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Hot, crisp, juicy pork is tucked into warm tortillas to make these Carnitas Street Tacos. Topped simply with crunchy shredded cabbage, red onions, fresh cilantro, and plenty of lime, these tacos are street food at its very best. This has been one of my family’s favorite meals for several years now, and I never get tired of making it.
This recipe uses one of my most essential ingredients for meal prep, pork carnitas. The meat is incredibly tasty and easy to make, and it’s why people always end up coming back for seconds. My family loves this meat so much that I’ve even got a shortcut for making pork carnitas in the slow cooker.
Carnitas Street Tacos
I have to give credit to one of my amazing friends here, because Sandra actually introduced me to these tacos over 10 years ago. She made them for us during a girls’ weekend and we all fell in love with them immediately. I’ve been making them ever since.
As I’ve played with adapting this recipe over the years, I’ve found that simple is best. The sharp flavors of the cabbage and red onion are brilliant with the savory pork. Add in a drizzle of lime and fresh cilantro, and each taco packs so many layers of flavor. This is my favorite way to eat them, hands-down.
Just made these tacos last night. Absolutely fire. No notes. This is exactly the kind of succulent Mexican meal I needed. I would never have thought to use cabbage, but it works SO WELL! Thank you!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Tortillas – While classic street tacos are made with corn tortillas, I prefer flour tortillas for the taste and texture when heated. Both flour and corn work well though.
The Meat – I fill each taco with a portion of pork carnitas.
Cabbage – I top the meat with finely shredded green cabbage for extra crunch. Iceberg lettuce will work as well, if cabbage isn’t your thing.
Onions – Red onions are my first choice for this recipe, as they have the most vibrant flavor. However, white, yellow, and green onions will work, too.
Limes – I serve this with sliced limes, and in my opinion, the drizzle of lime juice is non-negotiable.
Cilantro – In my opinion, fresh chopped cilantro should always be included. But, not everyone loves it. So, I get it. This is technically an optional ingredient.
Optional Cheeses: I love cotija cheese for its sharp, bold taste. Extra sharp cheddar works nicely here, as well.
Optional Additional Toppings – I often serve these tacos with a side of sour cream. And, for those who want to make them a little spicier, I dice up fresh jalapeno peppers. Salsas and hot sauces are an option, too.
How to Make Carnitas Street Tacos
This recipe is designed to use freshly cooked or leftover meat, so the first step of making these tacos is crisping the meat in the pan. It works with the carnitas from either of my slow cooker pork carnitas or Dutch oven pork carnitas recipes.
Warming the Meat: I use a ladle to scoop the pork as well as some of the liquid into a large skillet over medium high heat.
Crisping the Meat: I let the meat sit in the skillet long enough for it to get a bit crispy between stirring and flipping it over.
Reducing the Juice: I continue to cook it until almost all of the juice has simmered off. If I’m reheating enough to serve my whole family, this can take up to 10 minutes.
Prepping the Toppings: While the meat is heating, I shred the cabbage and onion into very thin strips. And, I chop the cilantro and slice the limes.
Warming the Tortillas: I warm the tortillas one at a time in a hot skillet, or directly over the gas burner.
Layering the Ingredients: I stack the meat, cabbage, and onions onto each tortilla.
Serving the Tacos: I squeeze lime juice over each taco and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
Expert Tip
I cannot overstate the importance of heat and patience in this recipe. It’s absolutely critical to getting the textures right. I use a hot skillet to crisp the carnitas, spreading them out in a single layer to avoid overcrowding. Then, I don’t touch them until the fat has rendered and the edges have caramelized into those glorious crispy bits my family craves. This is what sets carnitas apart from pulled pork!
Warm the Tortillas: I always heat my tortillas, so that they will be softer and more pliable. This makes the tacos less likely to crack or split. Don’t skip this step!
Crisp the Carnitas: I cook the meat until almost all the liquid has been simmered off, but is not completely dry. This increases the flavor in each bite without drying it out, and it keeps the tortillas from becoming soggy.
