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In the realm of weeknight dinners, Pork Belly Tacos are a revelation, melding Asian and Mexican flavors in a quick, 30-minute recipe. On a recent Tuesday evening, when the thought of heating up the leftovers we’d been eating all week felt unbearable, I found myself assembling these little marvels instead.
The star, of course, is the pork belly – a cut that’s practically designed for Instagram, with its perfect ratio of meat to fat. Roasted until meltingly tender (a weekend project that pays dividends), it’s then pan-fried until crisp and nestled into a soft corn tortilla. A scatter of cabbage provides crunch, cilantro adds freshness, and a drizzle of spicy-tangy mayo ties it all together in a neat, 30-minute package. It’s the kind of meal that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, even if your sink is full of dishes and you’re eating over the kitchen counter. And while I can’t promise these tacos will solve all your problems, I can say this: the roasted pork belly recipe makes a lot and freezes beautifully, guaranteeing that your next weeknight dinner crisis is just a defrost away from resolution.
Ingredients for Pork Belly Tacos
- Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly: The decadent centerpiece of our tacos. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside – it’s what makes these tacos special.
- Corn Tortillas: I prefer small, soft corn tortillas for these tacos.
- Mayonnaise: Use a good quality mayo as the base for the spicy-tangy sauce.
- Sriracha: This adds a spicy kick to the mayo. Adjust the amount to your heat preference.
- Lime Juice: Fresh is best here. The acidity brightens up the whole taco and cuts through the richness of the pork belly.
- Soy Sauce: Just a touch in the sauce adds depth and ties in the Asian fusion element.
- Shredded Cabbage: Red or green, your choice. It adds a fresh crunch that contrasts nicely with the tender pork belly.
- Fresh Cilantro: Love it or hate it, cilantro adds a fresh, herbal note that’s classic in tacos. If you’re not a fan, you can substitute with parsley or just use extra green onions.
- Green Onions: These add a mild oniony flavor and a pop of color.
- Jalapeño: Optional, but great if you like an extra kick. Remove the seeds if you want less heat.
- Lime Wedges: A final squeeze of lime juice just before eating really makes all the flavors shine.
7 Recipe Tips
- Warm your tortillas before putting the tacos together. It makes them more pliable and enhances their flavor. I like to wrap them in foil and heat them in the oven, but you can also warm them in a dry skillet.
- When reheating the pork belly, don’t overdo it. You just want to crisp up the edges and warm it through. Overcooking can make it tough.
- Make the spicy tangy mayo ahead of time and refrigerate it. It’ll give the flavors time to meld and save you a step when you’re ready to eat.
- Feel free to adjust the heat level of the mayo to your liking. Add more sriracha for extra kick, or dial it back for a milder sauce.
- For easy serving, set up a taco bar with all the ingredients. It’s fun for family dinners and casual get-togethers.
- If you have leftover pork belly, it’s great in fried rice or ramen the next day. Don’t let those crispy bits go to waste!
- These tacos are best fresh, while the pork belly is still hot and crispy. But if you need to make them ahead, keep everything separate until you’re ready to eat.
Recipe Options
- Swap corn for flour tortillas if you prefer. Small street taco-sized tortillas work great.
- Try different toppings: add diced avocado, pickled red onions, or a sprinkle of sesame seeds for extra crunch.
- Add a sweet element with diced mango or pineapple salsa.
- Try different slaws: a pre-made coleslaw mix or Asian-style slaw works well too.
- Make it gluten-free by using tamari instead of soy sauce in the mayo.
- Top with a dollop of sour cream or Mexican crema for extra richness.
- Sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco over the tacos for a salty, tangy kick.
Make these for a couple or a crowd, they’re simple to assemble and are sure to leave everyone rubbing their bellies and sighing with satisfaction!
More Must-Try Taco Recipes
How to Make Pork Belly Tacos
Preheat your oven to 350°F and wrap your tortillas in foil to warm them up while you prep everything else. Slice your pre-cooked pork belly into thin strips and crisp them up in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
While that’s sizzling, make the spicy tangy mayo by mixing mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce, and lime juice in a bowl. Once your pork belly is crispy and your tortillas are warm, it’s assembly time. Layer each tortilla with a portion of the crispy pork belly, add your favorite toppings like cabbage, cilantro, and green onions, then drizzle with the spicy mayo. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice if you like, then your fusion tacos are ready to devour!
Pork Belly Tacos
Video
Ingredients
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1/2 recipe Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly
Spicy Tangy Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Toppings
- red or green cabbage thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro chopped
- green onions finely chopped
- jalepeno thinly sliced
Optional
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Wrap 2 stacks of 4 tortillas separately in foil. Heat in oven 10 to 15 minutes until soft and warm.
- Meanwhile, slice Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly (or other cooked pork belly) into 1/8-inch crosswise slices. Place in a skillet over medium heat and fry until edges are crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet to a paper towel to drain.
