Fusion Recipe Lab / Recipe

Char Siu Carnitas Taco

Crispy pork with char siu glaze, onion, and cilantro in toasted corn tortillas.

Vehicle

tortilla

Inspiration

Mexican / Chinese

Flavor Profile

sweet-savory, umami, smoky

Meal Type

dinner

Protein

pork

Spice Level

medium

Texture

soft

Difficulty

moderate

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours

Total Time

2 hours 20 minutes

Prep Style

batch-cooking

Tags

handheld, pork, weekend, crowd-pleaser

Notebook Entry

Description

Carnitas texture meets char siu glaze for a sticky-crisp pork taco with excellent weeknight leftover potential.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork shoulder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 10 corn tortillas
  • Diced onion and cilantro

Preparation

  1. Slow-cook pork shoulder with salt and five-spice until tender.
  2. Shred pork and crisp in a hot skillet.
  3. Mix soy sauce, hoisin, honey, and rice vinegar; toss with crisped pork.
  4. Warm tortillas.

Assembly

  1. Fill tortillas with char siu carnitas.
  2. Top with onion and cilantro.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with lime and sliced cucumber.
  • Add chili crisp for extra kick.

Notes or Variations

  • Use chicken thighs for a faster version.
  • Add pineapple salsa for sweetness.