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Slow cooker Pork Barbacoa tacos with cilantro and peppers.

Slow Cooker Pork Barbacoa

This barbacoa pork recipe is a set it and forget it meal that takes 5 minutes to put together! Great for meal prep, tacos, burritos, & salads!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours 35 minutes
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Ingredients

  • ~3 lb pork loin roast fat trimmed
  • 1 cup 8 oz cola
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup broth chicken or veggie work great
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • First, be sure to trim large chunks of fat off of your pork. Set aside.
  • Next, right in the crockpot combine all remaining ingredients and whisk together.
  • Add your pork into the slow cooker and just turn it over a few times to get it all nice and coated.
  • Set your slow cooker to high and cook for 6-7 hours (I recommend checking it after 4 hours and turning it to low if needed. Some slow cookers cook faster than others)
  • Once your meat is able to be shredded with a fork go ahead and shred the entire thing up. I like to use electric beaters for this (just be careful at first- it might splatter!)
  • Allow it to simmer for ~30-60 minutes on low to ideally to allow the sauce to really soak in (if you're in a rush you can skip this! I understand!)
  • Now enjoy! Scoop some onto a taco, a salad, over rice or eat on it's own!

Notes

Instant Pot Directions: Follow all of the same directions except you can add the optional step of searing the meat for 2-3 minutes per side prior to making the sauce in the IP. Do this on the sauté function setting, drizzling a bit of oil in before searing. This can add to flavor but if you're short on time skip it. Pressure cook for 60 minutes and allow to naturally pressure release.
Pork: You can sub a pork shoulder or "Boston Butt" for this recipe.
Cola: I recommend using soda with sugar not diet of "zero". If you're using diet or zero I recommend doubling the brown sugar.

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Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Pork Barbacoa
Serving Size
 
1 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
144
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Cholesterol
 
46
mg
15
%
Sodium
 
217
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
 
8
g
3
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
16
g
32
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.