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Home / Recipes / Ingredient / Pork / Pork Carnitas Street Tacos

Pork Carnitas Street Tacos

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GF

Author:

Kimber Matherne

Updated:

June 12, 2024

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Tacos have never been tastier than with these easy crispy Pork Carnitas Street Tacos made with creamy queso fresco, crunchy corn salsa, and fresh-made guacamole. This recipe takes leftover carnitas and levels up to a totally fresh new meal that is loaded with flavor and just may disappear as quickly as you make it!

Street Tacos with pork carnitas ready to eat for dinner. this Recipe

Table of contents

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  • Recipe Notes
  • Recipe Step by Step
  • Recipe Tips
  • Recipe Short Cuts
  • Recipe Variations
  • What to Serve with Carnitas Tacos
  • More EASY Mexican Style Recipes
  • Pork Carnitas Street Tacos Recipe

We love to make big batches of our slow cooker pork carnitas. We eat it once, but the leftovers are the real star of the show because we turn them into these amazing Carnitas Street Tacos for a dinner that can be ready and to the table in just minutes!

You can also make these street tacos with our chicken carnitas if you prefer chicken!

Why I LOVE this Carnitas Taco recipe!

  • Easy! – The prep is super simple and cooking these tacos is just as simple.
  • Texture – There’s alot going on with these tacos carnitas. You have a crisp corn tortilla, crispy but tender and juicy pork carnitas meat, a crunchy corn salsa, and then creamy guacomole and queso fresco. I’m drooling, already!
  • Kid-Friendly – If you’re family is like mine, they absolutely LOVE Mexican cuisine. This carnitas tacos recipe has the flavors they’ll love and allow you to have a variety of toppings for even the pickiest of eaters!
  • Leftover recipe – This street taco recipe with pork carnitas is packed full of flavor and uses leftovers from this Crock Pot Pork Carnitas recipe. Be sure to check out this recipe for tips and the best pork carnitas to build many meals off of, such as these leftover recipes:
    • Pork Carnitas Quesadillas
    • Pork Carnitas Nachos
    • Pork Carnitas Bowl
    • Pork Carnitas Enchiladas

Recipe Notes

This Pork Carnitas recipe is as simple as promised! Just 15 minutes for a family friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

Ingredients for making pork carnitas street tacos including slow cooker pork carnitas, corn tortillas, corn salsa, guacamole, and cheese.
  • Pork carnitas – Easily the best part of these tacos is the crispy carnitas. We make this with leftovers from our easy Slow Cooker Carnitas, but you can make it with any leftover carnitas- from a restaurant or even just make up a batch fresh.
  • Corn tortillas – For these Street tacos, the street style taco shells are the best size for a handheld taco. You can also swap for flour shells, or even larger tortillas.
  • Corn salsa – Packed with flavor, this salsa has a lot to offer. If you like Chipotle’s salsa, then this will win you over! Corn, cilantro, red onion, jalapenos all marinating in lime and lemon juice for a punch of flavor.

    For other variations, try our black bean corn salsa, mango salsa, or jalapeno pineapple salsa. So many great combinations.
  • Guacamole – Fresh made tableside guac adds just the right amount of earthiness with your favorite taste of avocado, onion, and tomatoes. Yum!
  • Queso fresco – Creamy, cheesy, mild, and delicious. With all the crispy, crunch, and bright bold flavors these pork carnitas tacos offer, this cheese sauce is the best accompaniment and traditional Cali-style addition for street tacos. You can also use a mexican blend cheese, or monterrey jack instead.

Recipe Step by Step

How to Make pork carnitas street tacos step 1: lightly toast corn tortillas in a skillet.

Lightly toast the tortillas to warm and create a pliable taco shell.

How to Make pork carnitas street tacos step 2: Add crispy pork carnitas meat to the taco shell.

Add the pork carnitas to each taco.

How to Make pork carnitas street tacos step 3: Top carnitas taco with your choice of toppings including corn, guacamole, cheese, and salsa.

Top with your choice of toppings. These include corn salsa, guacamole, and queso fresco,

How to Make pork carnitas street tacos step 4: serve pork carnitas street tacos immediately with rice and black beans.

Serve tacos immediately. I suggest plating them with cilantro lime rice and black beans.

Recipe Tips

  1. Hot pan – for best results on how to warm up corn tortillas for these carnitas tacos and for quicker cooking to get that authentic crisp tortilla shell you’ll want to make sure that the pan and oil are very hot. If you add a tortilla to cold oil it will make it greasy instead of just perfectly crisp on the outside and still just a bit soft on the inside.
    1. Also note you only need a very SMALL amount of oil in the pan. You can also do this without oil, but it does give it a nice crusty outside to the corn shell.
  2. Don’t stir the pork! – Because we are using leftover pork carnitas, we lose a little bit of that authentic crispy texture the pork has when first made.

