Tacos Al Pastor Recipe

This lemony and piquant Tacos Al Pastor Recipe captures restaurant-style dash and spirit. It ’ south cook, served, and seared with classic mexican ingredients for an authentic taste and a chip, tender texture .

What is Tacos Al Pastor?

Tacos alabama pastor is a mexican cup of tea with a lebanese origin. A play on lamb shawarma, this “ shepherd style ” meal is seared with relish and can be prepared ( and enjoyed ! ) in a variety of ways. Al Pastor ’ s history is most likely a consequence of the shawarma spit-grilled kernel brought by lebanese immigrants to Mexico. It ’ second besides similar to the turkish done kabob and the greek gyroscope. Whereas shawarma typically uses lamb ( therefore the “ shepherd dash ” appoint ), gyros and tacos al pastor in Mexico are made using pork .
My greaser alabama pastor recipe contains mexican marjoram, epazote, and achiote paste for a rightfully authentic relish. These ingredients are optional, but they add a beautiful depth that you won ’ metric ton want to miss ! They can be found in any mexican supermarket.

You can marinate the meat overnight if you ’ d like – that ’ s what I do ! But 4 hours is enough time to very tenderize and flavor the pork .
Read on and check out the video in this post to learn how to make this authentic and addictive Mexican dish. now let ’ s make some alabama curate taco !

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS 

• Pork – I use boneless pork shoulder for this recipe.
• Marinade – Along with white vinegar, onion, and garlic, this sweet and spicy combination is a mix of:
  • Chili Seasoning – Check the recipe card to learn how to prepare your own, or use your favorite store-bought mix.
  • Achiote Paste – For that iconic color and flavor. It can be found at any Mexican market, but it’s also easy to make at home!
  • Pineapple Juice – This sweet and acidic tropical fruit will tenderize and flavor the pork, melding beautifully with the spicy chili seasoning.
  • Cumin, Cinnamon, & Cloves – Three very warm, earthy, and rich spices.
  • Mexican Oregano – Lemony, with a deep but mild hint of licorice. 
  • Epazote – This fresh herb is similar to oregano but with tones of mint.
• Assembly – Serve with tortillas, pineapple, onion, cilantro, and lime. I also recommend serving with Salsa Verde, Roasted Tomato Salsa, and Pico de Gallo for added freshness.

HOW TO MAKE MARINADE FOR TACOS AL PASTOR

1. Make the Marinade. Puree all marinade ingredients .
2. Prepare the Pork. Slice into ¼-inch slices for grilling or baking, or 2 to 4-inch chunks if decelerate or pressure cooking. The chunks can besides be baked .
3. Marinate. Add the pork to a storehouse bag. Add the marinade and massage into the kernel with gloved hands. Seal and refrigerate for 4-10 hours. Bring to board temperature before cooking .

HOW TO MAKE THIS TACOS AL PASTOR RECIPE ON THE GRILL

1. Prep the Grill. Heat the grill to 250°F .
2. Skewer. Layer cut pineapple bottoms on the frying pan. Stick a skewer in the center of each .
3. Layer the Meat. Slide the pork slices down the skewers and repeat until all kernel is used, leaving 1 edge of skewer uncovered. top each skewer with reduce pineapple .
4. Grill. Grill the kernel to a dependable inner temperature of 145°F-150°F — this takes my grillroom 3 ½ hours, but timing varies. In the last hour of broil, baste with the frying pan juices .
5. Slice & Serve. Slice down the layers to serve. Throw the slices back onto the grill as you carve, searing each patch for a arrant crust .

HOW TO MAKE THIS TACOS AL PASTOR RECIPE IN THE OVEN

For either method, preheat the oven to 250°F .
Method #1: Slices

1. Layer the Meat. Skewer and layer the meat as described in the above section.
2. Roast. Place onto the bottom rack of the oven. Roast for 3 ½ hours or until the pork heats up to 145°F-150°F.
3. Slice & Serve. Slice down the layers of pork, then put the slices back onto the pan in the oven to get them nice and crisp.

Method #2: Chunks

1. Slow Roast. Place the 3-4 inch chunks in a roasting dish, cover with aluminum foil, and slow roast for 5 hours. Peel back the foil and cook for another hour, then serve.

HOW TO MAKE THIS TACOS AL PASTOR RECIPE IN AN INSTANT POT OR SLOW COOKER

1. Add the Meat and Marinade. Cut the marinated pork into 3-4 inch chunks. Add the meat and marinade to the pressure or slow cooker. Cover with the lid.
2. Pressure or Slow Cook. To make in the Instant Pot, set the valve to “sealing.” Set to cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. Afterward, do a Natural Pressure Release for 15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.

