Every time I prepare Mexican food at the ad agency I prepare lunches for, everyone becomes overly excited. Tacos, enchiladas, huevos rancheros, burrito bowls, all are on the top of the list of their favorite meals and I don't blame them. To make life easier on me, I pull out the handy instant pot to prepare large quantities of carnitas or braised pork. Today is no different as I will be using the handy pressure cooker to prepare these amazing chipotle mojo pork tacos. Full of flavor and ready in half the time? Sign me up.
Recipe
Chipotle Mojo Pork Tacos
Ingredients
Braised pork
- 2 lb pork shoulder
- 5 garlic cloves smashed
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh oregano
- juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
Chipotle mojo sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chipotle canned in adobo juices
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
- ½ cup reserved juices from pork
- salt and pepper
Chipotle sour cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce
Avocado tomatillo salsa
- 6 ounces fresh tomatillos husked, rinsed and halved
- 1 large ripe avocado
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno seeds discarded
- salt and pepper
Remaining ingredients
- ½ small pineapple peeled, sliced
- 8 corn tortillas
- cotija cheese
- lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Place all ingredients for braised pork in an instant pot. Set settings to pressure cook for 1 hour. Release pressure at the end of cooking time. The pork is ready when it can be easily shredded with a fork.
- Prepare the chipotle sour cream. Combine sour cream with chipotle in adobo sauce and blend until well combined. Set aside.
- Prepare avocado tomatillo salsa. Blend together halved tomatillos with avocado flesh, jalapeno, and cilantro until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced pineapple and cook until charred on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- Remove the pork from the instant pot and shred the meat. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid and combine with cumin, paprika, chipotle with canned juices, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, and oregano in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, add the shredded pork and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat corn tortillas on a griddle until warm. Assemble tacos with shredded pork, topped with avocado tomatillo salsa, chipotle sour cream, charred pineapple, cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Although this recipe uses an instant pot, you can also use the oven. Simply preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients for the pork, including the pork, in a roasting pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and braise the pork in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the meat can easily be shredded with a fork.
Once the pork is ready, shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Use the cooking liquid and add orange juice, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, and oregano to make one delicious sauce. Add the pork back to the seasoned juices and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
I find that when you braise a chunk of meat, the inside might not be as well seasoned as the outer crust. By shredding the pork and letting it soak up the juices, it becomes that much more flavorful.
While the pork is cooking, prepare the chipotle sour cream and avocado tomatillo salsa. The avocado tomatillo salsa is made from avocadoes, tomatillos, jalapeno, and cilantro. You can choose to add lime juice but tomatillos are tart already so taste before seasoning.
Slice up some fresh pineapple and give them a nice char to caramelize the outside. Crumble up some cotija cheese, slice some limes, and your toppings all ready to go.
It's finally time to assemble the chipotle mojo pork tacos and enjoy the fruits of our labor. I love how easily this meal comes together and for restaurant-quality tacos! I promise you these chipotle mojo pork tacos are juicy, moist, and oh so delicious. Make a large batch of braised pork and use the leftovers for nachos, quesadillas, or whatever your heart desires!
For more taco inspiration check out these breakfast tacos with charred scallion pesto!
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