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The whole family will love these zesty and flavorful honey lime slow cooker pulled pork tacos with a fresh pineapple slaw! You can also use the tender shredded meat in burrito bowls, on salads, or with nachos.
Table of Contents
- Is pulled pork the same as carnitas?
- The Best Cut of Meat for Pulled Pork
- Ingredients for Crock Pot Pork Tacos
- How to Make Pulled Pork in Slow Cooker
- How to Keep Pulled Pork Moist in a Slow Cooker
- Serving Suggestions
- Preparation and Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Pulled Pork Slow Cooker Recipe
- Honey Lime Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Slaw Recipe
We love just about all slow cooker pulled pork recipes — whether we’re making carnitas with pork tenderloin, classic pulled pork with bbq sauce, or a Mississippi pork shoulder roast. These honey lime pork tacos with a cool and creamy pineapple slaw are just the latest favorite in our flavorful lineup!
Is pulled pork the same as carnitas?
The term “pulled pork” refers to any pork that is slowly cooked (roasted, braised, smoked, etc.), and then shredded manually. American pulled pork is often known as “pork barbecue” or “bbq pork.” Carnitas are Mexico’s version of pulled pork, made by slow cooking pork that’s fully submerged in lard. The end result is rich, tender meat with plenty of browned, crispy edges.
While this recipe does not require smoking, lard, or even those crispy edges, the end result is a delicious, succulent batch of Mexican pulled pork that tastes almost as good as authentic carnitas — with a fraction of the effort!
The Best Cut of Meat for Pulled Pork
The best cut of meat for pulled pork is called a “pork butt” or a “Boston butt.” Some grocery stores often label this as a “pork shoulder.” Boston butt comes from high on the hog, above the shoulder blade. It has a lot of juicy, marbled fat, which lends itself well to juicy, slow-cooked meat.
Whether you’re starting with a boneless pork shoulder or a bone-in pork shoulder, there are endless ways to enjoy this affordable cut. In fact, we have a whole post dedicated to our top 10 pork shoulder recipes!
Ingredients for Crock Pot Pork Tacos
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for these honey lime Mexican pulled pork tacos. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Onion: adds savory flavor to the dish.
- Salsa: look for a “thick and chunky” style salsa so that it doesn’t water-down the sauce. We use mild salsa since the chipotle chiles add plenty of spice, but you can use any variety that you like.
- Honey: a bit of sweetness to balance the salty, spicy, and acidic notes. Brown sugar or agave would also work fine.
- Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce: for salty, savory, umami flavor.
- Fresh lime juice: for a bright, acidic note. The lime juice is an important component in this dish, as it lightens up an otherwise very fatty, rich piece of meat.
- Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: these are very spicy, so add more if you’d like to kick it up a notch. This amount yields a relatively mild dish.
- Kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and dried oregano: seasonings that flavor the meat.
- Boneless pork butt or pork shoulder: also called “Boston butt” or “pork butt,” this inexpensive cut of pork has a lot of marbled fat, which keeps the meat juicy and tender during the long cooking process. Dice it into big chunks before adding it to the slow cooker, which helps it cook a bit faster and makes it easier to shred at the end.
- Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, coleslaw mix, pineapple, and green onion: along with extra honey and lime juice, these ingredients come together to make a quick, flavorful pineapple slaw that is a perfect cool and creamy contrast to the rich, zesty pork.
How to Make Pulled Pork in Slow Cooker
The Crock Pot is such a handy tool for making pulled pork, because this dish really does best when cooked at a low temperature for a long period of time. Set it in the morning and let it go. Dinner will be waiting for you when you get home from work!
- Combine all of the taco ingredients in a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
- Shred the pork, and stir it back into the sauce.
- Stir together the pineapple slaw.
- Assemble the pork tacos, and garnish with desired toppings.
How to Keep Pulled Pork Moist in a Slow Cooker
If you’re not serving the pulled pork right away, you can keep it in the slow cooker on the “WARM” or lowest setting for a few hours. There should be plenty of sauce with the meat, so there’s no concern about it getting too dry.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many different ways to use the honey lime pulled pork. Tacos are a classic option, but you might also like the meat on burrito bowls, piled high on top of a salad, served in buns for pork sandwiches, or used in quesadillas, nachos, burritos, or enchiladas. Here are some sides to pair with the zesty pork:
- Mexican rice, white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or cilantro-lime rice
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Tortilla chips
- Ranch Style Beans or seasoned black beans
- Corn and Black Bean Salad
- Pico de Gallo
- Queso
- 7-Layer Bean Dip
- Mexican cornbread
Toppings for Pulled Pork Tacos
In addition to the optional pineapple slaw, here are some other good taco toppings:
- Salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes
- Sliced avocado, or use the fresh avocados to make this easy homemade guacamole
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions, minced red onion, or quick pickled red onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced black olives
- Lime juice squeezed from fresh limes
- Sliced jalapeños
- Black beans or pinto beans
- Chopped lettuce
- Shredded cheese
Preparation and Storage Tips
Leftover pulled pork will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s a great, versatile option for meal prep!
