Thanks to my piggie-loving friends over at The National Pork Board for sponsoring this post!
Want to share this recipe to your Facebook wall to save for later? Click HERE!
These healthy, gluten free slow cooker pork tenderloin tacos are packed with spicy-sweet fall flavor, and are an easy, weeknight, meal that the whole family will love!
Tangy cranberries exploding with bursts of juicy freshness that mix-n-mingle with spicy chipotle, sweet apple juice and maple syrup with notes of cinnamon and ginger in what one can only call “HELLO FALL, WELCOME TO MY FACE” food.
Aka: the kind of meal that makes my refusing-to-acknowledge-the-fact-that-I-am-wearing-a-scarf-right now inner self secretly really happy to eat. I mean, food that fills your house AND face with cozy food vibes? TIS THE SEASON.
Not for 2 months? Too soon? Whatever. If I’m wearing a scarf we can throw out the holiday references. DEAL WIDIT.
SRSLY though, when are you going to jump off the couch and rub one of them SUPER delish and protein-RICH pork tenderloins with a little bit of spiced-cinnamon-ginger-clove YUM and then let it just BATHE in a fall-flavored X-TRAVAGANZA consisting of VERY few ingredients. And, like, NO WORK. HELLO slow cooker, I love thee.
So, umm chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You’re all like “UGH why must I buy this ingredient that I only need ½ Tbsp of, and then I will never use it ever again (unless I make chipotle chicken bowls) because I am a person who eats oatmeal 5000 times a day and really has no use for adobe sauce except for this ONE TIME.”
[Tweet “Taco Tuesday called, and it wants some Cranberry Apple Pork Tacos! @PorkBeInspired”]But the oatmeal addiction thing might just be me. Unless we share a secret bond that runs VERY deep. Which, you know, would BE AWESOME.
HOLD UP THOUGH. Re: Chipotle pepper shenanigans:
- You need it.
- Yes, I tried it without the sauce.
- You need it.
- it’s like 80 cents. And it will change your life. In the sense that it will make those tangy-juicy cranberries and ripples of maple-syrup sweetness SO balanced and, like, this will be the most ultimate slow cooker shredded pork that the inner-easy-recipe-MAJOR-<3<3<3-person that I know you are, has ever MUNCHED.
See. DO it.
BY THE WAY, did we just talk about pork? I think that we did. Did you see my super-duper fun recap of my trip to Iowa with the Pork Board last week, to celebrate National Pork Month? GUYSGUYSGUYS I got to PULL A PIG. <— Click to the post to read what that is, because you might not want to talk about it and eat this real-food-wholesome-taco-goodness at the same time.
I GOT YO’ BACK.
In other news. Apple noodles. Do you love them? Have we eaten them about 802930 times recently? That is, perhaps, a slight exaggeration. BUT WHY ARE THEY SO DELICIOUS? Is it that crispy-crunchy and perfectly sweet freshness that they provide to this FLAVOR BOMB of a taco. Especially when paired with a sweet and tangy Maple Greek yogurt drizzle? <— OH HEY X-TRA PROTEIN.
Why yes, yes it is.
SO, don’t be all like “EHHHHH, I’mma be a lazy dinner person and just make pork WITHOUT apple noodles” BECAUSE YOU WILL REGRET IT. I know how you think. My eyeballs are ON YOU.
Plus, it sounds like they’re really hard to make. But, umm, 2 minutes. All you need. Pinkie promise.
May your days be filled with cozy-yet-fashionable infinity scarves, your nights be filled with whatever you like to do at night (?) and your bellies be filled with Maple Cranberry Pork Tacos. <— MOST IMPORTANT.
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Ginger powder
- 1/8 tsp Clove powder
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 lbs Pork Tenderloin just under 1 1/2
- 1 Cup No-sugar added apple juice
- 2 Cups Cranberries Fresh or Thawed frozen
- 2 Tbsp Pure maple syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp Adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
For the apple noodles:
- 3 Large Apples spiralized with the 3mm blade., I used fuji
- 1 Tbsp Pure maple syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
For the sauce:
- 1/4 Cup Plain Non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Pure Maple syrup
- White corn tortillas for serving
- Chopped green onion for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients up the pork tenderloin.
- Dry off the pork tenderloin and rub the spice mixture all over it, making sure to really press it into all sides so it's evenly coated.
