Authentic Tacos Al Pastor
Tacos Al Pastor are tender marinated pork tacos topped with grilled pineapple. Learn how easy it is to cook this traditional Mexican recipe at home.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 3 dried Guajillo chiles with the membranes and seeds removed
- 1 dried pasilla chile with the membranes and seeds removed
- ½ large white onion chopped
- 3 large cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 orange juiced
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ ounces ground annatto (achiote molido)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
TACOS
- 3 pounds pork shoulder
- 5-6 pineapple slices canned or fresh, drained from the juice
- Corn or flour tortillas warmed up
- Optional topping: chopped cilantro, finely diced onion and lime juice
Instructions
MARINADE:
- Boil 3 cups of water in a medium size pot. Remove from the heat and add the Guajillo and pasilla chiles, onion and garlic and let it sit for 10-15 minutes, or until the chiles become soft.
- Drain the water, and add the chiles, onion and garlic to a blender along with the orange juice, pineapple juice, salt, annatto, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, pepper and cloves. Blend until smooth.
SKILLET:
- Slice the pork into very thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick.
- Place the pork and chile mixture into a large bowl or resealable bag and make sure that each piece is well coated. Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add 4-5 pieces of the marinated meat to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until it’s cooked through. Repeat until all of the pork is cooked. Slice the pork into thin pieces.
SLOW COOKER OR INSTANT POT:
- Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks. Place the pork and chile mixture into a large bowl or resealable bag and make sure that each piece is well coated. Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours or overnight.
- SLOW COOKER: Place the marinated pork and marinade in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours.
- INSTANT POT: Place the marinated pork and marinade into the pressure cooker. Secure the lid and set to manual and high pressure for 30 minutes. When the time is up, perform a natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Serve as is, or transfer the meat to a foil lined sheet pan and broil in the oven for several minutes to crisp up the edges.
SERVING:
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pineapple and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until it starts to brown. Remove it from the pan, slice it into bite size pieces.
- Optional, for topping: Chop a handful of cilantro and about ½ cup of onions and combine in a small bowl. Squeeze juice from a lime over the top and stir to combine.
- Serve the pork in tortillas, topped with the grilled pineapple, cilantro and onions, and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Leftover cooked pork can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For best results, I recommend reheating in a skillet to crisp up the edges again.
Pork can be frozen in a freezer bag (excess air removed) for up to 3 months. Or the raw pork shoulder can be combined with the marinade and then frozen in a freezer bag - thaw in the fridge overnight and cook according to instructions.
Nutrition
Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 908mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 974IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 3mg
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