Pulled Pork Cornbread Taco

By
Heather Ramsdell
Heather Ramsdell
Heather Ramsdell
Heather Ramsdell is the Senior Editorial Director for The Spruce Eats, leading the editorial team to create recipes, tell stories, and help people cook and learn about food.
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Updated on 07/12/21
cornbread pulled pork tacos
The Spruce
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 15 hrs
Total: 15 hrs 30 mins
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
4049 Calories
238g Fat
220g Carbs
252g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 4049
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 238g 305%
Saturated Fat 82g 409%
Cholesterol 1036mg 345%
Sodium 2461mg 107%
Total Carbohydrate 220g 80%
Dietary Fiber 24g 86%
Total Sugars 42g
Protein 252g
Vitamin C 90mg 448%
Calcium 839mg 65%
Iron 24mg 131%
Potassium 5054mg 108%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Classic barbecue flavors combine to create a tasty taco in this easy slow cooker recipe. Cornmeal is used to create a cornbread-inspired taco shell (not to be confused with a traditional corn tortilla, which calls for masa harina) and barbecue pulled pork stands in as filling. Your slow cooker does most of the heavy lifting here, making this dish even easier. 

1:17

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Ingredients

For Pulled Pork

  • 2 pounds pork roast

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 medium onion, sliced, divided

  • 2 to 3 whole cloves, optional

  • 4 to 6 cups water

  • 1/2 onion, chopped

  • 1/2 bottle barbecue sauce, plus more to taste

​For Cornbread Taco Shells

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 1/4 cups milk

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • Kosher salt, to taste

​For Taco Fillings

  • 1/2 cup coleslaw

  • 1/2 cup guacamole

  • 1 to 3 jalapeños, thinly sliced

  • Freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. First, prepare pulled pork filling. Place half a sliced onion in the bottom of your slow cooker.

  3. Stud pork roast with cloves and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Place roast in slow cooker on top of sliced onion. Add remaining sliced onion and add enough water to cover.

  5. Cover and cook on low 8 to 12 hours, or until pork is very tender and falling apart.

  6. Remove roast. Remove and discard cloves, bone and fat, as well as any water, onions, and grease remaining in pot.

  7. When pork roast is cool enough to handle, use a fork or your fingers to pull it apart until entire roast is shredded.

  8. Return pulled pork to slow cooker. Add chopped onion and BBQ sauce and cover. Heat on high for 1 to 3 hours or until onions are soft and mixture is very tender.

  9. When pulled pork is almost ready, prepare cornbread taco shells. In a bowl, combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, and salt. Then add milk and egg, and stir until mixture is nicely incorporated. Don’t overwork batter—some lumps are okay. You want a pretty thick consistency, but still a little runny. If mixture seems too dry, add a little more milk; if it seems too wet, add a touch more cornmeal.

  10. Grease a small skillet with oil and place over medium heat. When pan is very hot, spoon a small amount of batter into skillet. Cook cornbread taco shell 2 to 3 minutes on first side, then flip, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more on second side. Taco shells should be soft and flexible. Repeat with remaining batter. Depending on size of tacos, recipe should yield 4 to 8 shells.

  11. To assemble tacos, fill taco shells with pulled pork, coleslaw, jalapeños and drizzle with lime juice. Serve immediately.