My Grandma Leola used to make a version of this and I just loved it so much. I don’t have her recipe but this is pretty close to hers. Enjoy!

Crockpot chalupas in the slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. pork shoulder
  • 1 lb. dry pinto beans (rinsed)
  • 6 ounces light beer
  • 1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes or a can of green chiles
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers or other hot chili, minced (ribs and seeds removed to keep it mild)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder*
  • 2 teaspoons cumin*
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
  • *AND/OR a tablespoon or two of taco seasoning (I used them all)
  • generous pinch or two of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used Mozzarella)
  • 12+ flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Cover with dry pinto beans, beer, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, taco seasoning, salt, and 1 1/2 cup water. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours. Don’t open the lid – it adds to the cooking time.
  2. Remove the lid after the cooking time and shred the pork using two forks. You can do this directly in the slow cooker. If it’s too runny, continue to cook with the cover off for a little while. If it’s too dry, add more water.
  3. Sprinkle cheese on top, replace the lid, and cook for another 30 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Place tortillas directly on the oven rack and bake for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the tortillas and bake for another 1-2 minutes under golden brown and crunchy. Be careful because they burn easily! Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  5. Top each tortilla with pork and bean mixture and sour cream.

NOTES

The longer you cook this, the better it tastes! We actually cooked it the day before and then reheated it in the crockpot the next day and it was so full of flavor!

Other topping ideas include fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, crumbled Cotija cheese, jalapenos, or guacamole.