    That’s where the pan-frying comes in. When adding the pork carnitas in the hot oil let it sit and heat without stirring as it will crisp up and caramelize the pork to its former glory of deliciousness.

    This step should not be skipped. You’re going to want the BEST flavor and BEST TEXTURE when making pork carnitas tacos!
  3. Cheese – The queso fresco is the most delicious in contrast with the crispy carnitas pork and corn tortilla. You can substitute for your favortite cheese such as shredded Mexican blend cheese, cheddar, or Monterary Jack cheese.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

  • Make salsa ahead of time – You can make this salsa a day or two ahead of time which makes it a great topping for street tacos carnitas. Make a larger batch of this corn salsa to snack on throughout the week with tortilla chips.
  • Guacamole, in the freezer? – If you find a good deal on avocados, don’t pass them up! Make a few different recipes, such as fresh guacamole, and freeze for quick and easy use. Pull from the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator over night.
  • Use premade toppings – Skip making everything from scratch to make this taco recipe with pork carnitas even simpler. Use your favorite store bought salsa and guacamole.

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

  • Carnitas Breakfast Tacos – for some super yummy breakfast tacos, crisp up the carnitas pork in a skillet with a little oil. Add in diced peppers and onions and cook for another 2 minutes. Then, add in eggs and scramble with the pork and veggies. Add to pan-fried corn tortillas and serve with salsa and sour cream.
  • Carnitas Taco Salad – Use the same recipe for these pork carnitas tacos, but instead of serving as a taco add the carnitas, corn salsa, guacamole, and queso fresco to a bed of freshly shredded lettuce. To make it more hearty, add black beans.
  • Crispy Carnitas Tacos – This is an easy change up! Use crispy hard taco shells instead of the street taco style corn tortillas.
Recipe for Carnitas tacos prepared and ready to serve.

What to Serve with Carnitas Tacos

Since this dish has the classic flavors of Mexican Street food, it will pair well with many of your favorite Mexican side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.

Side Dish Ideas

  • Mexican Rice
  • Black Beans made from scratch, or use our short cut recipe using canned black beans
  • Mexican Style Crock Pot Refried Beans
  • Mexican Roasted Vegetables
  • Mexican Street Corn Casserole-quick, easy and one of our most popular recipes

You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner. 

Toppings for Carnitas Street Tacos

Don’t forget the toppings! This versatile dish has many topping options that will work for everyone in the family. This recipe is already super flavorful and offers a lot of texture with the corn salsa, guacamole, queso fresco, and of course, the crispy pork carnitas.  You can however adapt it to whatever toppings your family likes. Here are some suggestions:

  • Sour cream
  • Lettuce
  • Jalepenos 
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Black bean and corn salsa
  • Jalepeno Ranch – a MUST try is this delicious spicy ranch that is a perfect sauce for carnitas tacos!
  • Sautéed Peppers and Onions
  • Shredded cheese
  • Chopped cilantro

More EASY Mexican Style Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my Easy recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

  • Mexican Street Corn Chicken
  • Mexican Shredded Beef
  • Queso Chicken Bake
  • Baked Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
  • Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Carnitas Street Tacos served with rice and black beans and garnished with cilantro.

Pork Carnitas Street Tacos

By: Kimber Matherne
5 from 2 votes
These delicious Pork Carnitas Street Tacos are packed with flavor! Using leftover carnitas, these couldn't be easier or faster to make. Use our suggested toppings or customize it to make them your own- either way, these are sure to be delicious!
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 15 minutes mins
4 people
Rate this Recipe Print Pin SaveSaved!

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups pork carnitas
  • 12 street taco sized corn tortillas
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup corn salsa
  • 1/2 cup guacamole
  • 1 ounce queso fresco

Instructions 

  • Heat half the oil in a large skillet over high. Once hot, toast the tortillas 30-60 seconds per side. You should be able to do 2-3 tortillas at a time in the skillet. Once done, set aside.
  • Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the carnitas and cook for 3-5 minutes without stirring. Then stir and cook 2-3 more minutes or until heated through.
  • Lay the tortillas out flat. Place a scoop of carnitas in each one, then top with corn salsa, a dollop of guacamole, and a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco.
Last step!Share a picture on Instagram and tag me at @easyfamilyrecipes!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 498kcal (25%), Carbohydrates: 63g (21%), Protein: 22g (44%), Fat: 20g (31%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 56mg (19%), Sodium: 796mg (35%), Potassium: 348mg (10%), Fiber: 7g (29%), Sugar: 19g (21%), Vitamin A: 332IU (7%), Vitamin C: 6mg (7%), Calcium: 167mg (17%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

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Easy Carnitas street tacos served with rice and beans.
Slow Cooker pork carnitas street tacos prepared for dinner.
Collage photo with ingredients for carnitas tacos on top and finished tacos on the bottom
Collage photo with carnitas street tacos on top and the tacos on a plate with rice and beans on the bottom.
Photo collage of how to make carnitas street tacos.
Photo collage of how to make carnitas street tacos.

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