Cook Once Eat All Week — Grilled Pork Tenderloin Taco Tuesday

Let's be real — everybody loves tacos. But most people only think about them one night a week.

This grilled pork tenderloin recipe is built to change that. Cook it once on Sunday and you've got the protein, the salsa, the crema, and the pickled onions to carry you through tacos Tuesday, rice bowls Wednesday, burritos Thursday, and breakfast Friday — all from one session in the kitchen.

Most store-bought taco seasoning packets are full of sugar, thickeners, and mystery ingredients. You deserve better. That's where Lucky Cajun Taco Tuesday comes in — no sugar, no gluten, no fillers, just real flavor. Fresh ground seasoning also does something meal prep specifically needs: it holds up over multiple days of reheating without going flat or bitter, so day four still tastes like day one.

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Why This Works as Meal Prep

Pork tenderloin is one of the best cuts for meal prep — lean, quick-cooking, and it slices cleanly for tacos, bowls, or burritos without shredding apart. Grill or sear it once, slice it, and portion it across the week.

The four components — pork, roasted tomato salsa, avocado jalapeño cream, and quick pickled red onions — are each built to hold in the fridge for days, which is what actually makes meal prep work. A taco falls apart as leftovers when the toppings wilt or oxidize. These don't, if you store them the right way (see the FAQ below).

Fresh ground seasoning is doing real work here too. It's not just flavor up front — Taco Tuesday, Black Label, and Jalapeño all carry real spice content instead of filler, so the flavor holds through a week of reheats in a way pre-ground packet seasoning can't. That's satisfaction with zero added calories, just better spice.

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Ingredients

For the Pork Tacos:

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces
• 1 to 1½ tbsp fresh ground Lucky Cajun Taco Tuesday
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Quick Pickled Red Onions:

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tbsp honey
• Pinch of salt

Avocado Jalapeño Cream:

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded
• 1 cup sour cream
• Juice of 1 fresh lime
• ½ fresh jalapeño, seeded
• ½ cup fresh cilantro (optional)
• 1 tsp Lucky Cajun Jalapeño seasoning

Roasted Tomato Salsa:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp Taco Tuesday
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Squeeze of lime
• Water (optional)

Mango Sauce:

• 1 large or 2 small ripe mangos
• 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
• Pinch of salt
• Squeeze of lime juice

To Serve:

• Tortillas — corn, flour, or 16-inch for burritos
• Cooked rice and beans (for bowls and burritos)
• Fresh cilantro (optional)
• Lucky Cajun The Green Boss hot sauce (optional)

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Instructions

1. Marinate the Pork
Coat pork slices with Taco Tuesday and olive oil. Marinate at least 2 hours, overnight for deeper flavor. The fresh ground seasoning penetrates the pork during this rest in a way seasoning right before cooking never accomplishes.

2. Pickle the Onions
Stir together vinegar, water, honey, and salt. Add thinly sliced onions and let sit 2 or more hours, overnight is even better.

3. Make the Roasted Tomato Salsa
Toss cherry tomatoes, diced onion, and chopped garlic with olive oil and Taco Tuesday. Broil until blistered and charred. Blend with a squeeze of lime, thinning with water or reducing on the stove as needed.

4. Make the Avocado Jalapeño Cream
Blend avocado, sour cream, lime juice, jalapeño, cilantro, and Lucky Cajun Jalapeño seasoning until smooth.

5. Make the Mango Sauce
Blend mango flesh with garlic, salt, and lime juice until smooth.

6. Grill the Pork
Grill tenderloin slices over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes per side until cooked through and slightly charred. Pull at 145°F internal.

7. Toast the Tortillas
Warm on the grill or in a dry skillet until soft and lightly charred.

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Build Your Tacos

Spoon of roasted tomato salsa, grilled pork, avocado jalapeño cream, a spoon of mango sauce, pickled onions, and cilantro. Finish with a dash of The Green Boss if you want more heat.

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Turn It Into a Week of Meals

Tuesday — Tacos. As built above.

Wednesday — Pork Taco Rice Bowls. Layer cooked rice, black or pinto beans, grilled pork, roasted tomato salsa, avocado cream, and pickled onions in a bowl. Same flavors, no tortilla, faster to eat at a desk.

Thursday — Burritos. Roll rice, beans, pork, salsa, and crema into a 16-inch tortilla, burrito-style. Everything you already made fits right in — this is where cooking once really pays off.

Friday — Chilaquiles. Thin the roasted tomato salsa with a splash of water or stock until it's saucy, simmer it briefly, then toss in torn tortilla pieces until they soften slightly but keep some bite. Top with a fried or scrambled egg, more grilled pork, and a spoonful of the avocado cream. Breakfast that uses up every last bit of the week's prep.

