Skillet Ground Pork Tacos with Creamy Slaw (Gluten Free)

These ground pork tacos with creamy slaw are a simple and flavorful meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes! Perfect for taco night with the family and easy enough to make for a crowd. Made in a skillet with a simple seasoning blend and a super creamy cabbage slaw with corn, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime. They are irresistibly delicious! Gluten free and dairy free.

The best ground pork tacos

There are never any complaints at our house on taco night, especially when it involves saucy ground pork tacos piled high with the creamiest, zesty, cabbage slaw.

HOLY FLAVOR they are good 😍

And they are not only packed with tons of crave worthy Mexican flavors, they’re also SO darn easy to make.

Like ready-in-less-than-30-minutes easy (one of the perks of cooking with ground pork instead of another cut of meat).

Which makes them perfect for any weeknight meal with the fam, and also the best tasty taco situation to throw together to feed a crowd.

Why you’ll love these ground pork tacos

They are:

• Bursting with flavor and texture
• Filling
• Simple and easy to make at home
• Piled high with a zesty / creamy cabbage and corn slaw
• Just a bit spicy
• Perfect for family dinner or a taco party
• Hearty + fresh
• Perfectly seasoned
• SO delicious!

Ingredients and substitutions

These easy tacos are made with just a handful of easy to find ingredients, but there’s a few substitutions you might want to make that I’ll share below.

Here’s what you need for the ground pork taco meat

• Olive oil – Just a little bit of olive oil is used to cook the meat.
• Ground pork – I love using ground pork for tacos because it cooks quickly and has an excellent rich flavor. If you don’t eat pork you can swap it out for another ground meat like turkey or chicken.
• Onion – A bit of finely diced onion is sautéed with the ground pork for savory flavor.
• Taco seasoning – Taco seasoning is used to give the meat all it’s bold flavor. I love this brand of taco seasoning but feel free to use whatever kind you have on hand. Chili powder can be used instead, but keep in mind that some chili powders are quite spicy.
• Tomato paste – Tomato paste adds a little saucy, umami rich punch to round out all the spices.
• Orange juice and lime juice – Orange juice and lime juice brighten everything up and tie all the other flavors together.
• Salt and pepper – To taste.

Here’s what you need for the creamy cabbage and corn slaw

• Mayo – Mayo makes up the creamy base for the cabbage and corn slaw. You can use vegan mayo for an egg free option, or greek yogurt.
• Lime juice – Lime juice adds some bright, zesty flavor.
• Honey – A small amount of honey adds just a kiss of sweetness.
• Shredded cabbage – I prefer green cabbage for this recipe but you could also use red.
• Corn – Fresh or thawed frozen corn are both great options.
• Red onion – I love the burst of flavor from thinly sliced red onion, but feel free to omit.
• Cilantro – Chopped cilantro adds some fresh flavor.
• Jalapeño – Just a little bit of jalapeño packs a flavorful punch. You can easily omit.
• Salt and pepper – To taste.

For serving

• Tortillas – We love corn tortillas for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever kind your family likes.
• Jalapeño
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges

Are these pork tacos spicy?

The taco meat will get a little kick of heat from whatever taco seasoning or chili powder you use. For a less spicy taco choose a mild taco seasoning. For a spicier taco add a little cayenne pepper or dried chili flakes to the seasoning mix.

The slaw could be a little spicy from the jalapeño (you never know with jalapeños). To keep it spice free omit the jalapeño. For extra spice, add some additional chopped jalapeño or a generous pinch of cayenne pepper.

How to make

All you need to prep for these tacos is the ground pork filling and the simple cabbage and corn slaw. After just a bit of chopping and measuring they both come together quickly for an easy dinner that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!

Here’s the step-by-step

• Make the slaw. In medium sized bowl combine mayo, lime juice, kosher salt, pepper, and honey, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Toss together with cabbage, corn, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño if using. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you make the rest of the tacos.
• Cook the ground pork filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot, add ground pork and finely diced onion, breaking up meat as it cooks. Add taco seasoning and tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until spices are aromatic, and tomato paste evenly coats the meat. Add orange juice and lime juice, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and continue to cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Assemble tacos and serve. Warm your tortillas (I like to char ours in a cast iron skillet) and fill generously with ground pork mixture, slaw, and any other desired toppings. Serve and enjoy!

What to serve as a side with pork tacos

Really any of your favorite Mexican themed side dishes would be delicious! We love serving them with Cilantro Lime Rice, One Pot Southwest Quinoa and Black Beans, Easy Guacamole, Creamy Cashew Queso Dip, Sweet and Spicy Mexican Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Spicy Watermelon Salad with Cilantro and Lime.

Other topping ideas

The beauty of this taco recipe is that with the ground pork mixture and the creamy veggie packed slaw you don’t really need much else for toppings.

We love adding a little extra cilantro and some sliced jalapeño, but those are optional.

If you wanted to take it to the next level (this would be a fun idea if serving a crowd for a taco bar!), you could add some variety to the toppings.

Some ideas are:

• Pickled Red Onions
• Fresh pineapple
• Avocado or guacamole
• Diced tomatoes
• Radishes
• Cotija or feta cheese

How long will leftovers keep in the fridge?

If you have leftovers, the pork taco filling will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The slaw should be eaten within 24 hours for the best texture.

How to make these ground pork tacos for a crowd

These tacos are super easy to make to feed a crowd, and a lot of the prep can be done in advance.

Here’s how I would do it:

• Double or triple the recipe depending on how many people you plan to serve. Doubling the recipe will serve between 8-10 people. Tripling it will serving between 12-16. There’s an option in the recipe card to 2X or 3X the recipe.
• Make your ground pork taco filling first and then transfer to a crock pot on “low” or “warm” to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Prep the slaw dressing and the slaw ingredients, but store them separately in the refrigerator until about 15 minutes before serving. Just before serving toss together and season to taste with salt.
• Prep and store any other desired toppings in small bowls in the refrigerator until serving time. Most things outside of diced avocado will keep well if prepped in advance.

Love these easy tacos? Here’s some other yummy Mexican inspired recipes to try!

• Blackened Salmon Tacos with Mango and Green Sauce
• Sheet Pan Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Mexican Roasted Cauliflower
• Whole30 White Chicken Chili
• Easy Marinated Steak and Avocado Tacos
• Dairy Free Queso Fundido with Ground Beef

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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