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
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- 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.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Slow cook the meat.
Place pork tenderloins in a slow cooker. Whisk together the pineapple juice (save the chunks), soy sauce, preserves, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour over the pork—it’s fine if it’s not fully submerged.
Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 4–6 hours. Shred with two forks during the last 30 minutes.
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.
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 in a corn tortilla with your favorite toppings.
FAQs
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.
If you’d like to speed things up and use a pressure cooker, you simply need to make a few adjustments. Cut the pork into 2 to 3 inch chunks, and be sure the sauce gets under the meat to avoid a burn notice. Cook on high pressure for 30 to 35 minutes.
What to serve with it?
Don’t forget your favorite toppings for these easy tacos!
- Chopped Cilantro, Chopped Green Onions and Diced Avocado are easy additions.
- Pico de Gallo, Pineapple Pico de Gallo, Roasted Tomato Salsa, and Tomatillo Salsa Verde are fun spicy salsa additions.
- Cheese, like goat cheese, cheddar cheese, or queso fresca.
- Or even an easy fish taco slaw without mayo would taste delicious with the pineapple on these tacos!
Wash it down with a Watermelon Margarita, Mango Margarita, or a Cadillac Margarita!
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Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker Recipe)
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Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds pork tenderloin
- 20 ounces canned pineapple chunks with juice
- ¼ cup Tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Pineapple BBQ Sauce:
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup reserved pineapple chunks
- 3 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons 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.2.5 pounds pork tenderloin
- 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.¼ cup Tamari or soy sauce, 2 tablespoons apricot preserves, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon pepper
- 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.¾ cup ketchup, ¾ cup reserved pineapple chunks, 3 tablespoons apricot preserves, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 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!16 corn tortillas, Cilantro, crumbled goat cheese, thinly sliced green onions
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Notes
- Yield: Serving size is for 2 tacos with corn tortillas.
- Cooking: While you can cook this on high, the meat won’t be as tender.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi London! I’m making this for Valentine’s day tomorrow. When you cook it on low for 6-8 hrs, is the meat frozen or not? I just bought the meat today and dont know where to store it overnight lol
Hi Nikki! My apologies for just now seeing this. The meat is not frozen and starts at refrigerator temperature. Hope you enjoy the tacos tonight!
Would it be fine if I combine the bbq pineapple sauce with the pulled pork and then serve? Or is it better to serve it separate after the pulled pork is in the taco?
It is totally up to you, Erika (and your guests!) I like to keep them separate in case some people prefer more/less sauce. Thanks for asking!
can you cook this in the oven instead of a slow cooker? if so, how would you recommend adjusting the temp and cooking time. Thanks.
Hi Lori!! I would try 325 degrees for 1.5 hours in the oven. Just make sure it is covered while cooking! Would love to know how it turns out for you 🙂
We have made these Tacos several times, my family loves them and says they are the best thing that has ever come out of the slow cooker!
Yay, Robin!! So happy to hear your family enjoys these tacos so much!! Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂
Trying this for the first time tonight! Cooking for my MIL!!! It looks amazing! Can’t wait!!
Yay, Danielle!! I cannot wait to hear what you and your MIL think! 🙂
Hi! I’m looking forward to trying these out, my friend has raved about them! Quick question: if the meat is frozen… would you recommend leaving it in the fridge to thaw for a day before attempting to cook? Or do you think it would work to add some extra cooking time for it to thaw…? Ever tried that? New cooker here… obviously haha thank you!
Hi Sally!! I am so happy your friend has enjoyed the recipe! I would definitely recommend letting the meat thaw in the fridge before cooking it in the slow cooker. It will take a VERY long time to cook in the slow cooker if frozen. Thanks for your question! Can’t wait to hear what you think about the recipe 🙂
My family loved this recipe! We like our tacos really sweet, so I juiced only one lime, and added 5 Tbsp of brown sugar instead of 3 in the sauce. And I also used a whole 20 oz can of pineapple chunks (I used the juice for the pork) in the sauce as well and it was absolutely perfect!
That sounds like a great way to sweeten them up a bit, Ashley!! Thanks so much for sharing your changes and for leaving a comment and review!!
Wow…these were great!!! I added a Tblsp of Siracha to the sauce for some heat….just enough! Will enjoy them again tonight for dinner, then freeze the rest. Serving with some pickled cucumbers and brown rice tonight….then again, the tacos were so good. Diced up some fresh pineapple chunks to sprinkle over the taco, also with the goat cheese and cilantro. So good.
Yay!! So so happy you enjoyed them. The Sriracha addition sounds ah-maaaazing. Thanks so much for your comment and rating!
Are the nutrition facts for this recipe including taco shells? I appreciate your help! This is dinner tomorrow night!
Yes! The nutrition facts include the corn tortillas. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the tacos! Hope you enjoy dinner 🙂
These were the best tacos I have had in a long time! Perfect summer dinner! Thanks for sharing!
Yay, Brenna! So so happy you loved the tacos. And you’re so welcome. Thank YOU for your comment and rating 🙂