Pulled Pork Walking Tacos
Pulled Pork Walking Tacos are classic Midwestern fare that you’ll find at the State Fair – the home of all THE BEST portable foods! Instead of using chili in this recipe, we’ve paired crunchy Fritos corn chips (right in the bag, of course!) with pulled pork, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and fresh cilantro….add a heaping of the fresh ingredients you enjoy most.
Pulled Pork Walking Taco Recipe
I bet making these Pulled Pork Walking Tacos is WAY EASIER than you might think! Made and eaten right from the bag, we love to serve these for potluck dinners and family gatherings of any kind. Everybody loves to customize their own walking taco, making it a super fun dinner event. Plus, it’s easy to set up a walking taco food bar!
All you gotta do is take a snack-size bag of Fritos corn chips (sometimes we even substitute Doritos) and crush them up, leaving the chips right in the bag. Next, leaving the top and the bottom of the back in tact, slit the bag down one side creating a pouch. Fill the bag with warm pulled pork, placed right on top of the crushed corn chips. Now it’s time for toppings! Add your favorites and you’re good to go…..roam about as you please, all while enjoying your walking taco as you do so. Another plus: there’s hardly any dinner CLEAN UP – whoot! whoot!
Let’s Talk Ingredients for Making Walking Tacos
Pulled pork. If I had it my way, I’d make pulled pork almost every weekend. Why? Well, because pulled pork is super easy to make, very affordable, and when you’ve got cooked meat in your fridge to start the upcoming week, you’re waaaaay ahead when it comes to keeping your peeps FED in an easy fashion.
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Fritos corn chips. You’ll need snack-size bags of corn chips, and sometimes we even substitute Doritos chips for making Pulled Pork Walking Tacos – so tasty!
Toppings. The options are endless! Gather up what you and your guests prefer – assorted salsas, assorted shredded cheeses, chopped cilantro, chopped lettuce, sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), chopped avocado, chopped tomatoes, diced red onions, sliced black olives, guacamole….whatever. We also like adding warm black beans or pinto beans to our walking tacos!
Easy Recipe Tips for Making Pulled Pork
- What cut of pork is best for making pulled pork? Great question! It’s best to begin with the right cut of pork when you’re talking about good pulled pork! I love using Boston butt pork roast. It’s got great marbling and your pork will always be juicy and flavorful when you use the Boston butt pork roast for making pulled pork.
- Is there a certain pork cut I shouldn’t use for making pulled pork? I try to stay away from using pork loin when I want a good batch of pulled pork. Pork loin is a pretty lean cut of pork, so it doesn’t lend itself well to pulled pork, though I have had to use it before when I accidentally purchased pork loin by mistake. I won’t do that again any time soon, believe me!
- Is pork butt known by another name at the meat counter? Yes, and I’m not sure why this happens, because it does make things pretty confusing sometimes. Just know going in that pork butt is also referred to and labeled as pork shoulder. (Seems rather odd since those areas of the pig are pretty much at opposite ends…..right???) There are two parts of the pork shoulder: the Boston butt roast and the Picnic roast.
- So why is the Boston butt roast a better choice than the Picnic roast for making pulled pork? Picnic pork shoulder roasts are on sale quite a bit, and they do work for making pulled pork. However, I’ve found that a picnic roast seems to have a LOT of fat that renders as the roast is cooked – which I don’t really care for. And, it seems like I get a lot more meat when I use a Boston butt roast for making pulled pork.
- Why should I get to know the butcher at my local meat shop or locker? A good butcher is worth his weight in GOLD, a valuable resource! He wants you to be successful when you cook because that means you’ll be returning for more of his product. He also knows a lot about meat and the various whole muscle cuts, etc. which can save you alot of $$$. Get to know your butcher!
- Can I use other meats for making Walking Tacos? Sure. Any meat that’s fully cooked will work for walking tacos. You could used shredded roast beef, beef or turkey taco filling, seasoned, grilled fish fillets…..or you could even make vegetarian walking tacos by using cooked beans that have been seasoned with Mexican flavors, then top with your favorite toppings.
- Which cooking method is best for making pulled pork – the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or oven? I prefer the Instant Pot because I’m always in a hurry and I love using my 6-quart Instant Pot for most everything. However, use whichever method works best for YOUR style of cooking. No matter which method you choose, you can make delicious, tender, juicy pulled pork.
