Saucy Ground Pork Tacos with Pickled Red Onion and Chipotle Crema

These saucy ground pork tacos bring big flavor to a fast stovetop dinner. The pork cooks with fajita spices, tomato paste and stock concentrate until rich and glossy, while poblano and onion add savory depth.

To balance the warm, spiced filling, the tacos are finished with tangy quick-pickled red onion, fresh tomato, cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese and a drizzly chipotle-lime sour cream.

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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

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

Salt, to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Pepper, to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the produce. Halve, peel and divide the onion: finely chop one half and very thinly slice the other half from pole to pole. Core, seed and dice the poblano into 1/2-inch pieces. Roughly chop the cilantro. Core and dice the tomato. Halve the lime, then cut one half into wedges.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced onion, white wine vinegar, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon water. Toss until the sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Set aside, tossing occasionally while you cook.
3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and break it into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing and stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
4. Add another drizzle of olive oil to the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and diced poblano, then season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the pork to the pan. Add 2 tablespoons water, the fajita spice blend, tomato paste and chicken stock concentrate. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then cook, stirring, until the mixture is thick and saucy, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of chipotle powder, adding more chipotle to taste. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons water, just enough to make the crema drizzly. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high until warm, about 30 seconds.
6. Fill the warm tortillas with the saucy pork and poblano mixture. Top with diced tomato, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, pickled onion and chipotle-lime crema. Serve with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over the tacos.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

How long do these ground pork tacos take to make?

The recipe takes about 30 minutes from prep to serving.

Can I make the tacos less spicy?

Yes. The heat comes mainly from the chipotle powder in the crema, so start with just a small pinch and add more only if you want extra smokiness and spice.

Do I need to cook the pickled red onion?

No. The thinly sliced red onion is quick-pickled in white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and water while the pork filling cooks.

What is the best way to warm the tortillas?

Wrap the flour tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them on high until warm, about 30 seconds.

What toppings go on these tacos?

The tacos are topped with diced Roma tomato, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, pickled red onion and chipotle-lime crema, with lime wedges served alongside.