This recipe for tacos al pastor is tender pork in a sweet and savory marinade that is grilled to perfection. The tacos are topped with grilled pineapple, red onion and cilantro for a unique meal full of flavor that’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo!
Taco night is a big hit at my house, especially when tacos al pastor are on the menu. That combination of smoky pork and sweet pineapple just can’t be beat! If you’re a taco fan, you’ll also want to try my turkey tacos, steak tacos or carnitas tacos for a taste of Mexico at home.
I love to order tacos al pastor at my local taqueria, it’s one of my all time favorite Mexican dishes. I decided it was time to learn to make these tacos at home, and the end result is fabulous!
Table of Contents
Tacos Al Pastor Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need boneless pork shoulder, garlic, oregano, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, guajillo chilies, agave or honey, pineapple juice, white vinegar, achiote paste, tortillas, pineapple, red onion and cilantro.
How Do You Make Tacos Al Pastor?
Place the garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, chilies, agave or honey, pineapple juice, vinegar and achiote paste in a pot with some water and bring to a simmer. Cool, then transfer to a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth, then add this marinade to a bowl with pork shoulder. Let the pork marinate in the sauce for a minimum of an hour. Grill the pork as well as some pineapple slices. Chop up the pork and pineapple, then add it to tortillas along with red onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
Tips For Pork Tacos
- This recipe calls for two specialty ingredients: dried guajillo chiles and achiote paste. If you can’t find dried guajillo chiles, you can substitute dried ancho chiles which are available in most grocery stores. Achiote paste comes in a jar in the ethnic foods aisle. It’s a colorful and fragrant paste made of annatto seeds and spices, and it gives the meat in this dish its characteristic red color.
- I typically use pork shoulder for tacos al pastor because it’s tender and juicy. You can also use pork loin, or boneless pork country ribs.
- If you don’t have fresh pineapple available, you can grill up canned pineapple rings to go on your tacos.
- While I often serve these tacos on corn tortillas, flour tortillas are also a great choice.
Quick Tip
The easiest way to get thin slices of pork is to partially freeze your pork shoulder roast before you cut it. Chill it for about 30 minutes and you’ll be ready to go.
Recipe FAQs
Tacos al pastor are made with marinated pork that is slow roasted on a spit. The pork typically marinates in pineapple juice, chiles and spices. In this particular case, we’re going to grill our pork to make this recipe more adaptable to a home kitchen.
Al pastor is grilled pork that is coated in a chili based sauce and is served as tacos with pineapple. Carnitas is slow cooked pork that is flavored with orange and is typically served in chunks or shredded. Both of these dishes use pork shoulder as the base, but the flavor and cooking preparations are different.
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Toppings For Tacos Al Pastor
The traditional way to serve these tacos is with pineapple on top. That being said, there are many other ingredients you can add to your tacos to customize them to your tastes.
- Cheese: Try some grated cotija, cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Salsa: These tacos pair perfectly with homemade pico de gallo or salsa verde.
- Avocado: Add some sliced fresh avocado or a dollop of Chipotle guacamole.
- Greens: These tacos are great with a little shredded green or purple cabbage, or romaine lettuce.
- Veggies: Try adding a little fresh corn or some pickled red onions.
These tacos are a must-have for any Cinco de Mayo gathering. They’re the perfect blend of sweet and savory and it’s a nice change from the typical chicken or beef tacos. You’ll be sure to get rave reviews with this recipe!
More Great Taco Recipes
Ground Beef Tacos
20 mins
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
3 hrs 5 mins
Pulled Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
1 hr 10 mins
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Tacos Al Pastor
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 2 teaspoons garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 dried guajillo chilies seeds and stems removed, then softened in very hot water for 5 minutes
- 1 tablespoon liquid agave or honey
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste
For the tacos
- 12 corn tortillas warmed
- 1 pineapple peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves minced
Instructions
- Place the garlic, oregano leaves, cumin, salt, pepper, guajillo chilies, agave, pineapple juice, white vinegar, achiote paste and 1/2 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 3 minutes, then cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour the marinade ingredients into a blender; blend until smooth.
- Place the pork in a large bowl and add the marinade. Toss to coat completely. Chill, then refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat a grill or indoor grill pan to medium high heat.
- Place the pork and pineapple slices on the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until pork is just cooked through.
- Coarsely chop the pork and pineapple.
- Divide the pork between the tortillas. Top with the chopped pineapple, red onion and cilantro, then serve immediately.
Notes
- The easiest way to get thin slices of pork is to partially freeze your pork shoulder roast before you cut it. Chill it for about 30 minutes and you’ll be ready to go.
- This recipe calls for two specialty ingredients: dried guajillo chiles and achiote paste. If you can’t find dried guajillo chiles, you can substitute dried ancho chiles which are available in most grocery stores. Achiote paste comes in a jar in the ethnic foods aisle. It’s a colorful and fragrant paste made of annatto seeds and spices, and it gives the meat in this dish its characteristic red color.
These came out so good my family didn’t believe I made them!
Really came out great! My family loved this recipe!
These are a must make for Taco Tuesday! The flavors sound amazing!
This looks like my dream dinner, I can’t wait to try it!
I love tacos and I love pork, so not quite sure how it is I haven’t tried this dish before! Pinned to my recipes to try board, and will be making it soon. Yum!
These tacos are super flavorful and the best on Taco Tuesdays!
Love the closeups – they truly make you appreciate the whole cooking process. Delicious and great looking dish!
Wow! These were so easy to make and so tasty! They reminded my husband and me of our trips to Los Cabos. Served them with a side of roasted corn (from Trader Joe’s) and cilantro lime rice.
These are so delicious! Easy and a huge hit!
Made this over the weekend and they were fantastic!!!
Now these are tacos! I cannot wait to try them!
Tacos Al Pastor are my favorite! Thank you for the tip on freezing the pork shoulder to get the thin cut!
Can’t get enough of the sweet and savory combination!
These look absolutely delicious! Drooling over here!
Hi Sara,
never seen anything like this in my life!Can’t wait to try this TACOS AL PASTOR….What happens if i leave out garlic?
It’s fine to omit the garlic!
The flavors in this are calling my name Sara ~ I love the spice with the pineapple!
This was really amazing! I’ll do it again for Cinco de Mayo!
Agave in tacos? Oh my.. that sounds so delicious. Such an interesting recipe and flavor combo. Honestly can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
You are talking my love language al pastor tacos are my favorite of all. And then with the freshness of the pineapple, these are the bomb. Now I am officially hungry.
Perfect combination of sweet and savory! I love finding new recipes to make on my grill, so thank you for this delicious post!