This Mole Pork Tacos recipe features tender pork tenderloin and an easy shortcut mole sauce that’s unbelievably delicious. Grab your favorite toppings and dig in!
Pork Tacos with a Quick and Easy Mole Sauce
My first memory of a really great mole? It was my first visit to Mexico, nearly eight years ago. I ordered a shredded chicken mole entree that was spectacular. So spectacular, in fact, that I actually wiped up my plate with my finger. I feel no shame.
If you know anything about mole, then you know that when this thick, beautiful sauce is authentically made, it requires a long list of ingredients and a good amount of time. Most people just aren’t up for the task.
Well I’m sharing a super tasty shortcut mole sauce today with these Mole Pork Tacos. You should’ve seen my family the first time I made this meal – the tacos were instantly approved. Not a leftover taco to be found!
Where This Recipe Comes From
This family-approved recipe comes from the pages of Weeknight Gourmet Dinners by Meseidy Rivera of The Noshery.
The cookbook is full of inspiration for those who like big, beautiful flavor with little fuss. Meseidy, a culinary school graduate with professional experience, put alot of love into this book. She wanted to help home cooks feel comfortable with elevating their meals – and she did so by creating approachable recipes and sharing many of her tips and tricks.
This mole pork taco recipe is a great example. Meseidy created an excellent shortcut mole sauce with just a few ingredients, an easy technique, and minimal time. I definitely call that a win!
Meseidy’s creativity in the kitchen shines bright with recipes like:
- Bloody Mary Pepper Bacon-Wrapped Chicken (wish I could pluck her picture right out of that book and eat it!)
- Slow Cooker Tamarind Sticky Ribs
- Goat Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Honey and Chorizo.
If you’re looking to up your dinner game, this book is filled with tasty ideas!
Pork Taco Recipe Ingredients
This recipe has a short ingredients list, yet it’s PACKED with flavor. I love how Meseidy uses a prepared mole, so that all those authentic mole flavors are included, without all the work – and then she expands on it with a few more ingredients to create a fantastic wet rub.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken stock – I recommend a low sodium version, so you can control the salt in the overall dish.
- Prepared mole – If you’re not familiar with this ingredient, check out the Mexican section of your grocery store. Amazon also carries several choices.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo – A great ingredient to have on hand when making Mexican meals.
- Mexican hot chocolate – I LOVED using this ingredient in this recipe, so fun!
- Salt
- Pork tenderloin – Lean and tender, and perfect in these tacos.
- Tortillas – Use whatever is your favorite.
And you can’t have tacos without toppings, right? Everyone has their own preferences, but our family likes sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, shredded Mexican cheese, Pickled Red Onions, and fresh lime wedges to squeeze over the top!
How to Make Mole Pork Tacos
Prep: Set broiler to high and line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil.
Make mole: In a blender or food processor, combine chicken stock, prepared mole, chipotle pepper, Mexican hot chocolate, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Combine pork and mole: In a large bowl, toss pork with the mole mixture until evenly coated. Then spread out pork on the prepared pan.
Broil: Place pan of pork under the broiler for 10 minutes, folding the pork half-way through. This is an incredibly easy way to make pork tenderloin tacos!
Final steps: While the pork is in the oven, prep the taco toppings and warm the tortillas in a microwave or lightly char them over a gas flame on the stovetop.
Serve: All that’s left to do is serve it all up! Let individuals fill warmed/charred tortillas with the hot mole pork and desired toppings. Then ENJOY!
Toppings for Pork Tacos
Taco toppings are a seemingly endless adventure. There are so many possibilities!
Here are some ideas for you:
- Pickled Red Onions – Have you tried this easy recipe yet? It’s a longtime reader favorite, and our fridge is rarely without a jar. They are such a fabulous taco topper!
- Chopped onions – If you’re not a “pickled” fan, then just chop up some fresh onions. Red, yellow, or white – any kind you like.
- Green onions – Slice up some green onions for that super fresh, green onion flavor.
- Avocado – Serve it sliced or chunked.
- Guacamole – Or use your avocados to make guacamole!
- Fresh cilantro – I like to roughly chop it.
- Sweet bell peppers – Slice it or chop it.
- Hot peppers – Slice up jalapeno, serrano, or the very hot habanero.
- Radishes – Thin slices work well.
- Sweet corn kernels (raw) – When sweet corn is in season, this is one of our favorite taco toppings!
- Shredded Mexican cheese – I can’t serve tacos to my family without offering cheese!
- Crumbled cotija cheese – A fun, salty, crumbly cheese.
- Sour cream – A creamy, tangy contrast.
- Lime wedges – To squeeze over the top.
What to Serve with Tacos
Looking for sides to serve with your tacos? I have a few ideas for you:
- Coleslaw – I’m always game for a crunchy, tangy fresh coleslaw salad. This recipe comes from my mom.
- Pineapple Salsa – Because everyone loves chips & salsa!
- Watermelon Salsa – Can you tell that I like fruit salsas?! :)
- Mexican Corn Salad – You’ll love this off-the-cob version of elote!
- Watermelon & Citrus Shrimp Ceviche – Fresh and flavorful, perfect for scooping up with some chips!
- There’s also always rice, Mexican rice, black beans, and refried beans!
And Don’t Forget the Margaritas!
It’s always easy to crack open a cold Mexican beer, and it’s often the best simple choice. But margaritas will always be my Mexican meal beverage of choice. I offer you a few to choose from – can you tell how much I like margaritas?!
- Classic Margarita – The margarita I make most often. Fresh and tart and simple.
- Orange Margarita – So sunny and bright. Especially good during citrus season!
- Rhubarb Margarita – My favorite for spring. I love that rhubarb flavor, plus this drink is so pretty!
- Prosecco Margaritas – If you like bubbles, this one’s for you!
- Jalapeno Mezcal Margarita – A bold and spicy cocktail, with smoky mezcal that’s infused with fresh jalapeno + a chili salt rim for the glass!
- Pink Lemonade Margarita – So pretty-in-pink, with a softer twist on the traditional margarita, using lemons instead of limes.
I also want to let you know about two other drinks we enjoyed on that first trip to Mexico. The kids slurped up the Pink Panther Mocktail every single day of our stay – a fun frozen drink that tastes like a strawberry-infused piña colada.
And the adults sipped on the beautiful after-dinner drink, Mexican Coffee. It’s a cocktail that’s served hot, topped with a fluffy layer of whipped cream. Fun, fun, fun!!
More Delicious Taco Recipes
Mole Pork Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup prepared mole
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobe
- ½ tab 46 g Mexican hot chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 pounds pork tenderloin silver skin removed, cubed into 1″ pieces
- 12 tortillas
- 1 avocado pitted, peeled, and sliced
- fresh cilantro
- shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 lime sliced into wedges
- pickled red onions
Instructions
- Set broiler to high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with heavy foil and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, combine chicken stock, mole, chipotle pepper, Mexican hot chocolate, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, toss pork with the mole mixture until evenly coated. Spread out pork on the prepared pan.
- Broil the pork for 10 minutes, turning half-way through. While the pork is in the oven, warm the tortillas in a microwave or lightly char them over a gas flame on the stovetop.
- Serve mole pork in warm tortillas, garnished with your favorite toppings, such as avocado, cilantro, and a sprinkle of Mexican cheese. I, of course, always need some freshly squeezed lime and my favorite pickled red onions!
Notes
Nutrition Information:
I received a copy of Weeknight Gourmet Dinners for my use and review. All opinions are 100% my own.
I like this easy version and want to give it a try.
5 star