These Pork Tostadas are so easy! The pork is made in a slow-cooker and the tortillas are baked, not fried, making this a delicious, light meal.
These pork tostadas are so delicious and full of flavor.. you don’t even need to add any extra sauce or salad dressing! I adapted the pork (carnitas) recipe from the Food Network and it is my new favorite way to do shredded pork. We had the pork in tacos a few days after making the tostadas and they were out of this world good. Definitely keep this recipe on hand to use for a new taco/burrito/enchilada filling! You won’t be disappointed! Another thing I love about this recipe is that the shells are baked… they are nice and crispy in just a few minutes. YUM.
Shredded Pork Tostadas
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 1 Lb. boneless country-style pork ribs or you can use pork shoulder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 onion coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno you can use fresh but I actually like it from a jar the best
- 1/2 orange peel and all
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
For the tostada shells:
- 4-6 corn tortillas
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
Additional toppings:
- lettuce
- black beans drained and rinsed
- diced tomatoes
- diced avocado
- sliced olives
- light sour cream
- salsa
- cotija cheese crumbles
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Salt and pepper pork liberally. Combine the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Squeeze the orange over the pork (removing any seeds) and place the orange half in the slow cooker with the pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.
- Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork. In a large saute pan, heat the canola oil over high heat. Press the shredded pork into the oil and fry until crusty on one side, cover and set aside.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 425-degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place tortillas on top. Brush each tortilla with oil on both sides and bake for 5 min on one side. Flip tortillas over and bake an additional 2-3 minutes or until tortillas become crispy.
- Place about 1/4 c. of the pork mixture on each tostada (you will have leftover pork... heats up great for leftovers). Top with lettuce and additional toppings and serve!
These look delicious. I read through the recipe 2-3 times and I can’t see what the carnitas are, did I miss something?
Whoops! Sorry… shredded pork = carnitas. I fixed it on the recipe to eliminate confusion!
mmm . . . I LOVE tostadas and these are so pretty too.
Did you really only use one pound of meat with all of that seasoning? I have a shoulder defrosting and wonder if I should multiply the seasonings.
Yes, you can use up to 2 Lbs of meat… any more than that and you will want to double the seasonings
Can you use pork roast?
Yes, you definitely can!
I saw this on Pinterest and happened to have some boneless pork chops defrosted in the fridge. I just had to try this recipe and didn’t feel like going out. So, I threw them in the crock pot and used orange preserves because I have no oranges. I also added just a bit of lemon juice. I can’t wait for them to be done! I will let you know how they turned out.
Since I have several pork tenderloins in the freezer can I use them?
Yes, of course! I always buy meat when it is on sale and then freeze it to use later. I usually unthaw it overnight in the fridge before using it.
I’ve made these a few times and my family absolutely LOVES them!! Thanks for the amazing recipe. Easy to make and a great meal especially on a hot day when you don’t want to slave over a hot stove!! Definitely 4 stars!!
Oh..and the leftover pork is phenomenal the day after for burritos or pork tacos or even just thrown over salad as a type of “taco” salad!! The possibilities are endless!
I am nervous about the orange, does it make the meat sweet?
I don’t think it does but if you are worried about it, you can just leave it out 🙂
I made it last night and it was delicious!