Want a Quick Ground Taco Option? Brown 1 lb of ground beef, turkey, or plant-based meat and stir in 1 to 1½ tbsp Taco Tuesday. Add a splash of salsa, beer, or stock and simmer until saucy. Use for tacos, burritos, or nachos in under 15 minutes.

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Variations With Other Lucky Cajun Blends

Spicier version: Add a pinch of Lucky Cajun Voodoo to the pork marinade alongside Taco Tuesday for layered habanero heat.

Blackened version: Swap Taco Tuesday for Lucky Cajun Black Label on the pork for a bolder, smokier crust that pairs unexpectedly well with the mango sauce.

Salt-free version: Use Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original for a lower sodium build without losing the fresh ground depth that makes this taco seasoning actually taste like something.

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FAQ

What is the best cut of pork for tacos?
Pork tenderloin is ideal for meal prep tacos — lean, quick-cooking, and it slices cleanly rather than falling apart. Pork shoulder or butt works for slow-cooked, shredded-style tacos, but tenderloin is the better choice when you want clean slices for bowls and burritos too.

Can I meal prep pork tenderloin for the week?
Yes — that's exactly what this recipe is built for. Grill or sear the whole tenderloin, slice it, and portion it into containers with the salsa, crema, and pickled onions stored separately so nothing goes soggy.

How long does grilled pork tenderloin last in the fridge?
3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Slice it before storing so it reheats quickly and evenly, or reheat in slices straight from cold for rice bowls and burritos.

What can I make with leftover pork tenderloin?
Tacos, rice bowls, burritos, chilaquiles, quesadillas, or a simple protein salad. This recipe's components — salsa, crema, pickled onions, mango sauce — work across all of them, which is the whole point of cooking once.

How do you make avocado crema?
Blend ripe avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and a diced jalapeño until smooth, with cilantro and a pinch of Cajun jalapeño seasoning for depth. It's best made fresh, or made ahead with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to limit oxidation.

How long do quick pickled red onions take?
At least 2 hours, though overnight produces better flavor and texture. They keep well refrigerated for up to 2 weeks, making them one of the easiest make-ahead components for a week of meal prep.

Can I use chicken instead of pork?
Yes. Boneless chicken thighs or breast take the same Taco Tuesday marinade and grilling method well. Thighs stay juicier through reheating over multiple days than breast does.

What sides go with pork tacos for meal prep?
Rice and beans are the natural pairing — they bulk up the bowls and burritos and stretch the pork across more meals. Roasted or grilled vegetables also hold up well through the week.

Can I freeze grilled pork tenderloin?
Yes. Freeze sliced, cooked pork in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently to avoid drying it out.

What rice goes with pork tacos?
Cilantro lime rice or simple white rice both work well and soak up the roasted tomato salsa nicely in the rice bowl version. Basmati or long grain rice hold their texture best through a week of reheats.

How do you season pork for tacos?
Coat the pork generously with fresh ground Cajun taco seasoning and a little olive oil, then let it marinate at least 2 hours — overnight is better. Fresh ground seasoning penetrates more effectively than seasoning added right before cooking.

What beans go with pork tacos?
Black beans or pinto beans both work well in the rice bowls and burritos. Simmer them with a pinch of Taco Tuesday for extra flavor that matches the pork.

Is pork tenderloin good for meal prep?
Yes — it's one of the best options. It's lean, high-protein, cooks quickly, and reheats well when sliced and stored properly, unlike fattier cuts that can turn greasy after a few days in the fridge.

How do you reheat grilled pork tenderloin without drying it out?
Reheat gently — a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or stock, or a low oven around 300°F. Avoid the microwave on high, which toughens lean cuts like tenderloin fast.

What makes a good Taco Tuesday meal prep?
Components that hold up over several days without going soggy or flat — a protein that reheats well, a salsa and crema that store separately, and seasoning that's still flavorful on day four. This recipe is built around all three.

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Why Lucky Cajun

Tacos deserve better than a sugar-loaded packet of mystery ingredients — and meal prep deserves seasoning that still tastes alive by Thursday. Taco Tuesday is fresh ground weekly, sugar free, gluten free, and stamped with a Born-On Date so you know exactly when it was made.

Tacos just got their groove back. Clean, bold, and better than ever — all week long.

🌶️ Shop Lucky Cajun Taco Tuesday
🌶️ Shop Lucky Cajun Jalapeño
🌶️ Shop The Green Boss Hot Sauce

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Marinate the pork. Roast the salsa. Blend the cream. Cook once. Eat all week.