Bottom Line: The new Pork Carnitas tacos from El Pollo Loco are quite tasty and pair well with their spicy Salsa Roja.
El Pollo Loco is a Mexican-American fast food chain that specializes in chicken, but I usually seem to find myself trying the non-poultry items on the menu. I previously tried the birria beef tacos (more on that here) and just recently stopped in to sample their Pork Carnitas Tacos. Their fire-grilled chicken–which is their signature item–is first-rate and definitely worth checking out, and I promise to get a review of that on the site at some point. But in the meantime, back to those Carnitas tacos, which are a new addition to the menu.
The tacos come with slow-cooked pork carnitas meat, cabbage, diced onions, avocado salsa, and cilantro all wrapped in a corn tortilla. You can also get the carnitas meat in a burrito, stuffed quesadilla, or tostada, or on top of nachos. I got the combo with two tacos and chips.
The pork is very meaty and tender and quite flavorful. Pork can taste gamey if not cooked right or come out quite tough, but neither is the case here. The fresh cabbage adds a nice crunch and the cilantro delivers an herbaceous pop that pairs well with the meat. The avocado salsa is a bit sparse, but it does add some creaminess. The corn tortilla appears to be freshly made and quite sturdy, and it holds everything together quite well (corn tortillas have a habit of breaking apart) while also adding that perfect finishing touch. If somebody told me that their Mexican grandmother made these, I would certainly believe them. (But then I’m a Gringo, so what do I know?)
Heat-wise, the tacos themselves deliver pretty much no burn at all. Those who do not like spicy foods (we pity them) should have no problem eating one of these. If you want to kick the taco up, their fresh-made Pico de Gallo will bring a little bit of heat, about to the Mild level. But for us chiliheads, I highly recommend their Salsa Roja. It is an earthy sauce made from dried chilis, and it brings the burn. I would put it somewhere between Medium and Hot heat on my scale and it goes really well with the pork in the tacos. That combination definitely kicks things up to the next level for a fast food joint.
Calorie-wise, two tacos total up to 530 cals which is not bad for the drive-thru. If you get a side of chips with these (200 cals) then you shouldn’t be doing too bad because the salsa you will dip those into is pretty low in calories (and fresh). The combo with a drink runs $10.29 in my area, though they have a coupon special which brings that to eight bucks. That’s quite a bargain, and I will definitely be returning to the El Pollo Loco near me for another round of these tacos.
The Pork Carnitas are a new item on the menu and will almost certainly be returning to Limited-Time-Only-Ville at some point. But it’s worth stopping by and trying them while they are available, and maybe grabbing a few pieces of their tasty chicken as well. El Pollo Loco is based in California and has locations in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Louisiana. You can check their website to see if there is a location near you.
Nutrition Info:
Serving Size: 2 Tacos
Calories: 530
Fat: 31g (4.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 28g
Carbs: 34g
Sodium: 1080mg