Fill Your Plate Blog

Sarah Hunt, AZFB Communications Intern

What better way to celebrate National Tequila Day than with tacos and margaritas? Try this delicious pork taco recipe by Cooking for Keeps, brought to you by the Arizona Pork Council.

Crispy Pork Tenderloin Tacos

By Cooking for Keeps

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 1/2 tbsp lime juice, divided
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn (defrosted frozen corn works as well)
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 jalapeno seeds and stems removed and finely diced
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1/4 cup finely diced red pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-2 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided

Instructions

1. Don’t prep any of the ingredients until you marinate the pork.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut pork tenderloin into ¼-inch slices. Cut slices into 1/8-1/4-inch strips.
3. Add soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, honey, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add sliced pork. Use tongs to toss the pork in the marinade.
4. Prep and chop the ingredients.
5. Add corn, red pepper, jalapeno, one garlic clove, cilantro, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. After assembling salsa, give the pork a stir.
7. Add Greek yogurt, chipotle in adobo, remaining 2 teaspoons lime juice, remaining garlic clove, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to a small bowl. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. If the pork hasn’t marinated for at least 15 minutes, let it marinate until you reach 15 minutes. You can also marinate the pork tenderloin up to three days in advance in the refrigerator.
9. Drain the marinade from the pork and discard. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. This will help to sear the pork versus steam it.
10. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot, add ¾ tablespoon of the oil, about 2 teaspoons to the skillet. Swirl to coat. Add half of the pork tenderloin. Make sure the pork is evenly spread out on the pan. Don’t move it so it can sear properly. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and sear on the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Pork tenderloin cooks very quickly. Remove from the pan and repeat with remaining half of the pork.
11. While the pork cooks, place corn tortillas in a kitchen towel. Heat for 35 seconds until warm and pliable. You can also char them over a gas stove flame.
12. To assemble. Transfer pork to tortilla. Dollop with yogurt. Cover with corn salsa. Squeeze extra lime juice on top if desired.

Try these Fill Your Plate recipes for margaritas or limeade:

Limeade

Watermelon Margarita Mocktails

Find more delicious recipes on Fill Your Plate!