Description
Tacos Al Pastor are a classic Mexican street food made with thin slices of marinated pork, stacked and cooked on a vertical spit, then served on corn tortillas with pineapple, onions, and cilantro. This homemade version captures the bold, smoky, and sweet flavors of the traditional dish using your oven or grill.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds pork shoulder, thinly sliced
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 12 small corn tortillas
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Soak the dried chiles in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- In a blender, combine soaked chiles, vinegar, garlic, orange juice, achiote paste, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, salt, cloves, pineapple juice, and oil. Blend until smooth.
- Place the sliced pork in a bowl or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) or prepare a grill. Thread the marinated pork slices and pineapple slices alternately onto skewers or stack them tightly in a loaf pan.
- Bake or grill for 45–60 minutes, turning or basting occasionally, until the meat is cooked and slightly charred on the edges.
- Remove the pork and pineapple from the skewers or loaf pan. Thinly slice the meat.
- Warm the corn tortillas on a skillet or directly over a flame until soft and pliable.
- Assemble tacos by topping tortillas with sliced pork, grilled pineapple, chopped onion, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- For authentic results, cook the meat on a vertical rotisserie if available.
- You can substitute pork shoulder with pork loin for a leaner option.
- Marinate the meat overnight for maximum flavor.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus marinating time)
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling, Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg