Asian Pork Tacos offer a delightful culinary journey, combining the warmth of soft flour tortillas with a richly flavored sweet-and-spicy pork and vegetable blend. Crowned with a zesty, homemade spicy mayo sauce, these tacos promise an unforgettable dining experience.
Craving a different taco adventure? Explore our vibrant, citrus-infused, carnita-style Ground Pork Tacos, perfectly complemented by a creamy lime crema!
Savor the Flavor: Irresistible Asian Pork Tacos with Spicy Mayo
Get ready to elevate your weeknight dinner game with these truly unique and incredibly delicious Asian Pork Tacos! This recipe quickly became a household favorite, celebrated not only for its explosive flavor profile but also for its clever inclusion of hidden vegetables. These additional nutrients make the meal more wholesome and help stretch the ground pork further, making it a surprisingly budget-friendly option for families. Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of sweet and spicy notes, carefully balanced to tantalize your taste buds without being overly intense. It’s the kind of dish that brings excitement to the table, making mealtime a truly anticipated event.
Pro Tip: Mastering the Brown for Maximum Flavor
When browning the ground pork, resist the urge to stir it constantly. Instead, allow the meat to cook undisturbed in the hot skillet for several minutes. This crucial step enables the pork to develop a beautiful, deep brown crust. Why is this important? Because **browning equals flavor**. The more caramelization you achieve, the richer and more savory your pork filling will be, contributing significantly to the overall deliciousness of your Asian Pork Tacos. A well-browned base sets the stage for an extraordinary meal.
Crafting the Perfect Asian Pork Tacos Filling
The heart of these delectable tacos lies in their vibrant, savory, and subtly spicy filling. Each ingredient plays a vital role in creating a complex flavor and texture profile that is both satisfying and incredibly fresh.
- Ground Pork: For the most succulent and flavorful results, we highly recommend using an 85/15 blend of ground pork. This ratio provides enough fat to keep the meat moist and tender during cooking, preventing it from drying out, while also allowing for that desirable crispy brown crust mentioned in our quick tip. The richness of the pork forms the perfect foundation for the bold Asian-inspired flavors.
- Mushrooms: Diced mushrooms are a true secret weapon in this recipe. They seamlessly blend into the pork mixture, adding a delightful meaty texture and an intense umami depth that complements the pork beautifully. Beyond their flavor contribution, mushrooms are fantastic for “sneaking” in extra vegetables, boosting the nutritional value of your meal, and extending the meat further to make the dish even more economical. Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms are our go-to choice due to their robust flavor and firm texture, but any variety you have on hand will work wonderfully.
- Green Onions: These versatile aromatics bring a fresh, peppery bite to the tacos. We utilize both the white and green parts strategically. The white sections, with their more pungent flavor, are sautéed alongside the mushrooms to build a foundational aromatic layer for the filling. The vibrant green tops, however, are reserved to be stirred in at the very end or used as a fresh garnish, providing a burst of color and a milder, fresher onion flavor that brightens the entire dish.
Smart Shortcuts for Speedy Prep
We understand that life can be busy, and sometimes you need a delicious meal on the table fast. These clever shortcuts help minimize prep time without compromising on flavor, making your Asian Pork Tacos even more accessible for a weeknight dinner.
- Minced Ginger and Garlic: Freshly mincing ginger and garlic can be time-consuming. For a significant shortcut, look for Dorot’s® crushed garlic and ginger cubes in your grocery store’s frozen vegetable aisle. These convenient cubes offer all the aromatic goodness without the chopping, saving you precious minutes and ensuring you always have these essential flavors on hand.
- Matchstick Carrots: Preparing matchstick carrots from scratch is a labor of love that not everyone has time for. Simplify your prep by opting for pre-shredded carrots from your local supermarket. They offer the same crisp texture and vibrant color, integrating perfectly into the taco filling with minimal effort. Just ensure you’re grabbing plain shredded carrots, not a seasoned blend.
