Brazilian Inspired Pork Belly Tacos

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Tender, juicy, crispy roasted pork belly served with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chimichurri sauce and tangy cotija cheese make the Brazilian Inspired 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 a real bitch sometime, but it’s a whole lot better if you’re eating these pork tacos.

**If you’re a taco fiend like me, check out these amazing Spicy Pork Bulgolgi Tacos or these Vietnamese Shrimp Street Tacos – you’re going to want all the tacos!!**

Why This Recipe Works

1. Cooking the pork in the instant pot allows it to get super tender and juicy. Like fall-apart tender.
2. Roasting the cooked pork belly in the oven crisps up the fat making for these perfect flavor packed crispy bits of pork and fat.
3. The fresh toppings complement the rich fattiness of the pork belly perfectly. 

How to Make Pork Belly Tacos

The Instant Pot and me have become best friends (affiliate link). 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.

For this recipe, we cook the pork belly in the Instant Pot first, then roast it to get all that crispy goodness.

**I highly recommend making your own Chimichurri sauce. It’s super easy and you’re going to want to put it on everything. Get the recipe HERE.**

How to Cook Pork Belly in the Instant Pot

Add the pork belly, orange juice, garlic clove, chipotle pepper, cumin, lime juice and 1 tsp. 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 425 degrees.

Once the Instant Pot pork belly is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then use the quick release to release the remaining pressure. Place the pork belly on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt and roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, 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 (1-2 tbsp.) 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

1. If you don’t have chimichurri sauce, any salsa can be used in it’s place. 
2. Flour or corn tortillas can be used. I personally prefer flour, but corn works just as well. 
3. 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.
4. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. 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.
2. 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. 

Related Pork Recipes from Went Here 8 This

Spicy Pork Bulgolgi Tacos
Pulled Pork Enchiladas With Poblano Cream Sauce
Instant Pot Fish Sauce Pork

Rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!

Did you make these Pork Belly Tacos? Follow me on Instagram, post a photo and tag @wenthere8this or #wenthere8this. I love to see what you’re making!

Brazilian Inspired Pork Belly Tacos

The pork belly is cooked in the Instant Pot until melt-in-your-mouth tender, then roasted to crisp perfection and served on a flour tortilla with tomatoes, cheese and chimichurri sauce.

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican, South American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 623kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 1 lbs. pork belly
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. 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 425 degrees. 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, cut it in small pieces.
• Assemble your tacos with 1-2 tbsp. of pork (depending on tortilla size), diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese and a drizzle of chimichurri sauce.

Expert Tips:

Expert Tips:

1. If you don't have chimichurri sauce, any salsa can be used in it's place. 
2. Flour or corn tortillas can be used. I personally prefer flour, but corn works just as well. 
3. 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.
4. 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 333mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2.5% | Vitamin C: 38.9% | Calcium: 1.5% | Iron: 5.1%

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