• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Chisel & Fork logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • DIY
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You Are Here: Home → Main Course → Tacos

    Cider Beer Braised Pork Tacos

    December 20, 2018 | Updated March 6, 2021 by Ryan 2 Comments

    258 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

    These slow cooker cider beer braised pork tacos with an apple-pomegranate salsa combine a ton of flavors in one tasty dish. The colors just scream winter to me.

    close-up of cider beer braised pork tacos on cutting board

    The holiday season is in full force, which means it's time to pull out the slow cooker! But instead of my same old go-to recipes that are delicious, I wanted to mix it up a little today. These cider beer braised pork tacos with an apple-pomegranate salsa combine a ton of flavors in one tasty dish. I mean is there really much better than slow cooker pork tacos?

    Tacos are definitely a go-to dinner for Lauren and me. Looking at the recipes I've posted so far, it might be my most posted category! With that in mind, I'm always looking for inspiration for new tacos and came across one from Half Baked Harvest... shocker I know! It may seem a bit weird to combine beer, apple cider, enchilada sauce and a ton of spices but believe me once you have one bite you'll be hooked. It really is the apple-pomegranate salsa that puts these tacos over the top. You get a little heat from the chili garlic sauce and crunch from the apples and pomegranate arils.

    Lauren and I are on the light end for spice so if you like your meals with some heat, I'd recommend adding one or two chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Keep in mind, you do get some heat from the salsa. And in regards to the salsa, it's pretty difficult to find pomegranates when they aren't in season, so hopefully you're trying to make this some time between October and February! So since you can realistically only make this for a few months out of the year, go out and get the ingredients and give these pulled pork tacos a try.

    overlay of cider beer braised pork tacos on cutting board

    What Ingredients are in this Cider Beer Braised Pork Tacos Recipe?

    • Pork (tenderloin or shoulder)
    • Olive oil
    • Produce - white onion, garlic, lime, apples, pomegranate seeds, cilantro
    • Spices - chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
    • Light brown sugar
    • Red enchilada sauce
    • Beer
    • Apple cider
    • Corn tortillas
    • Feta cheese
    • Chili garlic sauce

    How to Make Cider Beer Braised Pork Tacos

    1. In a slow cooker, add the pork, olive oil, onion, garlic, spices, enchilada sauce, beer and apple cider. Set to low and cook for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
    2. Shred pork with two forks.
    3. Turn broiler on and place rack at the top. Transfer pulled pork to baking sheet and spread out in even layer. Place under broiler for 5 minutes or until the pork is starting to char. Remove from oven and add ½ cup of leftover juice. Repeat process 2 more times.
    4. Serve pork in heated tortillas with some fresh salsa, cheese, lime juice and cilantro.

    Can I Cook in an Instant Pot?

    Yes. Just throw all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Then allow a natural release. From there, follow the steps to broil for crispier pork below.

    Tips for Cider Beer Braised Pork Tacos

    • Replace pork tenderloin with pork shoulder if you like a little more fat.
    • Add 1-2 chilis in adobo sauce to slow cooker if you want more heat.
    • Use a beer you like as it affects the flavor of the pork tacos. You can replace the beer with chicken stock if you don't want or have beer.
    • To make the corn tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.

    close-up of cider beer braised pork tacos on cutting board

    Other Taco Recipes

    • Crispy Pork Carnitas
    • Cuban Mojo Pulled Pork Tacos
    • Slow Cooker Crispy Chicken Tacos
    • Corned Beef Tacos
    • Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
    • Chorizo Tacos
    • Grilled Chicken Tacos

    If you’ve tried these Cider Beer Braised Pork Tacos or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

    overlay of cider beer braised pork tacos on cutting board
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Cider Beer Braised Pork Tacos

    These slow cooker cider beer braised pork tacos with an apple-pomegranate salsa combine a ton of flavors in one tasty dish.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time8 hrs
    Total Time8 hrs 10 mins
    Course: Tacos
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 12 tacos
    Calories: 268kcal
    Author: Ryan Beck

    Ingredients

    Pork Tacos

    • 2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into 3 inch chunks
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ medium white onion, chopped
    • 5 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • 2 teaspoon cumin
    • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne
    • 1 (10 oz can) red enchilada sauce
    • 1 (8 oz) beer (I use lager)
    • ½ cup apple cider
    • Corn tortillas
    • Feta cheese
    • Limes for serving

    Apple-Pomegranate Salsa

    • 2 honeycrisp apples, peeled and chopped
    • arils from pomegranate
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
    • juice from 1 lime

    Instructions

    Pork Tacos

    • In a large crockpot, add pork, onion, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, light brown sugar, salt, pepper and cayenne and toss so pork gets coated. Add enchilada sauce, apple cider and beer to crockpot and set to low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Shred pork with two forks.
    • Once pork is cooked, pre-heat broiler and place rack at top. Place aluminum foil on baking sheet. Using slotted spoon, transfer pulled pork to baking sheet and spread throughout in even layer. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove from oven and add ½ cup of leftover juice from slow cooker. Broil for additional 5 minutes. Remove again and add ½ cup of juice and broil again for 5 minutes.
    • For tortillas, heat small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on both side. Serve pork over warm tortillas with fresh salsa, cheese, lime juice and extra cilantro if you want. Enjoy!

    Apple-Pomegranate Salsa

    • In medium bowl, add chopped apple, pomegranate arils, cilantro, lime juice and chili garlic sauce to bowl. Toss well to combine and cover and store in fridge until ready to serve. (PS if you need to know how to get pomegranate seeds, check out this video)

    Notes

    • Replace pork tenderloin with pork shoulder if you like a little more fat.
    • Add 1-2 chilis in adobo sauce to slow cooker if you want more heat.
    • Use a beer you like as it affects the flavor of the pork tacos. You can replace the beer with chicken stock if you don't want or have beer.
    • To make the corn tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1taco | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg
    Did You Try This Recipe?I love seeing what you make so mention @ChiselandFork or tag #chiselandfork on Instagram and please give a star rating below!
    « Brussels Sprouts Pizza
    Goat Cheese Risotto »
    258 shares

    Receive Top 25 Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chris says

      December 20, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Love me some tacos!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Chisel & Fork

    ryan standing in kitchen

    Hey there! Welcome to Chisel & Fork, a blog with tasty recipes and DIY projects. I'm Ryan and here you'll find hundreds of recipes ranging from true comfort food to vegan. Oh and if you like woodworking, you might just find your next inspiration. Read More About Chisel & Fork…

    Get Your Free Copy of My Top 25 Most Popular Recipes

    title page of ecookbook

    Healthy Recipes

    • Cinnamon Overnight Oats
      Cook Time5 Minutes
    • Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash
      Cook Time1 Hours 10 Minutes
    • Peanut Butter Energy Balls
      Cook Time25 Minutes
    • Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad
      Cook Time1 Hours

    Popular Recipes

    • Baked Cheddar Mac and Cheese
      Cook Time40 Minutes
    • Cranberry Mimosa
      Cook Time5 Minutes
    • Apple Pie with Crumb Topping
      Cook Time1 Hours 40 Minutes
    • Chocolate Chip Scones
      Cook Time35 Minutes

    Featured In

    logos of places where Chisel & Fork has been featured

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    Information

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Recipes
    • DIY

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Chisel & Fork

    258 shares