- Shredded Cabbage: Shredding a whole head of cabbage can be a messy and lengthy task. Instead, grab a bag of pre-shredded cabbage, often labeled as angel hair coleslaw mix. This hack drastically cuts down on prep time, and the finely shredded cabbage cooks down quickly, adding a tender crunch and volume to your filling. Always check the package to ensure it contains only green cabbage, avoiding any pre-dressed or mixed slaw blends.
The Flavorful Heart: Our Signature Stir-Fry Sauce
The magic of these Asian Pork Tacos truly comes alive with our incredibly quick and easy stir-fry sauce. Crafted from simple pantry staples, this sauce infuses the pork and vegetables with an irresistible depth of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors, tying all the elements together into a cohesive and delicious experience.
- Cornstarch: This unassuming ingredient is vital for achieving the perfect consistency. Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent, creating a luxurious, glossy coating that beautifully adheres to the pork and vegetables. It transforms the liquid components into a rich sauce, ensuring every bite is enveloped in flavor without being watery.
- Soy Sauce: The cornerstone of many Asian-inspired dishes, soy sauce brings a crucial umami and salty dimension. We specifically recommend using Kikkoman’s® regular soy sauce (not light or low-sodium) for this recipe. Light soy sauce simply doesn’t deliver the same depth of seasoning or saltiness required to properly flavor the filling. The full-flavored version ensures a robust taste.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: To balance the saltiness from the soy sauce and hoisin, using low-sodium chicken broth is essential. This allows you to control the overall sodium content of the dish, ensuring it’s perfectly seasoned without being overpoweringly salty. It provides the necessary liquid base for the sauce without adding excessive sodium.
- Chili-Garlic Sauce: This is where the “spicy” in our sweet-and-spicy comes from, beautifully contrasting the sweetness of the hoisin. Chili-garlic sauce adds a vibrant kick and a profound garlicky depth that is indispensable to the overall flavor profile of these Asian Pork Tacos. If you’re sensitive to heat, you can reduce the amount slightly, but be aware that a reduction will subtly alter the intended flavor balance. We tested with sriracha as an alternative (1 tablespoon for the best result), which works in a pinch, though chili-garlic sauce offers a richer, more complex heat.
- Hoisin Sauce: A star ingredient in its own right, hoisin sauce provides the signature sweet and tangy elements that define this dish. Its role and nuances are discussed in detail in the following section, highlighting its contribution to the unique Asian flavor.
What is Hoisin? Unveiling the Umami-Rich Secret
If hoisin sauce is a new ingredient to you, prepare to be introduced to a cornerstone of Chinese cuisine. Often referred to as Chinese BBQ sauce, hoisin is a thick, fragrant, and dark condiment made primarily from fermented soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and various spices. Its complex flavor profile is a symphony of sweet, salty, savory (umami), and subtly tangy notes, often with a hint of five-spice powder. Hoisin is intensely aromatic and profoundly flavorful, capable of transforming simple ingredients into a deeply satisfying meal. In these tacos, it provides the essential sweet and savory backbone, making the sauce truly stand out.
The quality of hoisin sauce can vary significantly between brands, impacting the final taste of your dish. Having experimented with many, our unequivocal recommendation for achieving the best possible flavor in these Asian Pork Tacos is Lee Kum Kee’s® hoisin sauce. While we are not sponsored, we find its balance of flavors to be superior – neither too sweet nor too overpowering. If you have a trusted brand you adore, feel free to use it. However, for those seeking guaranteed excellence, Lee Kum Kee is the undisputed champion for this recipe.
The Perfect Finishing Touch: Spicy Mayo
No Asian Pork Taco is complete without a generous drizzle of our homemade spicy mayo. This creamy, vibrant sauce adds a refreshing tang and an extra layer of subtle heat that perfectly cuts through the richness of the pork filling, creating a beautifully balanced flavor experience. And the best part? It’s incredibly simple to whip up, requiring just a few staple ingredients.
