Tacos Al Pastor

Name: Tacos Al Pastor
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 5 serving
Ingredients: 3 lb pork shoulder; 4 pineapple spears; 6 guajillo chiles; 1 chile de arbol; 5 cloves garlic; ¼ of an onion; 10 whole black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; 2 packets Sazon Goya*; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup pineapple or orange juice; 15 corn tortillas; 1/2 cup Pickled red onion; 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro; Lime wedges; creamy avocado salsa*

User Reviews

5.0

138 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Marinating
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 30 mins
Servings
5
Calories
473 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mexican

Tacos Al Pastor

Camden Walton

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There's a reason Tacos Al Pastor are everyone's favorite and I'm so excited to share my take on on these delicious Mexican tacos, adapted for home cooks to use a grill, stove or oven to cook the meat. Serve them on warm corn tortillas with tender meat, grilled pineapple, pickled red onions, and cilantro.

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Ingredients

Servings

3 lb pork shoulder , sliced into wide, thin pieces
4 pineapple spears

Marinade:

6 guajillo chiles
1 chile de arbol
5 cloves garlic
¼ of an onion
10 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2 packets Sazon Goya* , OR 1 Tablespoons ground achiote powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple or orange juice

Tacos:

15 corn tortillas , white or yellow
1/2 cup Pickled red onion OR chopped red or white onion
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
creamy avocado salsa* optional, for serving

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Instructions

Cut Pork: Remove any large pieces of fat. Slice the pork horizontally into long, 1/4’’ thick pieces (you could see if your butcher would do this).
Soften Chiles: Remove seeds and veins from the dried chiles (wear gloves if desired). Add to a small saucepan cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, to soften the chiles.
Blend: Add chiles and 1/4 cup of water from the pot (discard remaining water) to a high powdered blender. Add onion, garlic cloves, allspice, peppercorn, cloves, Mexican oregano, cumin, ginger, achiote powder, salt, apple cider vinegar, and juice. Blend until completely smooth.
Marinate: Add pork to a large bowl or ziplock bag and spread mixture all over pork, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
Grill Pork: Remove pork from marinade and cook on a very hot grill for a few minutes on each side until just shy of 145 degrees F. Remove to a cutting board allow to rest.
Grill pineapple: Brush pineapple spears with olive oil and place on hot grill, cooking briefly on both sides. Remove and chop into pieces.
Assemble Tacos: Chop pork into small pieces for serving. Warm tortillas in a hot dry skillet or on the grill. Top tortillas with a spoonful of pork some pineapple, onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

Avocado sauce or salsa: We love to serve these with a creamy avocado sauce or salsa on top, like this
Serving Size: About 3 tacos per person (feeds about 5 people) Pineapple: Grilling is optional--fresh chopped pineapple may be used, or even canned pineapple cut into small pieces, if good fresh pineapple is not available. Sazon Goya should be easily found in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store and adds great flavor. Achiotte is more authentic for tacos al pastor but may be harder to find in the stores (or buy it online.) Avocado sauce or salsa: We love to serve these with a creamy avocado sauce or salsa on top, like this recipe. Or, this store-bought avocado hot sauce, or mild guacamole salsa. Spice level: Tacos Al Pastor are very mild in spice level. To add heat, serve with fresh sliced fresh jalapeño coins or a red hot chili pepper. Oven Method: To braise the pork, cut the pork into a few large chunks (instead of slicing it thinly) and marinate as directed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add oil to a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add pork pieces (working in batches if needed) and cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned. Remove to a plate. Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to pot to deglaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Return pork pieces. Cover with lid and place in oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. Shred meat, and serve. Slow Cooker Method: Cut the pork into a few large chunks (instead of slicing it thinly). Marinate for several hours as directed. Add pork to slow cooker with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred meat, and serve. Stovetop Method: Cook the meat in a hot cast iron skillet, grill pan, or non-stick skillet over medium high heat, with a little bit of olive oil in it.
Serving Size: About 3 tacos per person (feeds about 5 people)
Pineapple: Grilling is optional--fresh chopped pineapple may be used, or even canned pineapple cut into small pieces, if good fresh pineapple is not available.
Sazon Goya should be easily found in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store and adds great flavor. Achiotte is more authentic for tacos al pastor but may be harder to find in the stores (or buy it online.)
Avocado sauce or salsa: We love to serve these with a creamy avocado sauce or salsa on top, like this recipe. Or, this store-bought avocado hot sauce, or mild guacamole salsa.
Spice level: Tacos Al Pastor are very mild in spice level. To add heat, serve with fresh sliced fresh jalapeño coins or a red hot chili pepper.
Oven Method: To braise the pork, cut the pork into a few large chunks (instead of slicing it thinly) and marinate as directed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add oil to a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add pork pieces (working in batches if needed) and cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned. Remove to a plate. Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to pot to deglaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Return pork pieces. Cover with lid and place in oven. Cook for 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. Shred meat, and serve.
Slow Cooker Method: Cut the pork into a few large chunks (instead of slicing it thinly). Marinate for several hours as directed. Add pork to slow cooker with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred meat, and serve.
Stovetop Method: Cook the meat in a hot cast iron skillet, grill pan, or non-stick skillet over medium high heat, with a little bit of olive oil in it.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 473kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 48g (16%) Protein 38g (76%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Cholesterol 111mg (37%) Sodium 865mg (36%) Potassium 899mg (26%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 1185IU (24%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 114mg (11%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 473 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	473kcal	24%
Carbohydrates	48g	16%
Protein	38g	76%
Fat	14g	22%
Saturated Fat	5g	25%
Polyunsaturated Fat	3g	18%
Monounsaturated Fat	6g	30%
Cholesterol	111mg	37%
Sodium	865mg	36%
Potassium	899mg	19%
Fiber	7g	28%
Sugar	10g	20%
Vitamin A	1185IU	24%
Vitamin C	9mg	10%
Calcium	114mg	11%
Iron	4mg	22%