Slow Cooker Honey Lime Pulled Pork Tacos feature tender, spicy-sweet pork piled on flour tortillas and topped with red cabbage, carrots, avocado, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro for an easy, effortless dinner...and the leftover pork is fantastic on nachos!
Remove as much fat as possible from the pork roast and pierce it all over with a small, pointy knife. Place the pork in the bottom of a large slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, lime juice, chipotle chile powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the pork roast and rub it into the meat, turning evenly to coat. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours) until the pork is extremely tender.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Remove and discard the fat and use two forks to pull the pork into chunks. Use a large spoon to skim the fat from the surface of the liquids in the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and stir in the honey. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch into the water until dissolved, and then whisk this cornstarch slurry into the liquids in the slow cooker. Add the pulled pork back to the slow cooker and stir to combine, then taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, and/or chipotle chile powder as desired. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes, which will mellow the flavor of the honey and allow the pork to absorb the sauce.
To serve, pile pulled pork onto warm flour tortillas and top with red cabbage, carrots, avocado, cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
Pork butt is actually a roast that comes from the shoulder of the pig. It's sometimes called Boston butt.
I sometimes use an all-natural bottled lime juice (the only ingredient is lime juice, with no added preservatives) in place of fresh-squeezed limes. The one I've been able to find is Whole Foods brand.
You may start out with less chipotle chile powder if you're worried about this recipe being too spicy. Alternatively, if you prefer more spice, you can always add more chipotle chile powder (adding ¼-teaspoon at a time and tasting in between) at the same time you add the honey.
If you don't have Mexican oregano, regular (Mediterranean) oregano will work just fine.
Leftover pulled pork may be used to make nachos. Overlap tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet. Top with pulled pork, a can of rinsed/drained black beans, and your choice of shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Monterrey Jack, pepper jack, etc.). Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings, such as diced tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced jalapeños, salsa, sour cream, and fresh cilantro leaves.