Our spicy mayo combines creamy mayonnaise with the fiery kick of chili-garlic sauce and the bright, zesty notes of fresh lime juice. A tiny pinch of salt and pepper brings all the flavors into harmony. While the tacos are certainly delicious on their own, this spicy mayo elevates them to a new level, adding a professional touch and an essential element of freshness and acidity. If you choose to omit the mayo, we strongly recommend squeezing a generous amount of fresh lime juice over your tacos before serving. The citrusy brightness is crucial for adding a much-needed zing and preventing the dish from tasting too heavy or one-dimensional.
Choosing and Preparing Your Tortillas
The foundation of any great taco is the tortilla itself. For these Asian Pork Tacos, soft flour tortillas are the ultimate choice, providing a pliable and comforting wrap that perfectly cradles the flavorful filling. We especially favor smaller, street-taco-sized flour tortillas, as they make for easier handling and a more manageable, satisfying bite. Our personal favorite are TortillaLand® tortillas – they cook up beautifully fresh and tender, directly from the package to your pan. While we’re not sponsored, their quality is consistently excellent.
Regardless of the brand you choose, properly warming your tortillas is key to preventing them from tearing and ensuring a pleasant texture. If you’re not using fresh tortillas that require cooking from raw, here are our recommended methods for warming them to perfection:
- Quick Char over Gas Flames: For an authentic touch and a smoky flavor, lightly char your tortillas directly over a gas burner. Spray both sides of the tortillas with olive oil cooking spray. Using tongs, carefully hold each tortilla over a medium gas flame for just a few seconds per side, flipping until they are lightly charred and soft. Immediately fold each tortilla in half and stack them under a clean tea towel to keep them warm and pliable, ready for filling.
- Warm in a Nonstick Skillet: This method is ideal for those without a gas stove. Spray both sides of the tortillas with olive oil cooking spray. Heat a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each tortilla for about 10-15 seconds per side, until warmed through and slightly soft. As with the charring method, immediately fold in half and place under a tea towel to maintain warmth and flexibility.
- Microwave Method: For the quickest option, stack a few tortillas and wrap them in a damp paper towel. Microwave for approximately 20 seconds, or until they are warm and pliable. While this method is fast, it may not achieve the same texture or slight char as the other two options.
Explore More Taco Inspirations
If you loved these Asian Pork Tacos, you’re in for a treat! Our collection of taco recipes features a diverse range of flavors and styles to satisfy every craving. Discover your next favorite taco night:
- Fish Stick Tacos Crispy fish sticks, baked or air-fried, tucked into warm tortillas!
- Korean Beef Tacos Tender Korean-style beef paired with a tangy cabbage slaw.
- Ground Beef Naan Tacos A unique twist with savory ground beef and a cooling yogurt sauce on soft naan bread.
- Asian Chicken Tacos Featuring tender chicken and a refreshing mango slaw for a tropical flair.
- Chipotle Chicken Tacos Slow-cooked, smoky chipotle chicken complemented by quick-pickled red onions.
Print Recipe
Asian Pork Tacos
Video
Equipment
- Large cast-iron pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil or vegetable oil
- 2 cups diced mushrooms see note 1
- 1 bunch green onions divided
- 1-1/2 pounds ground pork 85/15
- 1-1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1-1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 cups shredded carrots or matchstick
- 1 (10-ounce) bag shredded cabbage see note 2
- Flour tortillas see note 3
- Limes for lime wedges, optional
- Cilantro optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce see note 4
- 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce see note 5
- 1/2 cup mayo see note 6
- 2 juicy limes
- 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
Instructions
- Zest limes using a zester to yield 1/2 teaspoon zest. Juice the limes with a citrus juicer to obtain 3 tablespoons lime juice. Set both aside.
- In a small bowl, combine mayo, lime zest, lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of chili-garlic sauce. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture until it is completely smooth. Cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the tacos.
- Thoroughly wash and dry the mushrooms, then dice them into small, uniform pieces. Thinly slice the green onions, separating the white parts from the green parts. Finely mince the ginger and garlic.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the diced mushrooms and the white portions of the green onions to the pan. Sauté, stirring only occasionally, for 3–4 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and released their moisture. Push the cooked mushrooms and onions to the edges of the pan, creating a clear space in the center.