- Combine the apple juice, cranberries, 2 Tbsp of the maple syrup and adobe sauce in the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker, stirring to mix well. Add the pork into the slow cooker, spooning the juices over top and really nestling the pork among the cranberries. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falls apart. Mine took 8 hours.
- Once the pork is cooked, transfer to a cutting board. Using a potato masher, mash up all the liquid in the slow cooker, so that the cranberries break down, mix into the juice and thicken it.
- Using two forks, shred the pork and then place back into the slow cooker. Mix to coat with the juices. *
- Once the pork is shredded mix the apple noodles with 1 Tbsp of maple syrup, 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.. In a separate small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt with the remaining Maple syrup.
- Serve the pork on a tortilla, topped with the apple noodles, a drizzle of the yogurt sauce and a sprinkle of green onions, if desired.
- DEVOUR
Tips & Notes:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY MY FRIENDS AT THE NATIONAL PORK BOARD. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO CONTINUE CREATING GREAT CONTENT FOR YOU BY SUPPORTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SUPER-FAB BRANDS THAT FOOD FAITH FITNESS LOVES TO WORK WITH! AS ALWAYS, OPINIONS REMAIN 100% MY OWN!
Keep in touch with The National Pork Board on social media: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest
Weight Watchers Points Per Serving: Points+: 8. Old Points: 6
(information based off 6 servings, not including tortillas)
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 🙂
Want more healthy slow cooker recipes?
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Quinoa
Slow Cooker Island Pulled Pork
Paleo Pumpkin Salsa Slow Cooker Roast Beef
Tori says
Tacos are always a win win situation in my family and these look completely delish! Omg, and I have to get myself a spiralizer because those apple noodles sound incredible!
Taylor Kiser says
I know right, they just really can’t ever go wrong!!
WHAT! You SO NEED ONE, Apple noodles are my LIFE!
Thanks Tori!
Meg @ With Salt and Wit says
Thank goodness for the warning of what pulling a pig is…I dont need those visions while staring at delicious pork tacos! I can’t wait to devour these delicious guys!
Taylor Kiser says
Haha RIGHT! Thank you friend!
Jenny Flake says
What great looking tacos!! Perfect dinner recipe!!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Jenny!
Matea says
Confession: I wore a scarf the first chilly day we had. No regrets. (except when it got windy and my scarf tried to fly away a few times…)
Cranberries are perfect for this time of the year! Yum!!
Taylor Kiser says
HAHA I think we live parallel lives…that always happens to me!
Thanks girl!
Leah @ Grain Changer says
OOO! My husband will absolutely LOVE these! While I’m not much of a pork person (haven’t touched the stuff since I saw the movie Babe hahaha) my husband is an absolute fanatic. He’ll LOVE these!
Taylor Kiser says
Haha, I can understand that – but my hubby LOVED them! Hope he does too – thanks Leah!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
EEEEE! Taylor. Why did I not have breakfast BEFORE coming to visit your site? Now I am sitting here, drooling and belly rumbling CRAVING a dozen of these pork-tastic tacos! These look fan-dang-tastic, girlfriend! LOVE the chipotle-fall flava’d prok, apple noodles AND that Maple Greek yogurt sauce! All of it looks and sounds off da charts! To those people who question the .80$ can of chipotles – Pshhhh. I am with you – NEEEEED. Pinned Pinned Pinned! Thanks for making me hangry! 😉 XO
Taylor Kiser says
NEED NEED NEED is so right! Glad you’re willing to spend that 88 cents for YUMMMMMMMMM. Thanks girl!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
I don’t think I’ve ever had spicy-sweet-cinnamon-clove-ginger spiced pork! So much wonderful flavor mingling going on here! Taylor, I adore chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – the extra freezes so well – and makes for easy re-use!
Taylor Kiser says
WHATTT! Well now you need to!! Thank you so much Shashi…you’re right, it does freeze well. YES!
shelly (cookies and cups) says
The flavor combo here is perfection! I adore how you spiralized the apple too!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you heaps Shelly! I love my spiralizer!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
This looks absolutely sensational!!
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks girl!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
I’m all about pork when using my slow cooker. . it’s guaranteed to be delicious!!! love these tacos! and I can’t wait to get my hands on some cranberries!!!
Taylor Kiser says
I agree, you just can’t go wrong! Thanks Alice, I am so pumped it’s almost that time!