Quick Ground Pork Tacos with Pickled Onion and Monterey Jack

These ground pork tacos are a speedy take on classic carnitas, perfect for busy weeknights. Instead of hours of slow-cooking, you’ll brown the pork with a spice blend and a bit of stock to create a rich, saucy filling. The result is a deeply flavored meat that pairs beautifully with tangy pickled onions, fresh tomatoes and creamy Monterey Jack cheese.

Set up a taco bar with all the toppings and let everyone build their own. It’s an easy, interactive meal that the whole family will love. Serve with lime wedges for a bright finish.

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Ingredients

1 unit Red OnionView 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

1 tablespoon Tomato PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView 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

4 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Salt to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Pepper to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry all produce. Halve and peel the onion. Finely chop one half; very thinly slice the other half from pole to pole. Core, seed and finely chop the poblano. Roughly chop the cilantro. Core and dice the tomato. Halve the lime; cut one half into wedges for serving.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced onion, white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water. Toss until the sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Set aside to marinate, tossing occasionally.
3. Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork, breaking it up into pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate using a slotted spoon. Pour out and discard any excess grease from the pan.
4. Heat another large drizzle of olive oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and poblano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Return the pork to the pan and add the fajita spice blend, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, the chicken stock concentrate and 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring, until everything comes together in a saucy mixture, 2-3 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in a splash or two of water to give the crema a drizzling consistency. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on high until warm, about 30 seconds.
6. Divide the filling among the tortillas. Top with diced tomato, cheese, cilantro, pickled onion and crema. (Tip: You can put everything in individual serving bowls and let everyone assemble their own tacos.) Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use ground beef instead of pork?

Yes, ground beef works well in this recipe. Just adjust the cooking time as needed.

How do I store leftovers?

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

Can I make the pickled onion in advance?

Absolutely! The pickled onion can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.