- Add the ground pork to the center of the pan. Break it up with a spoon as it cooks, allowing it to brown until it’s mostly cooked through, about 3–5 minutes. Incorporate the minced ginger and garlic, continuing to cook and break up the pork until no pink remains, which should take an additional 2–3 minutes.
- While the pork is cooking, prepare the stir-fry sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and soy sauce until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps. Once smooth, add in the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, and 2 tablespoons of chili-garlic sauce. Whisk again until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce is smooth. Set this mixture aside.
- Add the shredded cabbage and matchstick carrots to the pan with the pork mixture. Stir and cook for 1 minute to soften the vegetables slightly. Then, pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce. Continue to cook and stir constantly until the sauce has thickened to a glossy consistency and the vegetables are tender-crisp, typically within 2–3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the reserved green onion tops.
- Prepare your tortilla shells by cooking or warming them through using your preferred method (refer to note 7 for options). To assemble, load each warm tortilla with approximately 1/4 cup (38g) of the delicious pork filling. Drizzle generously with the prepared spicy mayo sauce. For an extra burst of freshness, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the top. Enjoy these flavorful Asian Pork Tacos promptly! This recipe yields approximately 28 street-taco-sized tacos when each is filled with 1/4 cup of meat.
Recipe Notes
Note 2: To save time and effort, consider purchasing a bag of pre-shredded cabbage rather than shredding a full head. This convenient shortcut cooks down quickly and simplifies your prep. Just ensure the package lists only green cabbage as an ingredient, avoiding any pre-mixed or dressed coleslaw blends.
Note 3: Flour tortillas are highly recommended for these tacos due to their soft and pliable texture. We particularly love Tortilla Land tortillas for their exceptional freshness and ease of preparation directly off the heat. If you have a preferred brand, feel free to use it, but ensure they are soft taco size.
Note 4: The quality of hoisin sauce can significantly impact the final flavor. We strongly recommend using Lee Kum Kee’s sauce for its excellent balance of sweet, savory, and tangy notes. If you already have a favorite brand you trust, feel free to use it; otherwise, opt for Lee Kum Kee’s for guaranteed best results.
Note 5: Chili-garlic sauce provides a crucial spicy kick that balances the sweetness of the hoisin. Without it, the dish may lack its intended vibrant flavor profile. If you are very sensitive to spice, you can reduce the amount slightly, but be aware it will alter the flavor balance. We also tested this recipe with sriracha; 1 tablespoon of Sriracha in the pork mixture (2 tablespoons was too spicy) and 1 tablespoon in the mayo sauce worked as an acceptable substitute.
Note 6: For the best spicy mayo, use a high-quality, savory mayonnaise like Hellmann’s Best Foods (avoid sweet mayo varieties). If you decide to skip the spicy mayo, ensure you squeeze plenty of fresh lime juice over the pork mixture to add essential acidity and a bright, refreshing counterpoint to the rich flavors. For extra spice in the mayo, simply add more chili-garlic sauce to taste.
Note 7: If your tortillas are not the fresh kind that require cooking, it’s essential to warm them thoroughly before serving to ensure they are pliable and do not tear. Here are our recommended methods:
- Char the tortillas: Spray both sides with olive oil cooking spray and char directly over a gas flame for a few seconds per side. Use tongs to flip until lightly charred and softened. Immediately fold them in half and keep warm under a kitchen towel.
- Heat in a skillet: Spray both sides with cooking spray and cook in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 10–15 seconds per side. Fold them in half immediately and keep warm under a kitchen towel.
- Microwave: Wrap a stack of tortillas in paper towels and microwave for about 20 seconds until they are warm and pliable.
Nutrition Note: The provided nutrition information is an approximation for one serving, which is generally considered to be about 4 or 5 street-taco-sized tacos.
Storage: The spicy mayo sauce recipe often yields more than you might use in one sitting – it’s always better to have extra than not enough! Store any leftover sauce and pork filling in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The pork filling will remain fresh and delicious for up to 3-4 days, while the sauce can last for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.