- Is there a secret ingredient in this pulled pork recipe? YEP! Don’t skip the red wine vinegar….whatever you do! I don’t know the science behind it, but that single ingredient definitely takes pulled pork totally over the moon.
- Why does the recipe say to cut the pork roast into chunks before you season and cook it? Cutting a roast into chunks gives you more surface area for the seasoning, as well as for browning! And that means you’re gonna have MORE FLAVOR in the end product…..delicious pulled pork that melts in your mouth. Plus, when you cut a roast into chunks, you’re enabling it to cook FASTER.
More Delicious Pork Recipes to Enjoy –
- Ham, Apple and Cheddar Crepes
- Instant Pot Cuban Pork Tenderloin with Black Beans and Rice
- Korean Pulled Pork Tacos
- Loaded BBQ Pulled Pork Smoked Sweet Potatoes
- Open-Face Italian Beef Sandwiches
- 4 Easy Ways to Make Delicious Pulled Pork
Pulled Pork Walking Tacos
Ingredients
Walking Taco Ingredients
- 10 snack-size bags Fritos Corn Chips
- 1 recipe fully cooked Spiced and Slathered Pulled Pork, warm (recipe below)
Optional Topping Ingredients for the Walking Tacos
- shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded lettuce
- chopped fresh cilantro
- sour cream
- fresh salsa
- chopped black olives
- chopped avocados
- guacamole
- barbecue sauce
Spiced and Slathered Pulled Pork Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs. pork butt (pork shoulder), cut into big chunks
- 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 3 Tbs. smoked paprika
- 2 Tbs. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 - 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
Instructions
To Make The Walking Tacos
- Leaving the top and the bottom of the bag in tact, slice open each bag of corn chips along one SIDE, which forms a pouch for your walking taco.
- Slightly crush the chips in the bag, breaking them up a bit.
- Pile 1/3 cup - 1/2 cup pulled pork into the bag on top of the corn chips, then add as many toppings as you'd like.
- Eat at once!
To Make the Spiced and Slathered Pulled Pork
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the spices, then add the chunks of pork butt to the bowl, rubbing the spice blend into each one using your fingers.
6-Quart Instant Pot (Electric Pressure Cooker) Method
- Add the oil to Instant Pot insert; when the oil is nicely hot, add the seasoned pork chunks, a few at a time, browning them off on all sides, working batches so you don't over crowd the pot; remove the browned pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork chunks.
- Stir in the chicken broth, deglazing the Instant Pot, loosening any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot: add the honey and the vinegar, stirring to combine. Now add the sliced onions, then top the onions with the browned pork chunks.
- Lock the Instant Pot lid into place. Using the manual button, choose the High Pressure setting for 55 minutes. When the timer sounds, perform a natural release, allowing all the pressure in the Instant Pot to naturally release itself.
- When all the pressure is gone from Instant Pot, carefully open and remove the lid, testing the pork to make sure it is very fork-tender and shreds easily. (If the pork isn't as tender as you'd like, bring the Instant Pot up to full pressure once again, cooking the pork and additional 5-10 minutes, followed by another natural release.
Slow Cooker Method
- In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the oil. When the oil is nicely hot, add the seasoned chunks of pork butt to the oil, browning each one off on all sides, working in batches so you don't overcrowd the Dutch oven. Remove the browned pork to a plate as you go, reserving the browned pork.
- Place the onion slices across the bottom of a greased slow cooker insert; top with the browned pork chunks. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, vinegar, and honey; pour this mixture over the pork in the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to low and cover. Cook pork on low for 6-7 hours, or until pork is very fork-tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
Oven Method
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the oil. When the oil is nicely hot, add the seasoned chunks of pork butt to the oil, browning each one off on all sides, working in batches so you don't overcrowd the Dutch oven. Remove the browned pork to a plate as you go, reserving the browned pork.
- Place the onion slices on top of the browned pork in the Dutch oven. In a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, vinegar, and honey; pour this mixture over the pork and onions in the Dutch oven; cover with the lid. Place the pork into the preheated oven and bake, covered, for 4-5 hours, or until pork is very fork-tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
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