When it comes to tacos, Tacos Al Pastor rate at the top. The meat is marinated with a delicious smoky adobo sauce, rendering the perfect combination of tender/juicy on the inside and deliciously crisp on the outside.
I’m very excited to share this recipe with you since I know you’ll love it! Without using a “trompo“, aka vertical spit or fiery spit, I managed to mimic the authentic flavors of this Mexican favorite in three steps.
I first made the Al Pastor Marinade, then the next morning I marinated the pork with it and set in the fridge for 8 hours (if you have time, marinate overnight). Lastly, I pan fried the pork for a few minutes on each side. This rendered tender and juicy pork while creating that delicious smoky crispy layer on the outside that the grill provides.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s so flavorful. This dish is a great and easy way to wow a crowd of people. The key is to have a delicious marinade!
- Meal Prep. This is perfect to make a bunch of pork and use it to make different dishes or to freeze for later.
- Easy to make. This is the uncomplicated method of making delicious Al Pastor Tacos. There is no need to build the cone to achieve the delicious smoky flavor.
Ingredients
To make authentic Tacos Al Pastor, it all starts with a great marinade. I made it ahead of time to save time the day of. To make the tacos you will need the following ingredients:
For the Meat
- The meat: boneless pork pork shoulder or loin sliced thinly – about 1/4 inch thick
- Salt: Kosher or sea salt
- Al Pastor Adobo Sauce. This marinade is made with a combination of ancho and guajillo chiles, chipotle chile, achiote paste, garlic, dried oregano orange juice and vinegar plus other spices.
- Vegetable oil for cooking the meat
- A large onion: white or yellow will work.
- Corn tortillas as many needed. I like to plan for at least 3 tacos per person.
Note on choosing the right cut of meat: Traditionally, Tacos Al Pastor are made with pork shoulder or loin. These cuts have the perfect balance of fat and meat, ensuring juicy and tender results. However, you can also experiment with chicken or beef as alternatives.
Garnishes
- Fresh pineapple diced
- Chopped white onion and cilantro
- A red salsa like Chile De Arbol Salsa or Tomatillo Salsa
- Fresh lime wedges
How To Make the Al Pastor Tacos
Start by trimming the pork shoulder or loin off any excess fat. Cut the meat into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick with a sharp knife (or just ask the butcher to do it for you).
- Season the pork with salt on both sides.
- Place the meat slices in a large bowl or shallow dish, and pour the marinade over them, ensuring that each slice is coated evenly.
- Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap, and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Before you’re ready to start cooking the meat, grill the pineapple on a skillet. Preferably a griddle that achieves that delicious char taste.
- Chop the pineapples in small cubes to get them ready for the tacos.
- Cook. Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Cook the meat slices until they are nicely browned and cooked through. About 3 minutes per side.
- Cook in separate batches so that you don’t overcrowd the skillet. Note: Clean the skillet between batches to remove the burnt marinade. Add a little more oil between each batch of meat.
- Transfer the meat to a dish as it cooks. When the meat is all cooked, cut into thin small strips and return to the dish. Set aside.
- In same skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and saute until soft.
- Add the sliced meat back in the skillet and combine with the onions.
Assemble the tacos.
Now you’re ready for the best part. Let’s make those tacos!
- Warm up your corn tortillas by lightly charring them on a hot skillet or directly over a flame.
- Fill each tortilla with a generous amount of the cooked meat, and top it off with diced pineapple, chopped cilantro, finely chopped onions, salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Serve your Tacos Al Pastor with extra lime wedges on the side for a squeeze of lime juice.
Serving Suggestions
It’s best to serve with something simple as the best tacos are already have layers of delicious flavors. I like to serve them with my Mexican Sopa, or just a simple Mexican Rice. Want some veggies? My Calabacitas will always be a hit!
How to Store & Reheat
- Fridge: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Store the meat in airtight packaging, such as zip-top bags or use a covered storage container. It lasts three to four days.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container that will protect the meat from freezer burn.
- Reheating without drying out: The very best way to reheat leftover Al Pastor pork is low and slow with a little extra moisture — you can use either broth or water with great results. While you can reheat the meat in a pan or use a cast iron skillet to reheat pork really do reheat best in the oven. Because the oven heats the pork from all sides — and because you’ll be protecting them in a glass pan with a tight cover — they’ll never dry out or overcook.
MORE OF MY Favorite…
Tacos Recipes
I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Tacos Al Pastor
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork sirloin or thin boneless pork chops may be used too) sliced thinly – about 1/4 inch thick
- Kosher or sea salt
- 2 cups Al Pastor Adobo Sauce
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil or more if needed
- 1 large onion sliced thinly
- Corn tortillas as many needed
- ½ fresh pineapple diced
- chopped white onion and cilantro
- A red salsa like Chile De Arbol Salsa
- Tomatillo Salsa
- Fresh lime wedges
Instructions
- Trim the pork shoulder or loin off any excess fat. Cut the meat into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick.
- Season the pork with salt on both sides.
- Place the meat slices in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over them, ensuring that each slice is coated evenly.
- Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap, and let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Before you're ready to start cooking the meat, grill the pineapple on a skillet. Preferably a griddle that achieves that delicious char taste.
- Chop the pineapples in small cubes to get them ready for the tacos.
- Cook. Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Cook the meat slices until they are nicely browned and cooked through. About 3 minutes per side.
- Cook in separate batches so that you don't overcrowd the skillet. Note: Clean the skillet between batches to remove the burnt marinade. Add a little more oil between each batch of meat.
- Transfer the meat to a dish as it cooks. When the meat is all cooked, cut into thin small strips and return to the dish. Set aside.
- In same skillet, add a tablespoon of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and saute until soft. Add the sliced meat back in the skillet and combine with the onions.
Assemble the tacos
- Warm up your corn tortillas by lightly charring them on a hot skillet or directly over a flame.
- Fill each tortilla with a generous amount of the cooked meat, and top it off with diced pineapple, chopped cilantro, finely chopped onions, salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Serve your Tacos Al Pastor with extra lime wedges on the side
Muy Delish Notes:
- Fridge: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Store the meat in airtight packaging, such as zip-top bags or use a covered storage container. It lasts three to four days.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container that will protect the meat from freezer burn.
- Reheating without drying out: The very best way to reheat leftover Al Pastor pork is low and slow with a little extra moisture — you can use either broth or water with great results. While you can reheat the meat in a pan or use a cast iron skillet to reheat pork really do reheat best in the oven. Because the oven heats the pork from all sides — and because you’ll be protecting them in a glass pan with a tight cover — they’ll never dry out or overcook.
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Nutrition
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Imma need this right now. Like time travel to the future where it’s all cooked and ready to go. Ana, you never disappoint!!! Xoxox
These tacos look so flavorful and delicious!! Can’t wait to add them to our lineup of taco night recipes for dinner!
Tacos are a favorite in my home. I made this recipe with chicken and it turned out great. Delicious meal.
Sounds yummy. My first attempt to trying this sauce recipe. The chicken combination sounds good too. Perfect try this weekend.
The delicious smoky adobo sauce on these tacos al pastor sounds amazing. I am looking forward to trying these in the near future.
I made this today and wanted to return to say that we loved the combination of chicken with the adobo sauce. Definitely going to make this on a regular basis.