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Pulled Pork Tacos with Cara Cara Orange Jalapeño Salsa

These slow cooked pulled pork tacos are everything you want in a recipe. It feels like a treat, but is surprisingly low effort. Tender, smoky, citrusy and deeply flavourful — they’re proof that slow cooking doesn’t have to be hard. It just takes a little patience.

This recipe starts with a pork shoulder marinated overnight in garlic, dried oregano, smoked chipotle and fresh citrus. I used new season Cara Cara oranges and lime, which add the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity to cut through the richness of the pork.

After a good 24-hour marinade, the pork is slow-cooked for around 5 hours, until it’s falling apart and beautifully infused with all those bold, smoky flavours.

Once cooked, I shred the pork and pile it into soft tortillas with a few easy but impactful toppings — a crunchy cabbage slaw, a spoon of yogurt or garlic aioli, and a bright jalapeño salsa made using the reserved marinade (a little trick to reduce waste and boost flavour). Fresh coriander and lime to finish, always.

These pulled pork tacos are a go-to for relaxed weekend cooking or effortless entertaining. They’re satisfying, adaptable, and honestly — a bit of a showstopper.

Bonus: any leftovers are just as good the next day in a salad, sandwich or rice bowl.

Lunch

Dinner

A Little Longer

Serves 4-6

Prep Time 1 day Mins

Cook Time 5+ Mins

Ingredients

Method

1.5kg pork shoulder, boneless and skin trimmed off
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 spring fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked chipotle
1 tsp cumin
Juice of 2 Cara Cara oranges (or Navel / Valencia)
Juice of 2 limes
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 mild Jalapeño, finely diced
½ red onion, finely diced
1 bunch coriander, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons maple syrup
Salt
Pepper

To Serve:

Cabbage slaw
Yogurt or garlic aioli
Soft tortillas
Lime
Coriander

Method

1
Cut the pork shoulder into three even pieces and place in a large, deep bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and set aside.
2
Make the marinade: Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir through the fresh oregano, dried oregano, smoked chipotle, cumin and a good crack of black pepper. Add the orange and lime juice, followed by the olive oil, and mix well to combine.
3
Marinate the pork: Pour two-thirds of the marinade over the pork, turning to coat well. Reserve the remaining third in a container in the fridge. Sprinkle a little more salt over the pork, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
4
Slow cook: The next day, preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced. Transfer the pork and all its marinade to a heavy-based pot with a lid. Place it in the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 120°C fan-forced. Cook for 5 hours, or until the pork is soft and falling apart.
5
Caramelise: Remove the lid and increase the oven temperature back to 200°C. Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes, until the top is golden and caramelised. Let the pork rest in the pot for 10–15 minutes once out of the oven.
6
Make the salsa: In a small bowl, combine the reserved marinade with finely chopped jalapeño, red onion, coriander, fish sauce and maple syrup. Stir to combine and set aside.
7
Shred the pork: Transfer the pork to a board and use two forks to shred it into large chunks. Return the meat to the pot and toss through all those flavourful pan juices.
8
To serve: Spoon the pulled pork into warm soft tortillas, and top with yogurt or a garlic aioli, crunchy slaw, the zingy salsa, extra coriander, and a fresh squeeze of lime.