until ready to serve.
Assemble Tacos: Put pork in tortillas, then top with lime crema, avocado, cilantro, pickled onions, and cheese. Add the toppings right before eating so everything stays fresh.

Process shots of browning the pork, making the lime crema and assembling the tacos.

Ground Pork Taco Toppings

a reliable toppings for these tacos are quick pickled onions, thinly sliced jalapeños, ripe avocado, and lots of the lime crema. Here are details:

Quick pickled onions or regular (raw) red onions
Cheese: think Monterey jack and/or Cotija cheese
Thinly sliced cabbage
Coarsely chopped cilantro
Ripe avocado or guacamole
Pico de galloor diced cherry tomatoes
Fresh lime juice
Lots of lime crema (more on this below)

Quick Tip

If you’d like to add quick pickled red onions to top these tacos with, you’ll need:

1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the red onion, red wine vinegar, salt and sugar. Toss to coat. Leave at room temperature and toss every 5 minutes or so, while preparing the rest of the meal.

Lime crema

This sauce is light and fresh-tasting; it provides a nice cooling contrast to the pork. It’s very mild and intended to add a nice complementary flavor (not a strong or overpowering flavor) in these ground pork tacos.

Lite or low-fat sour cream works well here if you’re looking for a lighter option.
Use fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder for a more strong garlic flavor.
For a stronger citrus flavor, add in more lime zest.

Storage

Storing: Keep lime crema, pickled onions, pork, and any other fresh toppings in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Use within 1 week for best quality.
Freezing: Cool the cooked pork mixture and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze tortillas separately. Both can be stored for up to 3 months.