Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Pork Tacos with Celery Root and Apple Slaw
These super easy Maple Balsamic Pork Tacos are made in the slow cooker and topped with a simple, make-ahead slaw that’s crisp and bright. A great dinner for a busy weeknight.
You know by now that I’m a huge fan of my slow cooker. I love that I can have a real dinner on those days when I’m a baking fiend. And as much as I tell everyone “Cake is perfectly acceptable for dinner”….it’s really not. And after a day full of tasting batter and eating frosting, I look forward to something savory that’s not from a bag and shaped like a dinosaur. A grown up dinner….like tacos. We love tacos here.
Tacos are easy, but sometimes they’re messy and most of the time I don’t even feel like browning the beef in a skillet to get the whole deal started. Laziness prevails and before you know it there’s a pizza at my doorstep. I needed something that would be ready when I was and I most definitely didn’t want to brown it in a pan first. What if I have an early meeting one day where I can barely get out the door on time? Those days are happening more and more….I needed an old stand-by from my “working on a cubicle farm” days. And it had to be healthy. You know…because of tight pants.
So, I put a twist on one of my very first posts….Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas. Don’t judge the photos, they’re bad. Really bad…but that recipe was really good. Really, really good. Like over the top amazing and it was the first post where I was actually recognized as a food blogger by someone other than myself….and my mom. 🙂 And it was easy.
This time I decided to do a little Maple Balsamic number on my pork tenderloin and top it with a crunchy, sweet Celery Root and Apple Slaw. If you’re not familiar with celery root, don’t fear….it tastes like celery and, although it’s not a pretty veggie, it’s super easy to peel and slice up. It’s very low in calories and is an excellent source of vitamin K (found to increase bone density). It looks like this.
It’s pretty easy to find this time of year. If you can’t get your hands on one of these knobby treats, you can skip it altogether and just go with the apple or finely slice 1/2 the amount of celery in place of the root. I had a couple of bites with the apple and the combination was just as happy. You can make the slaw the day before and store in the refrigerator. That will make dinner time come together so quickly you might have time to plan tomorrow night’s dinner. And the next night…heck, you might save so much time you’ll be able to come up with some wine pairings and dessert!
If you have a ton of leftover Maple Balsamic Pork you can make sliders and top with a little BBQ sauce OR you can freeze it in an airtight container for an easy meal later. Either way, quick dinners are ahead and you can thank me later. Or never. It’s up to you. I won’t really know the difference.
Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Pork Tacos with Celery Root and Apple Slaw
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork tenderloin
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup apple butter
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 small celery root, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 fuji apple, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- juice of one lime
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch each of salt and pepper
- 8-10 corn tortillas
- sour cream, optional
Instructions
- Coat the entire surface of the pork tenderloin liberally with salt and pepper. Place the pork in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, syrup, mustard, cumin, cayenne, nutmeg and apple butter. Pour the mixture over the pork and top with the thyme. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- In a large bowl, mix the celery root, pomegranate seeds and apple. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to combine. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.
- When the pork is done, shred it using two forks and toss with the remaining sauce.
- To serve, spread a small amount of pork on a corn tortilla and top with the slaw. Drizzle with sour cream if desired and serve immediately.
14 Comments on “Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Pork Tacos with Celery Root and Apple Slaw”
These look so yummy – I love the alternative (beautiful) ingredients to make these extra special!
Thanks so much, Erin! These were so easy and made the weeknight feel extra special. (Even though it wasn’t.)
I’m totally digging these slow cooker tacos. The slaw on top is perfect.
Thanks so much! They’re pretty killer. 🙂
Love that you used celery root! I have been on a Mexican kick (who am I kidding…I’m always on a Mexican kick) and would totally gobble a couple of these beauties down!
These tacos…. oh my gosh!! They look amaaaze! I’m also ALL about the slow cooker! It’s my bff! 😀
YUM! I love a good shredded pork taco and the flavors you have going on here are great! The celery root slaw is so creative!
Girl, you have nothing to hide. If those photos were some of the first ones you took, I’m not surprised at how amazing at photography you are now!! These tacos look fantastic. I’ve been looking for dinner inspiration so this is perfect 🙂
I’ve never had celery root before. I like the look, though. Very funky looking! And those tacos look amazing. 🙂
Look at all those great ingredients. It pulls me right in. Love the sound of these tacos.
We love celery root! These tacos look amazing!
Im loving everything about these tacos, especially the slow cooker part! YUM!
Love that you included celery root in the recipe. It is one of my favorite Winter veggies to use. Perfect taco recipe.
I love this combination of flavors!!! Adding to the must-make list!