Don’t Skip the Lime: Limes are the traditional choice to add acidity. I use it sparingly, so that it can sharpen the other flavors without overpowering them. This keeps the carnitas tasting rich, but not heavy.
Serving Suggestions
I served carnitas street tacos last week with a simple side of chipotle lime rice. Well, that and a giant bowl of chips and homemade queso blanco dip. My boys never let me forget the queso!
For a full Mexican feast, homemade tortillas take these tacos right over the top. Then, I whip up a batch of either Mexican street corn dip or street corn coleslaw. And, dessert? Dessert calls for traditional Mexican wedding cookies or even a pot of arroz con leche.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: This is a terrific recipe to make in advance! It’s one of my go-to meals when I’m going to have company, because I can cook the meat and prep the other ingredients 1-3 days in advance.
How to Store: I store each ingredient in a separate airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to Reheat: Preparing this recipe from leftovers in the fridge will follow the same process as cooking them the first time. I just reheat the meat, warm the tortillas, and assemble.
More Carnitas Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
No, personally I prefer flour tortillas for the flavor and texture. However, corn tortillas are the more “authentic” choice and I frequently use both when making these for friends and family.
No extra fats are needed. The tortillas don’t need it, as we’re only warming them. And, the meat will render in its own fats.
If making more than one pan of carnitas, I loosely tent the cooked meat with foil to help it stay warm. And, I often prep the vegetables ahead of time and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
I shred or slice the cabbage into very thin strips (about 1/4″ max). I slice the onion into very thin strips as well. And I like to chop the cilantro fairly small as well, so that there will be a bit of everything in each bite.
Carnitas Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 12 small flour tortillas or corn tortillas
- 3 cups Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas or traditional Pork Carnitas
- 2 cups very thinly shredded green cabbage or iceberg lettuce
- ½ red onion very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 limes cut into wedges
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
- sour cream
- crumbled cotija cheese or shredded cheese of your choice
- hot sauce or salsa
Instructions
- Warm the tortillas in a hot skillet or in the microwave. Place the warm meat into each tortilla.
- Top each taco with cabbage, onion, and cilantro. Squeeze a wedge of lime over each taco and serve with the additional toppings of your choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 10/14/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/8/26}
Yum – these look wonderful, Mary. I love Pork Carnitas and almost always order them when I am out for Mexican food. I also always top my taco off with a squeeze of lime. Delicious!
These look amazing. And anything with the name "street taco" automatically gets more street cred in my book 🙂
Those street tacos look divine! That group of gals seem amazing and fun too!
You are right about that! It's an amazing group of gals 😉
Hi Mary, your street tacos look delicious, how wonderful to be able to spend some time with friends.
These look like the best tacos ever!
Great looking tacos, we love carnitas but don't make them often enough.
Our family is Mexican and I will give you tips on how we prepare our carnitas in the traditional way. I pressure cook it without any spices or herbs. We like the taste of pork (we never use pork loin) and don’t want to mask it. Once the pork is cooked and can be pulled, we put it on a cookie sheet and stick it under a broiler for it to crisp up. Also, a large dry skillet will achieve the same results and a little faster. We make a pico de gallo from chopped seeded tomatoes, the green part of green onions and two bunches of chopped fresh cilantro. Do not add sugar or salt as it will make your pico de gallo watery and tasteless and will last in your fridge longer if you don’t. Serve with lime wedges. We always use fried or steamed corn tortillas for carnitas tacos and we never use cheese (does not mix well with pork or lime wedges), lettuce, or cabbage. If you feel you must use cheese (not traditional), the best for this would be queso fresco, a fresh cheese crumbled on top (not melted).
I enjoy your weekend notes. I think you must be a very thoughtful and kind person. You loving Ohio really makes me smile. We moved from Savannah to Michigan and what a gift. We are back in the South now and these are my roots, but no Words to express how much I love my Michigan Friends.
I’m so glad that you enjoy the newsletter each week, Liz! Thanks for taking the time to tell me.
Just made these tacos last night. Absolutely fire. No notes. This is exactly the kind of succulent Mexican meal I needed. I would never have thought to use cabbage, but it works SO WELL! Thank you!
YAY! I’m so glad you like the tacos!!