Quick Pork Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onion and Chipotle Crema

Craving the rich, tender flavor of slow-roasted carnitas but short on time? These quick pork carnitas tacos deliver all the savory goodness using ground pork and bold Southwest spices. With a tangy pickled onion, creamy chipotle crema and melted Monterey Jack cheese, every bite is a fiesta of flavors.

This one-pan recipe keeps cleanup easy while packing in layers of taste-smoky poblano pepper, umami-rich tomato paste and a hint of cumin. Warm flour tortillas hold it all together for a satisfying taco night that’s ready in just 35 minutes.

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Ingredients

1 teaspoon Chipotle PowderView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Tomato PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon White Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Long Green PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 cup Monterey Jack CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Ground PorkView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit TomatoView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 unit Flour TortillasView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce CilantroView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the onion. Pickle half the slices by combining in a small bowl with white wine vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a splash of water. Set aside. Dice the remaining onion.
2. Dice the tomato. Stem and seed the long green pepper, then dice into small pieces. Chop the cilantro.
3. In a small bowl, mix sour cream with chipotle powder and a pinch of salt to make chipotle crema. Set aside.
4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and green pepper; cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add ground pork to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in Southwest spice blend, tomato paste and chicken stock concentrate. Cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Warm flour tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until pliable.
7. Assemble tacos: spoon pork mixture onto each tortilla. Top with pickled onion, diced tomato, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and a drizzle of chipotle crema. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use ground turkey instead of pork?

Yes, ground turkey works well as a substitute. Just be sure to adjust seasoning to taste.

How do I make the pickled onion if I don't have white wine vinegar?

You can use apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar instead. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.

Can I prepare the filling ahead of time?

Absolutely! Cook the pork mixture and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before assembling tacos.