Thai pork tacos make an easy weeknight meal that's packed with fresh flavor. Flour tortillas are loaded with spicy ground pork and creamy cilantro slaw.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Juicy, spiced ground pork is topped with fresh and creamy cilantro slaw in warm flour tortillas. Pork has a medium spice level.
Ready in 20 minutes: Great for a quick weeknight meal!
Yield: About 8 tacos.
Similar to: Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeño Slaw, Ground Beef Tacos, and Grilled Chicken Tacos
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground pork - I recommend using an 80/20 ground pork for this recipe, but any type of ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken) will work. If using a lean meat, you may want to add a tablespoon of olive oil to your pan to prevent sticking. Plain ground pork is needed for this recipe, not ground sausage (which is seasoned ground pork).
- Meat sauce - Soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and minced ginger add flavor to the cooked pork. I used Huy Fong brand chili garlic sauce. If you can't find this ingredient, a good substitute is a combination of sriracha and minced garlic.
- Cilantro slaw - Shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce create a simple, fresh, and slightly spicy slaw to serve on your pork tacos.
- Flour tortillas - Feel free to substitute with corn tortillas, tortilla chips, or serve as a taco bowl with some steamed rice.
How to make Thai pork tacos
- In a large bowl, whisk together sauce, then add cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add sauce ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Cook ground pork in a skillet until mostly cooked through and browned. Add sauce and toss to coat.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and pork is cooked through.
Tips and tricks
Cooking pork - Leave the ground pork undisturbed in the pan for several minutes to give it a nice brown crust on the bottom. Browning meat = flavor!
Can't find chili garlic sauce? - Don't omit this flavorful ingredient if you can't find it. Instead, substitute with 1 tablespoon of sriracha and two cloves of minced garlic.
Pat cabbage dry - If you're using freshly rinsed cabbage, pat it dry before adding to your slaw dressing. Otherwise, the excess moisture can create a watery slaw.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, feel free to serve with your favorite tortillas, chips, or as a bowl.
Leftover pork will keep for 3-4 days and leftover slaw will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
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📖 Recipe
Thai Pork Tacos
Ingredients
Cilantro slaw
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, about ½ lime
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Pork tacos
- 1 pound 80/20 ground pork
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 8 flour tortillas
Instructions
Cilantro slaw
- In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce. Whisk to combine. Add cabbage and cilantro and toss to coat. Set aside.
Pork tacos
- In a skillet over medium heat, crumble ground pork and cook until browned and almost cooked through. Drain off excess grease.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl, add soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and minced ginger. Whisk to combine.
- Add sauce to ground pork and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Warm your tortillas in one of two ways:Microwave: stack tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave in 30 second bursts until warmed through.Stove top: in a dry skillet over medium heat, add tortillas one at a time and cook for 15-30 seconds per side.
- Fill warmed tortillas with meat and top with slaw.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Cooked ground pork will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and reheats easily on the stove top or in the microwave.
- Serve fresh: Cilantro slaw is best served the same day it is prepared, but will keep for for about 3 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Pork substitutes: Ground pork can be substituted with any ground meat, like beef, turkey, or chicken. If using a lean meat, you'll want to add olive oil to your pan to prevent sticking.
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