Quick Cheesy Ground Pork Tacos with Pickled Shallot

These tacos are a weeknight-friendly twist on classic carnitas. Instead of hours of slow-cooking, ground pork is quickly browned and simmered with a fajita spice blend and tomato paste until rich and saucy. The result is a deeply flavored filling that comes together in minutes.

Each taco is loaded with warm seasoned pork, tangy pickled shallot, fresh tomato, cilantro and melty Monterey Jack cheese. A drizzle of smoky chipotle crema ties everything together. Serve them family-style with bowls of toppings so everyone can build their own.

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Ingredients

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Poblano PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce CilantroView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Roma TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit LimeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon White Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Ground PorkView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Fajita Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Tomato PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Chipotle PowderView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 unit Flour TortillasView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry all produce. Halve and peel shallot. Finely chop one half; very thinly slice the other half. Core, deseed and dice poblano into ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop cilantro. Dice tomato. Halve lime; cut one half into wedges for serving.
2. In a medium bowl, combine sliced shallot, vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water. Toss until sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Set aside, tossing occasionally.
3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add ground pork; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate using a slotted spoon. Discard any excess grease from the pan.
4. Heat another drizzle of olive oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add poblano and chopped shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Return pork to the pan along with fajita spice blend, chicken stock concentrate, 2 tablespoons water and half the tomato paste (use all the tomato paste for 4 servings). Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until thickened and saucy, 2-3 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of chipotle powder (adjust to taste). Stir in water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on high until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Divide the pork filling among the tortillas. Top with diced tomato, cheese, cilantro, pickled shallot and chipotle crema. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour?

Yes, corn tortillas work well. Warm them in a dry skillet or microwave before serving.

How do I store leftovers?

Store the cooked pork and toppings separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the pork in a skillet before assembling.

Can I substitute the ground pork?

Ground chicken or turkey can be used instead of pork. Adjust cooking time as needed.