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Tender, juicy, crispy roasted pork belly served with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chimichurri sauce and tangy cotija cheese make these Pork Belly Tacos some of the best tacos you'll ever eat!
Guuuuuys....these Pork Belly Tacos are life. So, so SO damn good. What makes me sad is that they're gone.
Luckily, these pork tacos are insanely easy to make. Like super, duper, crazy easy. And I just have to reiterate, in case you haven't heard me yet, that these pork belly tacos are TO DIE FOR.
You have to make them. Period. You need this deliciousness in your life. Life can be real difficult sometimes, but it's a whole lot better if you're eating these tacos.
**If you're a taco fiend like me, check out these amazing Spicy Pork Bulgogi Tacos or these Spicy Shrimp Tacos - you're going to want all the tacos!!**
Why This Recipe Works
Cooking the pork in the instant pot allows it to get super tender and juicy. Like fall-apart tender.
Roasting the cooked pork belly in the oven crisps up the fat making for these perfect flavor packed crispy bits of pork and fat.
The fresh toppings complement the richness of the pork belly perfectly.
Check out the pork belly taco story.
The Ingredients
These pork belly tacos have a South American flair and are amazing served with Chimichurri sauce. Make you own Chimichurri sauce, or buy it HERE. (affiliate link)
Orange juice, cumin, lime and chipotle peppers are used to season the pork while it cooks in the Instant Pot.
The full list of ingredients in included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What is Pork Belly?
Pork belly is a cut of meat from the belly of the big, hence it's name. When you're shopping for pork belly, try to find the leanest cut you can to get the most meat out of it. Buy pork belly.
It is best cooked using a slow cooking method (like I use to make this kakuni), or a pressure cooker as we use in this recipe. Once cooked, it is melt-in-your-mouth tender and just incredibly rich and delicious.
You can also cook it over extremely high heat (like a wok) as I do for this Twice Cooked Pork.
What is the Difference Between Pork Belly and Bacon?
Pork belly is not smoked or cured. While they come from the same part of the pig, the preparation is different.
Like I stated above, pork belly is typically slow cooked until tender, while bacon is sliced thin and fried (and perfect to use in recipes like this bacon gravy or bacon jam). Pork belly is used to make bacon, but bacon cannot be used as a substitute for pork belly in recipes.
The Instant Pot
and me have become best friends. If you haven't bought one yet and want to decide whether it's for you or not, check out my full review here. I talk all the positives AND negatives for the Instant Pot. (affiliate link)
Step By Step Instructions
For this recipe, we cook the pork belly in the Instant Pot first, then roast it to get all that crispy goodness. I buy my pork belly in strips (see the photo below), but you can buy it whole as well. If you buy it whole add another 5-10 minutes to the cook time.
**I highly recommend making your own Chimichurri sauce. It's super easy and you're going to want to put it on everything.**
How to Cook Pork Belly in the Instant Pot
Add the pork belly, orange juice, garlic clove, chipotle pepper, cumin, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of salt to the Instant Pot. Set to cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.
Now is the time to make your chimichurri sauce if you haven't already. You can also gather your other ingredients so you're ready to eat when the pork belly is done.
OR, take a nap. Watch some Netflix. Scroll Instagram. Read a book. You know. Relax. I prefer this option.
Then preheat the oven to 425F.
Once the pork belly is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release the remaining pressure.
Place it on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt and roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 425F, until crispy and caramelized.
Remove the roasted pork belly from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Use a fork or your hands to shred it into bit sized pieces.
Put some pork belly in the tortilla and top with diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, sliced red onion, sliced jalapenos, cotija cheese, fresh lime and a drizzle of chimichurri sauce.
Get ready to fall in love with these crispy pork belly tacos. And by love I mean heart wrenching "I never want to live a day in my life without this" kind of love.
Expert Tips
- If you use whole pork belly instead of sliced, add 5-10 minutes to the cook time.
- If you don't have chimichurri sauce, any salsa can be used in it's place. Try this Spicy Green Salsa or this fresh tomato salsa.
- Flour or corn tortillas can be used. I personally prefer flour, but corn works just as well.
- The roasted pork belly should be crisp and caramelized. If not, place it back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes until the fat has crisped.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can pork belly be made in advance? The pork belly can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until sizzling.
Why is my pork belly tough? Typically, tough pork belly means it need to cook for longer. If you are using more pork belly than the recipe calls for, or it is in larger chunks, you will need to increase the cook time in the instant pot, as well as the roast time in the oven.
Can you freeze pork belly? Leftover pork belly can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months in an airtight container or bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!
Crispy Pork Belly Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- Flour or corn tortillas (small taco or street taco size)
- Cotija cheese (for serving)
- Diced tomatoes (for serving)
- Cilantro (for serving)
- Chimichurri (for serving)
- Sliced red onions (for serving)
- Fresh lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Combine the pork belly, orange juice, garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, 1 tsp. of salt and lime juice in the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release any remaining pressure.
- Heat the oven to 425F. Place the pork belly on a rack over a parchment paper lined baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until crisp and caramelized.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, shred with a fork or chop in small pieces.
- Assemble your tacos with 1-2 tablespoons of pork (depending on tortilla size), diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese and a drizzle of chimichurri sauce.
Video
Expert Tips:
- If you use whole pork belly instead of sliced, add 5-10 minutes to the cook time.
- If you don't have chimichurri sauce, any salsa can be used in it's place. Try this Spicy Tomatillo Salsa.
- Flour or corn tortillas can be used. I personally prefer flour, but corn works just as well.
- The roasted pork belly should be crisp and caramelized. If not, place it back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes until the fat has crisped.
- The pork belly can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until sizzling.
- Leftover pork belly can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months in an airtight container or bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight and heat in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Vicky Bray says
Hello I was looking at your recipe to make the pork belly tacos. I went down to try to read comments from people who made them because I’d like to get there impression of the tacos if they did anything different. But I can only see two comments and both are and how to make it. I even hit the link for older comments and nothing was brought up. Are they on other websites like your Instagram or or any of the other social media? The tacos look delicious I just like to read the comments! Thank you.
Danielle says
I see what you're saying. This is very strange. I checked some other posts and it's working fine on those. I'm going to have to do some tech research!
Sue says
Can you make this in a crock pot? If so how long would you cook?
Danielle says
I've never made it in a crockpot, but I would cook it on low for 6-8 hours. Start at 6 hours and see if it's tender. Add another hour or two if it's not tender tender yet.
aleta says
Hello!
Can this recipe be tripled? And if so, what additional cooking instructions would you suggest?
Thank you!
~aleta
Danielle says
You can definitely triple it! The same cook time should actually work, but if you're concerned you could consider adding 10 extra minutes to the time.