Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock Pot

By Melissa

on May 13, 2019, Updated Apr 17, 2024

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How to cook Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock-Pot! Moist, super flavorful meat, with only 5 minutes of hands-on time and 4 hours of cooking.

How to cook Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock-Pot so that it makes moist, super flavorful meat, with only 5 minutes of hands-on time and 4 hours of cooking.

Truly, this might be THE easiest Tex-Mex item to add to your lineup of favorite meals. It takes no more than (prepare yourselves) FIVE MINUTES to get ready before you toss everything into the Crock-Pot for about four hours. And in the end? You’ve got a juicy, tender, flavorful meat that you can use in just about anything.

Put it in the usual Mexican dish suspects–tacos, burritos, taco salads, or quesadillas –or get fancy and use it to make a delicious homemade pizza, nachos, fried rice, or an omelet. If you want to scale up the recipe, just add another hour or so to the slow cooker, depending on how much more meat you use.

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How to cook Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock-Pot so that it makes moist, super flavorful meat, with only 5 minutes of hands-on time and 4 hours of cooking.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Slow cooker recipes are always amazing because you can throw everything in and walk away, and this one is no exception!
  • It makes 6-10 servings so it makes plenty for the whole family!
  • Pork loin is almost always an economical cut of meat for you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Ingredients

  • Pork tenderloin
  • Homemade taco seasoning: or substitute store bought
  • Salt: leave it out if using store bought seasoning
  • Water or broth

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities 

How to cook Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock-Pot so that it makes moist, super flavorful meat, with only 5 minutes of hands-on time and 4 hours of cooking.

How to Make Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin for Tacos

Step #1. Combine the taco seasoning and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over and coat the pork with it.

Step #3. Remove the cooked pork. Cut into 4 pieces and shred with two forks.

Step #2. Place the pork in the crock pot. Pour the water or broth in beside the pork. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours.

Step #4. Return the shredded pork to the crockpot and stir into any remaining liquid. Serve!

Can you overcook pulled pork?

It’s pretty darn hard to overcook pork in a slow cooker. Really, the worst that might happen is it’ll get drier and a bit chewier. But this would only happen if for some reason you totally forgot about the cooking pork and left it in there for more than six hours. But with the scrumptious smells filling your house from your Crock-Pot, I doubt that will happen!

How do you keep pork tenderloin from drying out?

When you cook pork tenderloin in a slow cooker, the cooker will trap a lot of that good moisture that makes the meat nice and tender. Throwing a half-cup of water or broth into the slow cooker before turning it on will also reserve enough moisture to keep the meat from drying out.

Can you use a different cut of meat for slow cooker taco meat?

Yes! Actually, the traditional cut used for pulled pork is the pork shoulder, but pork tenderloin is just a bit leaner and has a great consistency when cooked this way. You can also use beef brisket for shredded brisket or chicken breast for shredded chicken, if you prefer, but you may have to adjust the cooking time depending on how many pounds of meat you cook.

Expert Tips

  • Serve the pork street taco style by using corn tortillas and garnishing with diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
  • The best way to test if your pork is finished cooking is to stick a fork in and see if it comes apart easily. If it doesn’t, let it cook a while more and then test it again.

More Pork Recipes to Consider

Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

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How to cook Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock-Pot so that it makes moist, super flavorful meat, with only 5 minutes of hands-on time and 4 hours of cooking.

Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock Pot

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4.8 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Melissa Griffiths – Bless this Mess
  • Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6–10 1x
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Description

How to cook Pork Tenderloin for Tacos in the Crock-Pot!  Moist, super flavorful meat, with only 5 minutes of hands-on time and 4 hours of cooking.

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Remove the pork tenderloin from the package, and place it on a cutting board.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the salt and the taco seasoning.
  3. Rub your spice mixture all over the tenderloin, and then place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.
  4. Add the water or chicken stock to the bottom of the slow cooker (don’t pour it over the pork, though, so that you don’t wash off your spice rub).
  5. Add the lid, and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the tenderloin is easy to shred with a fork.
  6. Remove the pork from the Crock-Pot, and place it on a cutting board. Cut into 4 equal parts, and then shred with two forks.
  7. Return it to the slow cooker, and mix it with any liquid that might have remained in the bottom of the slow cooker. Adjust salt to taste.
  8. Serve hot in your favorite tacos, burritos, or on a salad or nachos.

Notes

  • This recipe is really easy to scale up. You might need to cook it an hour longer or so, but it’s a great recipe to keep on hand when feeding a crowd.
  • If you didn’t make the homemade taco seasoning and use store-bought, hold off on the additional salt. Commercial tends to be saltier than mine. Then, adjust the salt to taste after the pork tenderloin is shredded.
  • Make sure the pork is tender enough by checking it with a fork. If it falls apart easily, it is done. If not, let it cook a while longer.
  • This recipe is super versatile! Use it in any of your favorite Tex-Mex dishes.
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 4 hour
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Crock Pot
  • Cuisine: American

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10 Comments

  1. I just put my pork in, but it seems like only half a cup of broth isn’t enough to cook the meat in. It doesn’t cover the meat. Do you flip the meat halfway?



    Reply

    1. It’ll be fine. It all the water evaporates before the cook time is up you can add another 1/2 cup as needed. The pork will produce a little liquid of it’s own too.

  3. Oh my goodness, thank you so much! I did use a packet of taco seasoning and it was delicious!! Family loved it!

    Reply

  4. I LOVE this recipe! Healthy pork taco meat bursting with flavor sans fat. It is one of my favorites for taco night!

    Reply

    1. Delicious and SO easy! I’ve made it once with water and once with broth and I highly recommend the broth. The pork was so flavourful.



  5. How are there no comments on this recipe?!? We make this ALL the time. I literally wait for pork tenderloin to go on sale so I can make it again! I love how flavorful it is and how it’s not too soggy, which can be a problem for slow cooker tacos. Thank you for this recipe!



    Reply