Carnitas-Style Pork & Apple Tacos
Slow-cooked pork shoulder with a hint of apple and cinnamon, served in warm tortillas for a sweet-savory family dinner. This Mexican-inspired slow-cooker recipe, ready in about 445 minutes, pairs Olive oil, Pork shoulder, Apple for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1.2 lbs, cut into 1-inch cubes Pork shoulder
- 1 medium, peeled and diced Apple
- 1 medium, diced Onion
- 4 cloves, minced Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 cup Chicken broth
- 2 tbsp Cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 8 small corn or flour Tortillas
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1.2 lbs diced pork shoulder and cook for 4 minutes per side until browned, then transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Step 2: Add 1 diced apple, 1 diced onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp brown sugar to the slow cooker. Stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Step 3: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until pork is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Step 4: Remove pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the pot and stir in any remaining sauce.
- Step 5: Warm tortillas in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side. Fill each with shredded pork and serve with extra apple slices on the side.







