Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

These delicious Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa go from stovetop to table in a mere 30 minutes! No one will be able to resist these tangy, flavorful tacos with a touch of sweetness that will have your family begging for seconds.

I think pork is a protein that gets overlooked a lot in favor of beef or chicken. I’m not sure why, it’s one of my favorite meats and can be just as versatile as all the other meats. That’s why I chose it for this recipe specifically. That’s not to say you couldn’t enjoy these tacos with beef or chicken but the pork paired with the pineapple just reminds me of being on a luau in Hawaii or somewhere tropical.

While certain cuts of pork can be tough, a pork loin sliced thinly will soften nicely and nearly melt on your tongue when you take a bite. In this recipe, I encourage letting the sauce caramelized on the pork, which will allow the brown sugar to develop a nice crust on the pork as well, adding a layer of flavor that I just cannot get enough of.

And then the salsa adds yet another layer of complexity to the tacos. You have your sweet from the pineapple, then the biting, slight bitter taste from the red onion followed by more crunch from the cucumber and the acid from the lime juice and slightly citrusy cilantro…sorry I got lost in a taco daydream there for a minute.  

But enough reading about the flavors and tastes of this dish — why aren’t you making it yet?

CAN I MAKE THESE PORK TACOS IN THE SLOW COOKER?

Yes, you can make a version of these in the slow cooker, but I should let you know they will not be exactly the same. Since this recipe calls for a pork loin, you can easily put the meat in the slow cooker whole (don’t slice it beforehand or it will be come too rubbery cooking all day).

You’ll go ahead and do step 1, making the salsa and chili sauce drizzle as instructed. When making the soy sauce mixture, double everything, including adding 2 tablespoons of oil. When you get to step 2, what you’ll want to do is add the whole loin to the slow cooker and cover in the soy sauce mixture. Add the lid and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4.

When the pork is done, you’ll end up shredding it for these tacos. Once it’s shredded, add it to your tortillas and top with the salsa and chili sauce as directed.

WHAT SIDE DISHES GO WITH PORK TACOS AND PINEAPPLE SALSA?

I love tacos (obvi), but I also love, love, love side dishes. When I was dating my now husband, we used to go to Bob Evans in college for “brunch.” (Okay it was really lunch but back then I got to sleep in really, really late.) I always ordered the “sides” meal, which means basically you make a meal of their sides. And boy, did I.

For these tacos though, here’s what I would recommend serving on the side:

• Grilled vegetables. Skewer up a variety of your favorite veggies and add them to the grill or to a grill pan and cook until just done. (I love a veggie with some bite still left to it.) Add the veggies to your taco or to the side. You could also make more of the soy mixture and baste the veggies with it as they are cooking.
• A simple salad. Salad goes with everything, in my opinion. If you are trying to eat low-carb, you could also add this pork to the top of a bed of lettuce and then slather with pineapple salsa and chili sauce as you see fit.
• Roasted veggies. A simple roasted vegetable, like this cauliflower and broccoli combo is an easy way to add more veggies to your diet.
• Rice. A good rice dish always complements tacos, I think. Try making rice with coconut milk instead of water. Add in some chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mmmmmm.

WHAT OTHER SALSAS CAN I MAKE WITH THESE PORK TACOS?

Not a fan of pineapple? No problem. Swap out the salsa for another fruit-based option, like this mango one. If you don’t want fruit salsa at all, that’s okay too. I have plenty of other options. Pick the one that speaks to you and by all means, pile it on!

This recipe was inspired by and adapted from the talented Lindsay from Pinch of Yum and Stephanie of I Am a Food Blog.