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Pulled Pork Salad is my favorite light and refreshing way to enjoy leftover pulled pork! A crunchy blend of lettuce and cabbage piled high with succulent chunks of Mexican pulled pork, tomatoes, cotija cheese, avocado and topped with a creamy, spicy jalapeño ranch dressing. It’s irresistible!
I often assemble the salads individually, but it’s also a great one to serve family-style. Serve the lettuce and cabbage mixture along with all of the toppings separately and let everyone build their own their perfect salad with just the right amount of creamy, spicy dressing.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need to Make Pulled Pork Salad
For the Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
- Sour Cream: or Mexican crema
- Jalapeño: look for a fresh Jalapeño pepper with firm, smooth skin
- Garlic: fresh garlic clove
- Cilantro: fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- Chives: fresh chives or green onions
- Lime: fresh lime juice
- Kosher Salt
For the Salad
- Romaine Lettuce: or other crunchy lettuce or mixed greens
- Green Cabbage: or purple cabbage
- Avocado: ripe avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes: or grape tomatoes or diced plum or roma tomatoes
- Cotija Cheese: or queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Pulled Pork: ideally this Carnitas / Mexican pulled pork leftover or just made
- Cilantro: fresh cilantro leaves
Think of this as a beautiful, extra-hearty taco salad that’s fun to share with family and friends. And not only that, it’s also an excellent option for meal prep because you can store all of the ingredients and salad dressing separately in the refrigerator for a quick and easy lunch or dinner (also try my Mexican Chopped Salad).
How to Reheat Pulled Pork
To reheat pulled pork on the stovetop: heat a small drizzle of oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until the meat is heated through and the edges are crisp and golden brown, adding reserved cooking liquid or broth as needed to moisten the meat. You can do this in batches if you have a large amount of pork to reheat.
Recipe Options
- Add thinly sliced fresh or pickled jalapeño peppers, or several dashes of your favorite hot sauce for extra spicy kick.
- In the summertime, top salads with a handful fresh corn kernals cut from the cob for added sweetness and crunch.
- Add sharp cheddar or your favorite Mexican cheese blend for an extra cheesy salad.
- Top with pinto beans or kidney beans for added flavor and heft.
More Great Ways to Enjoy Leftover Pulled Pork
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
- Pulled Pork Nachos
- Pulled Pork Enchiladas
- Pulled Pork Chili
- Or see my roundup: The Best Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes
Pulled Pork Salad
Ingredients
Jalapeño Ranch Dressing:
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream or Mexican crema
- 1 jalapeño seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 small green onions
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce washed and torn into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
- 1 avocado peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 ounces cotija cheese crumbled
- 12 ounces pulled pork ideally this Carnitas / Mexican pulled pork leftover or just made, (see Recipe Note)
- handful of fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Combine jalapeño ranch dressing ingredients in a food processor (or blender pitcher) and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt to taste; transfer to serving pitcher or jar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Divide salad ingredients among 6 salad bowls and serve dressing alongside for each person to spoon on their desired amount.
Notes
- This salad is great with cold pulled pork, but you can also warm it in a skillet until it has crispy edges before serving. (See post for photos and specific instructions.)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe caught my attention because I LOVE salads. This one is fun, and I love the dressing as well!
Thanks, Mimi!
What do you think of using Jackfruit instead of Pork? I want an exciting presentation that is vegetarian.
Hi Jojobe! I imagine you’re asking about jackfruit that has been cooked and spiced to mimc pulled pork? If so, then yes, absolutely! I think that would work well as a vegetarian take on this recipe.
Wow. This looks fabulous! Much nice than ground meat.
Thanks so much, Mimi!
Pulled pork is the best and I love a main course salad that’s hearty (and pretty!) like this one. And that dressing . . . . YUM! 🙂 ~Valentina
Beautiful salad – bright, offering the variety of textures and flavours, and also filling. Perfect choice as the main course for me!
So very yummy, versatile and nutritious! I like to make salads with leftover roast…gotta try it next time when I make pulled pork.
Thanks so much, Angie! I hope you will.