Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos just might be the best way to enjoy tacos in the hot summer. A slow cooker saves you from heating up your kitchen and makes for a mostly hands-free meal. The flavorful ingredients perfectly meld together to make a dish so irresistible, you’ll be coming back for seconds.
Table of Contents
- Perfect Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos
- Why We Love This Pulled Pork Recipe
- Ingredients and Substitution Tips
- How to Make Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- How long should I cook these if making in my Instant Pot?
- More Delicious Taco Recipes
- Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Perfect Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos
Living in Austin, TX we are alllll about the tacos. Al pastor, migas, barbacoa and chicken… you name it, we love it!
But how to achieve perfectly tender, melt in your mouth meat in the peak of summer? After all, rule #1 to making the summer bearable (especially if you don’t have A/C!!): avoid the oven at all costs.
That’s where the slow cooker comes in.
These slow cooker pineapple pulled pork tacos are a little sweet and a little savory for the perfect flavor combo.
They might just be the perfect Texas summer solution!
Why We Love This Pulled Pork Recipe
- It’s VERY hands off, saving you time.
- It makes the most incredibly tender meat.
- The meat absorbs a ton of that delicious sauce (kind of like marinating and cooking all in one!)
Ingredients and Substitution Tips
- Pork tenderloin. Tenderloin is the best cut of meat for these tacos. It gets super tender and absorbs so much flavor. It’s also easy to shred before serving. Other cuts may work, but steer clear of super fatty types. If you choose a bone-in cut, be sure to remove the bone before shredding. You might need to adjust the cooking time depending on the cut, as well.
- Pineapple. Canned pineapple is important for this recipe because you also want the juice. If you want to go with fresh pineapple, you’ll need to add extra liquid, like pineapple juice.
- Preserves. Apricot preserves are used while cooking the meat and in the barbecue sauce. You can sub in another type, like peach or mango, but the flavor will be a little different.
- Toppings. Of course, you’ll need all the fixings to build the tacos. I recommend corn tortillas, but you can choose flour. Goat cheese is delicious on top, along with cilantro and green onions. But you can also go with salsa or avocados.
How to Make Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos
Please see the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.
1. Slow Cook the Meat
The best thing about this recipe is you can set it and forget it. Simply start the meat at the beginning of the day and come home to an almost ready dinner.
Set the pork tenderloins in the bottom of a slow cooker.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice from the can (saving the pineapples), soy sauce, preserves, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat. You want the meat covered, but it’s ok if it’s not completely submerged.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours. Shred the pork with two forks during the last 30 minutes.
2. Make the Sauce
The best way to make the sauce is in a food processor. Add the ketchup, reserved pineapple chunks, apricot preserves, brown sugar, white wine vinegar, and lime juice to the bowl.
Purée the ingredients until the sauce is smooth. Make sure there are no chunks of pineapple left.
3. Serve the Tacos
When the meat is done and the sauce is ready, it’s time to dig in!
Drain off the excess liquid from the shredded pork in the slow cooker. Then, pile some meat along with the homemade sauce and your favorite toppings into a corn tortilla.
Toppings for Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos
If you need a little motivation for what to add to your tacos, I got your back.
- Chopped Cilantro
- Chopped Green Onions
- Pico de Gallo
- Pineapple Pico de Gallo
- Diced Avocado
- Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- Cheese, like goat cheese, cheddar cheese, or queso fresca
Storage and Reheating Instructions
If you have leftover tacos, you can easily save them for another day. Store the meat, sauce, and toppings separately for the best results. The pork should last in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze the pork for up to 5 to 6 months.
When you’re ready to warm the tacos back up, add the pork to a saucepan and heat it over medium until it’s warmed through. You can also use the microwave. The sauce can be enjoyed warm or cold, as well.
More Delicious Taco Recipes
When the craving for tacos hits, these recipes won’t disappoint.
