Main Course · Lunch · Dinner · Mexican ·

Tacos al Pastor

Name: Tacos al Pastor
Prep time: 100 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 400 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Main Course
Ingredients: 2 lbs pork shoulder, thinly sliced; 3 tbsp achiote paste; 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed & seeded, re-hydrated; 1 chipotle pepper in adobo; 3 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup fresh orange juice; ¼ cup fresh pineapple juice; 2 tbsp white vinegar; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste; 12 small corn tortillas; 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced; ½ cup white onion, thinly sliced; ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped; Lime wedges, for serving; Salsa verde — tangy tomatillo salsa; Mexican crema — cool, slightly tangy cream

Juicy, adobo-marinated pork shoulder is grilled until caramelized, then tucked into warm corn tortillas with charred pineapple, onion, cilantro, and bright lime. A true Mexico-City street-taco classic

4.5(327 reviews)

·By Ethan Brooks

Tacos al Pastor — Main Course served and photographed from above

Prep

1 h 40 min

Cook

5 h

Difficulty

Intermediate

Serves

Ingredients

Servings

Marinade

Tacos

Garnish

Sauces

Nutrition

Per serving

Calories: 654 kcal
Protein: 48.5 g
Carbs: 51.3 g
Fat: 31.6 g
Fiber: 6.7 g

Whole recipe

Total

Calories: 2614 kcal
Protein: 193.8 g
Carbs: 205.2 g
Fat: 126.5 g
Fiber: 26.6 g

Breakdown by ingredient▾

Ingredient	Cal	P	C	F	Fib
2 lbs pork shoulder, thinly sliced	1536	170	0	96	0
3 tbsp achiote paste	90	2	17	3	2
2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed & seeded, re-hydrated	28	1	6	0.5	2
1 chipotle pepper in adobo	25	1	3	1	1
3 cloves garlic, minced	13	0.5	3	0	0
¼ cup fresh orange juice	28	0.5	7	0	0
¼ cup fresh pineapple juice	32	0.5	8	0	0
2 tbsp white vinegar	3	0	0	0	0
1 tsp dried oregano	5	0.2	1	0	1
1 tsp ground cumin	8	0.4	1	0.5	0.5
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste	0	0	0	0	0
12 small corn tortillas	600	15	120	15	15
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced	82	1	22	0	2
½ cup white onion, thinly sliced	23	0.6	5	0	1
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped	1	0.1	0.2	0	0.1
Lime wedges, for serving	10	0	3	0	1
Salsa verde — tangy tomatillo salsa	30	0.5	7	0.5	2
Mexican crema — cool, slightly tangy cream	100	1	2	10	0

These are estimates, not dietary advice.

Preparation

Get these tasks done before you start cooking.

Marinating the Pork

1
Blend marinade
In a blender, purée achiote paste, guajillo chiles, chipotle, garlic, orange & pineapple juices, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth.
2
Coat pork
Place pork slices in a bowl or zip bag; pour marinade over and massage to coat every piece.
3
Chill
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 h (up to overnight) for deepest flavor.
Tip: Overnight marination yields the most tender, intensely flavored meat.

Preparing Pineapple & Aromatics

1
Dice pineapple
Cut fresh pineapple into ½-inch cubes.
2
Slice onion
Thinly slice white onion and toss with a pinch of salt.
3
Warm tortillas
Heat tortillas on a dry skillet until pliable; keep wrapped in a towel.

How to Make Tacos al Pastor

Total time: 6 h 40 min · Yields 4 servings

1
Grill pork
Cook marinated pork over medium-high heat 10-12 min, flipping, until edges are crispy and internal temp hits 145 °F / 63 °C.
2
Caramelize pineapple
In the same pan, sear diced pineapple 2-3 min until golden.
3
Rest & slice
Let pork rest 5 min, then slice into bite-sized strips.