This easy, slow cooked pork recipe results in a flavorful, tender and versatile meat that can be used in tacos, burritos or burrito bowls, quesadillas, or sandwiches.

Slow cooked Mexican pork over white rice with black beans and cilantro

This slow cooker Mexican pork is one of our go-to family favorites. Here are just a few of the reasons we love it so much:

Easy: prep only takes five minutes (no searing required), so it's truly a "set it and forget it" type of slow cooker meal.
Versatile: You can use the meat in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, rice bowls, quesadillas, sandwiches, or just about anything else you can think of!
Freezes really well: Just put any leftover pork into a labeled freezer bag, and you'll have dinner ready for another night in the future. This recipe makes enough for about two full dinners of for a family of four.
Customizable: Just like a taco, you can top or combine the pork with anything you like, so it's a crowd-pleasing dish.
Delicious! I never get tired of making OR eating this pork!

Pork Loin vs Pork Shoulder

Some people like to use pork shoulder for making shredded pork dishes, but I prefer to use pork loin roast for this recipe because it's leaner. There's usually just one thin layer of fat on a pork loin roast, which can be removed easily after the pork cooks, as opposed to the shoulder which requires more labor-intensive fat removal. I really, really hate biting into a piece of meat fat, so I'm a big fan of the loin!

I added a drained and rinsed can of black beans to the pork after it was done cooking since I was serving it over rice. I just served like that (hey, I was tired), but if you're feeling motivated you can add all kinds of toppings.

Burrito Bowl Toppings

pinto beans
shredded lettuce
avocado
crushed tortilla chips
salsa
shredded cheese
roasted veggies
diced tomatoes
fresh or pickled jalapeños
cilantro

Make it your own! The possibilities are endless.

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Pork

This shredded pork is perfect for taco, burrito bowls, sandwiches, and more!

4.34 from 3 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 5 5

Servings:

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Kate

Ingredients

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes*
½ onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro
1 packet of taco seasoning
3 lb pork loin roast
salt
canned black beans optional

Special equipment

slow cooker

Instructions

Pour the tomatoes into the crockpot. Place the pork on top, fat side up. Add the other ingredients, reserving some of the cilantro for garnishing. You don't even need to chop the garlic—just peel it and fling it in there.
Cook on high for several hours. After about 3-4 hours turn it down to low if it seems like it's close to being done. Or, if it's going to be cooking all day, just put it on low from the start.
When it's done (it should fall apart easily), remove the fat, shred the pork, and let the shredded pork cook in the tomato-y juices a while longer. Either remove the chunks of garlic or smash them up and stir them around. Season to taste with salt, additional taco seasoning, or hot sauce if you want to spice things up.

Notes

*I use two cans (or one large can) of crushed tomatoes if I'm making rice bowls; for tacos I use one can of diced tomatoes.

Nutrition