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Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker Recipe)
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Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs. pork tenderloin
- 20 oz. canned pineapple chunks with juice
- ¼ cup Tamari or soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. apricot preserves
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. pepper
Pineapple BBQ Sauce:
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup reserved pineapple chunks
- 3 Tbsp. apricot preserves
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
For Serving:
- 16 corn tortillas
- Cilantro, crumbled goat cheese, thinly sliced green onions optional toppings
Instructions
- Place pork tenderloins in a large crockpot.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together pineapple juice from can, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. apricot preserves, ½ tsp. garlic powder, and ½ tsp. pepper. Pour over pork tenderloins and add all but ¾ cup pineapple chunks. Set aside remaining pineapple.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 6-8 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes shred pork while it’s still in the crockpot using two forks. Let cook for the remaining time.
- Meanwhile, make the pineapple BBQ sauce. Combine all ingredients, including the reserved ¾ cup pineapple chunks, in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. If you like your BBQ sauce hot, heat it up in a small saucepan before serving.
- Drain excess liquid from the shredded pork in the slow cooker.
- Serve pork in corn tortillas with cilantro, goat cheese, green onions and pineapple sauce. Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make this in an instant pot with the same ingredients that would go into the slow cooker? I’m thinking about adding some liquid smoke for a smokey flavor as well. Thanks! Super excited to try this tonight!
Hi Nicole! You should definitely be able to make this in the IP. I am unsure of exactly how long you’ll need to cook it since I have not personally tested out this recipe. I would love to know what you end up doing and how it works out! Thanks for the question, Nicole!
Made this for dinner tonight and my family absolutely loved it!!! Everything about it was fabulous!!!
Yay, Chrissy!! So happy you and your family loved it. Thanks so much for the comment and rating! 🙂
My husband is not a fan of pulled pork – do you think I could substitute the pork with Chicken? I’m worried it would dry out…
Absolutely! The timing should be almost the exact same as using pork. (PS- My husband is the same way! lol)
Just made this and it is wonderful! Love everything about the tacos and I plan on serving it over a baked potato for dinner tomorrow. Thank you!!!!
Oh that sounds absolutely delicious!! Thanks so much for your kind comment 🙂
Have you ever tried this recipe in a pressure cooker? I have Instant Pot and was wondering what the cooking time would be the pineapple pulled pork.
Hi Eli!! I actually have not used a pressure cooker, yet, but will be buying one soon 🙂 If you have made other meats in your pressure cooker, I would cook it similar to those but adjust the cook time depending on the relative thickness of the meats! Hope this helps 🙂
Can this recipe be cooked on high? If so, how long do you recommend?
Hi Whitney! Yes, you can definitely cook this recipe on High, but I would add an additional 1/4 – 1/2 cup of either water or chicken broth. Pay careful attention to it at around 3 hours so the pork does not burn. Let me know how this turns out for you 🙂
Hello! I wanted to make this for a large party (30 to 40 people). I was wondering if I should just quadruple the amount of each ingredient. Would I need to leave it in the crockpot for longer? Please help! Thank you!
Hi Lyn! This recipe would be great for a large party! I would definitely quadruple the recipe. Unless you have an enormous crockpot, you probably will need two crockpots… placing 2x the recipe in each. I would still cook it for the same time. Once the time is up, check the pork and see if it shreds easily with a fork. If it does, then it’s ready! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you 🙂
These pineapple pulled pork tacos are amazing! I meal prepped for my work week on Sunday and could eat them every night of the week and still not growing tired of them! Way to go London–you are a talented woman!
Yay!! So happy you liked them 🙂 They definitely make enough to eat for an entire week!
Thank you!
In the ingredients list, it doesn’t say how much pineapple juice, is it just what is in the can?
Yes it is, Sonya. I have updated the recipe to reflect this 🙂
For the Pineapple BBQ Sauce, do you serve it cold or do you heat it up on the stove before serving?
I personally prefer my BBQ sauce warm, so I would heat it up on the stove before serving. I’ll be sure to make a note of that in the recipe… Thanks for asking!
Hi, London!
Can you freeze the pork once it’s cooked and reheat it later? If so, is it still as good? And would you freeze it with some of the liquid?
Thanks,
Kristen
Absolutely!! I would freeze some of the liquid and then thaw it out in the refrigerator before you reheat it ????