For the slow cooker, cook on “ High ” for 4 hours or on “ Low ” for 8 hours .

3. Broil. Move the pork to a baking dish and broil for 10 minutes. Remove and serve once the edges form a crust.

Tip: If the “ BURN ” notice appears on your Instant Pot, add a bite of chicken stock to the batch .

Chiles in al pastor

Pasilla chiles are chilaca peppers that are ripened and dried. They are meaty and about black in color. Their relish is rich but sharp, and they can be very hot .
Guajillo chiles are one of the most common chiles grown in Mexico. The Guajillo is a glistening, deep orange-red chili. It has berry tones with a sweet heat and is normally used in salsa, chili sauces, soups and stews .
De arbol chiles are a undimmed green chili that ripens to bright crimson, a tinge it retains when it ’ sulfur dried. It ’ second long and skinny ( about 3 inches by 1 inch ) with a legato bark. Be aware, it has an incredibly hot kick. I besides use these in my Chile de Arbol Salsa .

Recipe Notes

A draw of alabama curate taco recipes out there use adobo chili paste, but I wanted to use my own adobo blend for this one .
The chiles I use hera are Pasillas, Guajillo and De Arbol which come from my local latin market. If these are not available to you, make a batch of my chili powder recipe. It ’ s a good substitute, preferably with guajillo chili powder. I think adding chipotle chiles is not needed or authentic actually, but feel rid if you like .
The options for chiles to use is endless. so, play around with them, experiment and enjoy the test sample .
IMPORTANT: Wear disposable kitchen gloves when working with chiles – rubbing your eyes unintentionally is a tearful experience .

What is al pastor sauce made of? 

The marinade used in my alabama pastor taco recipe has a bite of everything : sweetly pineapples, sharp onions and garlic, lemony vinegar, and a wholly mix of Mexican spices and seasonings for a deep, smoky heat .

How long does it take to make al pastor tacos? 

It takes between 4-10 hours to marinate, but the overall cook time depends on your cooking method of choice !
In an Instant Pot, it takes merely under an hour. Cook time varies between 4-8 hours in the dull cooker .
Roasting in the oven takes between 3 ½ and 5 hours. Grilling takes at least 3 ½ hours and depends on the grill model .
This post, first published on Kevin Is Cooking April 5, 2017, was updated with new contented in April 2022 .
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Tacos Al Pastor Recipe + Video

This al pastor recipe features thinly sliced, marinated pork, pineapple and spices cooked to juicy perfection for the best tacos al pastor!

4.87

from

29

votes
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Course:

Dinners

Cuisine:

Mexican

Prep Time:

30

minutes

Cook Time:

3

hours

30

minutes

Marinating:

4

hours

Total Time:

8

hours

Servings:

12

Calories:

196

kcal

author :Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 5 pound pork barrel shoulder ( boneless )

Marinade

• 1/3 cup chili seasoning
• 2 tbsp achiote paste optional, See note 1
• 1 white onion peeled and halved
• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp strategic arms limitation talks
• 1 tsp mexican marjoram ( See Note 2 )
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp land clove
• 2 tsp epazote ( optional, See Note 3 )

Assembly

• flour or corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple diced
• 1 white onion sliced or diced
• 1 crowd coriander chop
• limes quartered
• Salsa Verde
• Roasted Tomato Salsa
• Pico de Gallo

Homemade Chili Powder (optional)

• 3

  Read more : Spicy air fryer chicken sausages (Amylu Chicken Andouille)

  pasilla ( negro ) dried chiles ( 2.5 tablespoons ground/powdered )

• 3 dried Guajillo chiles ( 2.5 tablespoons ground/powdered )
• 2 dry chiles de arbol ( 1 teaspoon ground/powdered )

Instructions

If grilling or roasting in the oven, slice pork shoulder into 1/4 inch slices. For other methods, trim fat from the pork shoulder and cut meat into 3 to 4 inch chunks.

Chile powder

• If using your own chili powder, skip this step and make the marinade. Using gloves, remove the stems and scrape out the seeds from the dry chiles. Toast over gloomy heat in a dry frying pan for a few minutes. Allow chiles to cool, then grind to a powder in a spice/coffee molar. alternatively, soak the peppers in hot body of water for 20 minutes, then blend with the marinade ingredients .

Marinade

• To a blender, add the chili powder, achiote paste, onion, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, clove and epazote (optional). Blend until pureed.