- To make Spicy Tangy Mayonnaise: whisk together mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce and lime juice.
- To assemble tacos: top each warm tortilla with 1/8 of pork belly, desired amount of toppings and Spicy Tangy Mayonnaise. Squeeze a fresh lime over the top if you like. Serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ok… I had issues with the three day thing. So I cooked more than a pound and we chopped off a chunk for dinner after cooking, before cooling. Delicious. Then put the rest under plastic on a plate for the next night, full on corn tortillas toppings. The overnight refrigeration and it was almost like cutting butter, perfect for thin tortilla (pro style slices). It really does pay to food prep if you want your meals to come out better than tossing canned beans on a plate. Really impressive, thank you.
Love your cooking notes, thank you! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
We DID EXACTLY THE SAME- 4 DAY DEAL- UNREALISTIC- WHEN WE HAD SMOKED A 4LB SCORED PORK BELLY IN 9 HOURS FROM START TO FINISH – AND IT WAS LIKE BUTTER!!
This is the 2 nd time I’ve cooked your wonderful pork belly recipe; I have 2 college aged sons, and they enjoyed the recipe so much, I quadrupled the amount for this go-round! Lol . I’m sharing the recipe with family and friends too! Thank you!
So of course I used your pork belly recipe and had leftovers, and then I stumbled across this recipe. I made these tonight! They are absolutely Delicious. If you do not like cilantro these maybe not for you because I think it completely makes the dish. I took the cabbage and used the dressing and mixed it together to make more like a coleslaw to put on the tacos. I sincerely have not had anything so delicious in such a long time. I’m excited to make my next pork belly because I will try the Ramen soup. Thank you much for such a simple flavor explosion!
That’s wonderful, Jodi! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know!! Can’t wait for you to try the ramen!! 😉
I have to admit I’ve never tried tacos filled with pork belly before! What a delicious idea and I love how fresh, healthy and vibrant they are.
Thanks so much, Jack! They are decadent delicious! 🙂
I made these tonight and we loved them! I’m going to make them again. I also used your recipe for the roasted pork belly.
You made my day, Teresa!! 🙂
Just the mention of the words “pork belly” peaks my interest – never fails! Love your sriracha mayo and red cabbage combo for garnish.
Thanks, Milena! 🙂
See, an even better reason to make your pork belly Saturday! <3
Definitely!! And I know you’ll put your own delicious twist on them.
I’m in awe of this kind of food, Marissa. It shouts ‘the best of the USA’. I’ve often thought of doing something similar on my blog but feel like a fraud – I think I should leave this sort of thing to the experts!
Asian-Mexican fusion= my idea of heaven!
Come for a visit, Helen!! We’ll make tacos. xoxo
I totally remember when tacos were just ground beef boring-ness. These days you can throw just about anything and everything into a tortilla and call it a day. Which I LOVE. Tacos for life! These pork belly tacos are genius, Marissa!!!! Love the Mexican and Asian fusion going on here! SO MUCH YUUUUMMM! Cheers!
Definitely – Tacos for life! 🙂 Thanks, my friend!
Oh yes, these sound great.
Thank you, Karen!
Haha! I laughed at your comment on traditional tacos…because those sound exactly like the tacos we had growing up (sour cream optional)! But I could totally get behind these pork belly tacos. What a fun idea! I’m always down for turning a meal into a taco night, and I’m thinking I need to get to work on this pork belly idea soon. I’m ready for tacos…and it’s not even 8am yet! 🙂
These are great!!! Cooked the pork in the air fryer first and added a little more lime, siracha and chola to the sauce. Sooo yummy!
So glad you enjoyed!!
I totally know what you mean! Growing up, tacos meant ground beef, salsa, cheese and maybe lettuce.
Now? Anything goes! I love how you could have limitless combos of protein, toppings and sauce. You’ve certainly made good use of the pork belly here in these. Extra cilantro for me please 😉
I love cilantro too, Dawn! Is there such thing as a cilantro salad? 😉
Hi Marissa. I love tacos of all kinds and these sound wonderful; I mean it’s pork belly, what could be better? I personally am happy with flour tortillas and refried beans. I’m really quite simple.
Hi Dorothy! If you knew how many lunches we’ve made of flour tortillas and refried beans (and cheese!) in our house, you’d know that we’re kindred spirits.
I don’t eat pork, but if I did, I KNOWWWWWWWWWW I would love this! KNOW IT – because I loveeeee belly (on other meats/fish)… I am a FAT loving girl! 😉
haha, me too, GiGi! Thanks…
Haha I’d definitely be rubbing my belly for these Marissa! I also love Sriracha mayonnaise too 😀
Isn’t sriracha mayo great! It’s a great dipping sauce / dressing for so many things!