These mouthwatering Tacos Al Pastor blend rich Mexican traditions with vibrant flavors that’ll transport you straight to a bustling street food market. In just 30 minutes of hands-on time (plus marinating), you’ll create tender, flavor-packed tacos that offer the perfect balance of protein and nutrients.
Each serving delivers 38g of protein and loads of essential vitamins, making this not just a delicious choice, but a nutritious one too. The 4-hour marinade ensures every bite is infused with authentic taste.
Ingredients Section
- Pork Shoulder: 3 lbs, sliced into thin pieces for optimal marination
- Pineapple: 4 spears, fresh and ripe
- Marinade Base:
- 6 guajillo chiles + 1 chile de arbol
- 5 garlic cloves + ¼ onion
- Whole spices: 10 peppercorns, oregano, cumin, allspice, cloves, ginger
- 2 packets Sazon Goya or 1 Tbsp achiote powder
- ¼ cup each: apple cider vinegar, pineapple juice
- Taco Assembly:
- 15 corn tortillas
- Pickled red onion or fresh chopped onion
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges
- Optional: creamy avocado salsa
Instructions Section
- Prepare the Pork: Trim excess fat and slice pork into ¼-inch thick pieces horizontally
- Chile Preparation: Remove seeds from chiles, boil in water for 15 minutes until soft
- Create Marinade: Blend softened chiles with ¼ cup cooking water, spices, and liquids until smooth
- Marination: Coat pork thoroughly with marinade mixture, refrigerate 4 hours or overnight
- Grilling Process: Cook marinated pork on hot grill until internal temperature reaches near 145°F
- Pineapple Prep: Brush spears with oil, grill briefly on both sides, then dice
- Taco Assembly: Warm tortillas, layer with chopped pork, grilled pineapple, onions, cilantro, and finish with lime juice
Cooking Techniques
The magic of tacos al pastor comes from two key steps – marinating and grilling! Let the pork soak up all those amazing chile flavors overnight for the best results. When you’re ready to grill, get those flames nice and hot.
The quick high-heat cooking creates slightly charred edges while keeping the meat juicy inside. A quick tip: let your meat rest for about 5 minutes after grilling before chopping it up – this keeps all those tasty juices locked in!
Chile Handling Tips
Working with dried chiles is super fun and adds amazing flavor! Put on some gloves while removing the seeds and veins – your hands will thank you later. If you want milder tacos, skip the chile de arbol.
And here’s a handy trick: after soaking your chiles, save a little of that soaking liquid to thin out your marinade if needed. The color should be thick enough to coat the meat but still spreadable.
Serving Suggestions
Set up a colorful taco bar for your friends and family! Besides the grilled pineapple, onions, and cilantro, try adding:
- Sliced radishes for extra crunch
- Different salsas – the creamy avocado salsa is perfect here!
- Extra lime wedges
- Chopped white onion if you’re not using pickled onions
Keep those tortillas warm by wrapping them in a clean kitchen towel or tortilla warmer.
Storage Tips
Got leftovers? Lucky you! Store the cooked pork separate from the toppings in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm the meat in a skillet over medium heat – this keeps the edges crispy. The marinade can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. Just remember to bring your marinated meat to room temperature for about 30 minutes before grilling.
Tacos Al Pastor
Equipment
- Grill
- Blender
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Meat & Pineapple
- 3 lb pork shoulder sliced into wide, thin pieces
- 4 pineapple spears
Marinade
- 6 guajillo chiles
- 1 chile de arbol
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1/4 onion
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 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
For Serving
- 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
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 ¼ 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.
