Weeknight Ground Pork Tacos with Chipotle Crema and Pickled Onions

These ground pork tacos are your new weeknight hero. Instead of simmering for hours, we use a clever combination of fajita spice blend and chicken stock to create a rich, saucy filling in minutes. The result is deeply flavored meat that tastes like it’s been cooking all day.

But the real stars are the toppings: tangy quick-pickled red onions, a smoky chipotle crema and melty Monterey Jack cheese. Set everything out family-style and let everyone build their own perfect taco.

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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 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1.5 ounce Tomato PasteView 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 all produce. Halve and peel the onion; very thinly slice one half and finely chop the other half. Core, deseed and dice the poblano into ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop the cilantro. 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 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 TBSP water. Stir until the sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Heat another drizzle of olive oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced poblano and chopped onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Return the pork to the pan along with the fajita spice blend, chicken stock concentrate, half the tomato paste (use all for 4 servings) and ¼ cup water (⅓ cup for 4). Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the mixture is thickened and saucy, 1-2 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, a squeeze of juice from the lime half to taste and a pinch of chipotle powder (add more to taste if you like things spicy). Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until the mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds.
6. Divide the filling, diced tomato, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, pickled onion and chipotle crema between the tortillas. (Tip: Alternatively, you can put everything in individual serving bowls and let everyone assemble their own tacos.) Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead of pork?

Yes, ground turkey or chicken work well. Just be sure not to overcook them, as they can dry out. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan.

What can I substitute for fajita spice blend?

You can make your own by combining chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper. Use about 1 tablespoon.

How do I store leftovers?

Store the cooked pork mixture, pickled onions and crema separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the pork in a skillet before assembling.