How to Freeze
Allow the cooked pork to cool to room temperature. Package in an airtight container or in a large Ziploc freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen pork in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat
Place the pork and sauce in a saucepan. Cover and warm over low heat, just until heated through. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until they reach the desired temperature.
If you want to reheat your cooked pulled pork in the Crock Pot, place the cooked pork (and all of the reserved juices and sauce) in the slow cooker on the “WARM” setting for 2-4 hours. This is a great option if you need to prep a meal in advance!
Recipe Variations
- Using such a small amount of chipotle peppers keeps this dish family-friendly and relatively mild. If you like spicier pork tacos, use even more of the chipotles from the can.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs in lieu of the pork. Chicken thighs tend to stay more moist and juicy in the slow cooker than the white meat chicken breast, but either option works fine. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time since chicken cooks much faster than the pork shoulder, so follow these instructions.
- Add canned beans or corn to bulk up the slow cooker pulled pork.
- Double all of the ingredients for a larger pork shoulder that will feed a big group.
Tips for the Best Pulled Pork Slow Cooker Recipe
- You do not need to add any extra liquid to the Crock Pot. The juices from the salsa, onion, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, as well as the condensation from the slow cooker, should be more than enough liquid by the end. You don’t want to water-down the sauce.
- Cutting the pork shoulder or pork butt into large chunks before adding it to the Crock Pot helps the meat cook a little bit faster, and also makes it easier to shred at the end.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your slow cooker runs. The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Mine is always very tender after just 4 hours on HIGH.
- If your pulled pork is tough, it’s probably because you haven’t cooked it long enough. The collagen in the meat is what keeps it tough, so you need to allow plenty of time for those fibers to break down. Just extend the cooking time and make sure that there’s enough liquid to keep the pork moist as it simmers.
More Slow Cooker Pork Recipes
Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Vegetables and Gravy
6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Crock Pot Pulled Pork with Apricot Preserves
12 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops
6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Honey Lime Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 (16 ounce) jar mild thick and chunky salsa
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2-3 lbs. boneless pork butt or pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
- For serving: optional pineapple slaw (see recipe below); warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas; pico de gallo or salsa, queso fresco or other cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped onion, lime wedges, tomatoes, sour cream
Optional Pineapple Slaw
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (or use sour cream or mayonnaise)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces (about 3 ¾ cups) coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
- ½ cup finely diced fresh or canned pineapple
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro, optional
Instructions
Cook the Pork
- In a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker, stir together onion, salsa, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles, salt, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano.
- Add pork and toss to coat. Cover and cook until the pork is fall-apart tender (an internal temperature of about 205°F), about 4-5 hours on HIGH or 6-7 hours on LOW.
- Shred the pork with two forks. Stir the pork back into the cooking juices. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Prepare Pineapple Slaw
- At least 15 minutes before serving, in a large bowl whisk together the yogurt, lime juice, vinegar, and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cabbage, pineapple, and green onions. Toss to coat. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
Assemble Pork Tacos
- Use a spoon or tongs to serve the shredded pork in tortillas. Garnish with pineapple slaw or other desired toppings. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You do not need to add any extra liquid to the Crock Pot. The juices from the salsa, onion, lime juice, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, as well as the condensation from the slow cooker, should be more than enough liquid by the end. You don’t want to water-down the sauce.
- Cutting the pork shoulder or pork butt into large chunks before adding it to the Crock Pot helps the meat cook a little bit faster, and also makes it easier to shred at the end.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your slow cooker runs. The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F on an instant-read meat thermometer. Mine is always very tender after just 4 hours on HIGH.
- If your pulled pork is tough, it’s probably because you haven’t cooked it long enough. The collagen in the meat is what keeps it tough, so you need to allow plenty of time for those fibers to break down. Just extend the cooking time and make sure that there’s enough liquid to keep the pork moist as it simmers.
I fixed this tonight for dinner my family loved it that way delicious I will be making it again
Yay! Thank you!
Can you make this in an instapot?
Hi, Sar! I haven’t tried this in an Instant Pot myself, but I think it would probably work well. You’d have to play around with the cooking time, but this recipe might serve as a good starting guide: https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/instant-pot-pulled-pork/
Let us know if you give it a try!