• If grilling or roasting in the oven, slice pork shoulder into 1/4 inch slices. For other methods, trim fat from the pork shoulder and cut meat into 3 to 4 inch chunks. home pork in a sealable food memory base or container that can be covered with a hat. Pour the chile marinade over the pork barrel. Wearing kitchen gloves, use your hands to toss the chile marinade and pork barrel together, then cover container. Chill in refrigerator a minimum of 4 hours, or up to 10 hours. Allow meat to come to room temp prior to cooking.

For the Grill or Smoker:

• Preheat grillroom to 250°F. Shake off surfeit marinade. place cut pineapple bottoms into a cast iron frying pan or shallow baking pan. Insert a wooden or metal skewer or long wooden chopstick through the center of the pineapple. Start layering slices of marinade pork, repeating until kernel is used, or you have 1 column inch of skewer left. Leave 1 edge of skewer on top and cap it with trim pineapple top .
• Grill at 250°F for 3 1/2 hours, or until internal temp reaches 145°F-150°F. ( See Note 4 ). Start basting with pan juices in last hour. Outside should be caramelized and crisp. Use large chef ‘s tongue to slice meat in downward motion. Put pan back on grill to crisp up the edges as you continue to slice remaining meat .

Oven Method #1: slices

• Remove all racks except bottom one from oven. Preheat oven to 250°F.

• meet meat onto skewers as described in Grilling instructions, above. Slow roast pork in oven for 3 1/2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F-150°F. Start basting with pan juices in last hour. Outside should be caramelized and crisp. Use boastfully chef ‘s knife to slice kernel in downward motion. Put pan binding in oven to crisp up the edges as you continue to slice remaining kernel if you ‘d like .

Oven Method #2: chunks

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Shake off excess marinade and cut pork into 3 to 4 inch chunks. Transfer to an 11×13″ roasting pan or stone bakeware dish

• Slow roast at 250°F covered with aluminum foil for 5 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F-150°F. Remove the aluminum foil and continue roasting for 1 hour or until completely tender when pulled with a fork.

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)

• Shake off overindulgence marinade and cut pork barrel into 3 to 4 inch chunks. place marinated pork barrel chunks and remaining marinade in the blackmail cooker. ( See note 5 ). Attach lid and set valve to “ sealing ”. Press Manual and High Pressure settings, then use the [ + ] button to choose 25 minutes press fudge time. When done, allow a Natural Pressure Release for 15 minutes, then release any remaining coerce from pressure cooker. Remove pork barrel chunks and transfer to a baking dish or stoneware pan. Broil in oven uncovered for 10 minutes to render fatten and crisp up edges. Check that internal temperature reaches 145°F-150°F .

Slow Cooker Method:

• Shake off excess marinade and cut pork into 3 to 4 column inch chunks. place marinated pork chunks and remaining marinade in the dense cooker. Cook for 4 hours on gamey or 8 hours on Low, or until internal temperature reaches 145°F-150°F. Remove kernel from slow cooker and transfer to a bake serve or stoneware pan. Broil uncovered in oven for 10 minutes to render fatty and crisp up edges .

Serving:

• Serve in small tortillas topped with chopped onion, cilantro, squeeze of lime juice and hot salsa. I like diced pineapple on top as well, but this is optional.

Notes

1. Achiote paste can be found in most Mexican markets, or you can make your own achiote paste. It creates the authentic deep red color and flavor that al pastor is known for. 
2. mexican marjoram is a proportional of Lemon Verbena and is native to Mexico, with notes of balmy licorice and citrus.
   Mediterranean oregano is a member of the mint family and most often is used in greek and italian recipes. Mediterranean marjoram is the one most found in spice racks at supermarkets .
3. Epazote is similar to oregano and fennel with minty notes. It ’ mho found in mexican cook and is typically used in beans, helping reduce their tendency to cause flatulence .
4. I grill on a Traeger smoker because it allows me to fine tune and control the heat at lower temperatures better than regulating a charcoal or gas grill. When grilling, times may vary depending on what type of grill you are using. Pork is done when internal temperature of pork is is 145°F to 150°F.
5. I have an earlier model Instant Pot ( December 2015 ) that is not ampere sensitive as newer models that show the BURN notice quite easily. If that happens to yours, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chicken stock if needed .

The information shown is an estimate provided by an on-line nutriment calculator. It should not be considered a utility for a professional dietician ’ sulfur advice .

Nutrition

Calories:

196

kcal

|

Carbohydrates:

6

g

|

Protein:

23

g

|

Fat:

8

g

|

Saturated Fat:

2

g

|

Cholesterol:

77

mg

|

Sodium:

478

mg

|

Potassium:

524

mg

|

Fiber:

1

g

|

Sugar:

3

g

|

Vitamin A:

475

IU

|

Vitamin C:

35.6

mg

|

Calcium:

31

mg

|

Iron:

1.7

mg

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Category : Cook