Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos with Cherry-Peach Salsa are an insanely delicious way to enjoy tender pork and fresh fruit — a match made in taco heaven!
While my husband and I have the same views on important topics like family, religion, money management, and hugging, we have to laugh at how opposite we are regarding other parts of our lives.
He loves to skateboard, while I prefer to play tennis.
I’m a coffee drinking early bird, and he’s a hip hop listening night owl.
He hates heights, while I want to jump out of airplanes.
Fly/drive. Summer/winter. Cake/pie. I could go on for days!
Opposites also tastefully attract in food, which is easily proven by Smoky Pulled Pork Tacos with Cherry-Peach Salsa.
Smoky, chipotle pepper-flavored pulled pork combines with sweet cherry-peach salsa in a juicy taco that my husband and I both agree is absolutely mouthwatering.
These tacos are made even better due to the fact that the pork is slow cooked in the crock pot!
All you have to do is throw everything in the crock then push “on”.
The fresh and summery Cherry-Peach Salsa can also be made a couple days ahead of time, which means dinner can be on the table in the time it takes you to shred the pork. Love that!
Start by slicinge 1 large onion into quarters, then separate the layers into the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot.
Next slice a 4-5lb pork butt (also called pork shoulder) into 5 or 6 big pieces then season each piece with salt and pepper.
Next add a few ingredients that will make the pulled pork taste wonderfully smokey, with a hint of sweet: 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar and 20oz Dr. Pepper.
Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeno peppers and are more smoky than spicy, in my opinion. You can get cans of them packed in adobo sauce right in the international foods aisle.
Pop the top onto the crock pot then slow cook on low for 8 hours.
Now, as I mentioned, not only can the pulled pork be prepped in advance, but the sweet Cherry-Peach Salsa that goes on top can be made up to 2 days ahead of time too!
Add 1 cup each fresh chopped cherries and peaches, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1 minced jalapeno, the juice of 1 lime, and a dash of salt to a mixing bowl then stir to combine.
Juicy, fresh, and easy!
When the pork is cooked through, and fall apart-tender, shred it all up, place it into a bowl, then add enough of the cooking liquid to moisten the pork.
Spoon the juicy pork onto tortillas then top with the cold cherry-peach salsa and devour!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb pork butt, also called pork shoulder
- salt and pepper
- 1 large sweet onion
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 Tablespoons sauce
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 20 oz Dr. Pepper
- Tortillas
For the Cherry-Peach Salsa:
- 1 cup chopped sweet cherries
- 1 cup chopped peaches, ~1 large peach
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- salt
- 1 lime
Directions
- Cut onion into quarters then separate layers into the bottom of a 6 quart crock pot. Trim pork butt of excess fat then cut into 4-6 large pieces and season well with salt and pepper. Lay seasoned pork on top of onions then add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and Dr. Pepper. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until pork shreds easily with 2 forks.
- Remove pork pieces from the crock pot then shred. Place inside a large bowl then add enough cooking liquid to moisten. Scoop pork onto tortillas then scoop Cherry-Peach Salsa on top and serve.
For the Cherry-Peach Salsa:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Can be made up to two days in advance.
Notes
- Pulled Pork Tacos slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This is the first time that I have tried an online recipe and have it come out as good as it looks. Usually, they are okay to near gross. Peaches are out of season, but I bought the inexpensive store brand frozen peaches. These frozen peaches were fantastic and easy to cut while frozen, so I probably won’t go with fresh in the future anyhow. I am making your cherry and peach smoothie tomorrow. I have never tried almond milk, but decided to crack it open. It doesn’t taste like almonds (sad face.) Hope the smoothie turns out as good as the smoothie. Thanks.
Any suggestions for what to replace the cherries with when they are out of season?
You could buy frozen sweet cherries then just thaw!
I made this and it was amazing! I loved the interplay between the smokiness of the meat and the sweet coolness of the fruit salsa!
I made it the day before I served it. I didn’t have cheese cloth, so I poured the juices through a fine meshed sieve and popped it in the fridge. I just scooped off the fat solids and reheated it in the microwave, added it to the pork, and reheated the whole thing! It worked great :)
I have leftovers in the freezer, too!
This recipe is so delicious!
! Thank you!
Hello! This might be a no answer question, but is there anything you can substitute for the Dr Pepper? I am into natural cooking and I love this recipe but wish it didn’t have soda in it. Thanks!
If you could find some local root beer or something, that’d be really good too!
This was so good! The cherry peach salsa really made the dish. Tip: since cherries are out of season, I used plums and it was still super delicious!
I just put it all in my crock pot. I hope my husband likes it! I’ve never used these peppers before. I bought the can and just put a few on top.
I want to try this recipe tonight.. It looks do good… But I have a question… Is the cheesecloth necessary?? Bc I don’t have that
If you have a coffee filter, that would work too, or even just a fine mesh sieve. You just want to get rid of as much fat as possible!