Name: How to Make Delicious Tacos al Pastor at Home
Prep time: 4 h 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless pork butt, sliced into thin 1/3-inch steaks (1kg); 1 large onion, sliced; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 1/2 golden sweet fresh pineapple (or 1 can of pineapple rings, juice reserved for al Pastor sauce); 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped; corn tortillas; salsa of your choice; one recipe of al Pastor Sauce (below); 1 ounce dried guajillo peppers, seeds and stems removed (about 4 large peppers); 1 ounce achiote paste (30g); 1/4 cup canned (or jarred) pasteurized pineapple juice *see note below; 1/4 cup white vinegar; 3 garlic cloves; 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (use Italian if you don't have Mexican); 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (about 25 turns on a pepper mill); 2 cloves; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional but recommended); 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional but recommended)

Jump to Recipe·Leave a Review

If you've ever eaten Tacos al Pastor shaved right off of a rotating trompo (vertical spit), then you know how delicious they are and this authentic recipe does not disappoint. Ok, so we're not in Mexico City and this recipe will never taste as good as the original tacos from the street vendors there, but it's 100% delicious and uses an award-winning Tacos al Pastor recipe right from the heart of Mexico. So, there's no reason you should wait to make these delicious tacos at home when you can still honor the integrity and taste of the original.

tacos al pastor on a homemade white corn tortilla with grilled pineapple and salsa

boneless pork butt cut into steaks and piled in two stacks in a white ceramic casserole dish atop the homemade al Pastor sauce

pork shoulder steaks covered in deep bright red al pastor sauce

pork shoulder steaks covered in deep bright red al pastor sauce and stacked with like al Pastor meat is known for with slices of onions and fresh pineapple layered in between the meat topped with a slice of pineapple

What is Tacos al Pastor?

Tacos al Pastor is a type of taco that consists of marinated pork butt (or shoulder) cooked on a trompo (vertical spit).

This famously delicious taco is said to come from Monterrey, Nuevo León, in northern Mexico. The meat is cooked and shaved off of the rotisserie (like gyro meat) and is often served on a fresh corn tortilla with pineapple, onions, cilantro, and salsa. For this recipe, we marinate boneless pork butt (or shoulder) in a tangy, spicy, al Pastor sauce of guajillo peppers, achiote paste, vinegar, pineapple juice, and spices. The pork is layered with onions and fresh pineapple slices and cooked until its edges are crispy. All of the fat from the pork and the flavors of these ingredients meld together into something uniquely delicious.

deep red-orange colored achiote paste "brick"

What Does Tacos al Pastor Taste Like and Why is the Meat Red?

Let's break down the flavor of al Pastor sauce. The marinade for the al Pastor pork is nuanced and delicious. It consists of guajillo peppers (pronounced: gwa-HEE-oh), achiote paste (this is where al Pastor sauce gets its bright reddish-orange color), vinegar, pineapple juice, fresh garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, and cloves. I also add a hint of garlic powder and onion powder to the original recipe. The overall flavor has a sweet and sour and just slightly spicy taste.

dried Guajillo peppers with stems and seeds removed

reconstituted Guajillo peppers in a pot of hot water after cooking

deep bright red-orange smooth homemade al pastor sauce in a food processor

Do Not Cook The Meat On a Vertical "Spit" in Your Oven As Seen In this Post

If you don't have a real trompo hanging out in your backyard, don't worry. I've outlined 4 good ways to cook al Pastor taco meat in the home kitchen. Do NOT cook the meat in your oven using a "faux" spit as I've done here. This causes unnecessary headaches (it falls over like the leaning tower of Pisa) and often the meat won't be cooked in the middle. As long as you get a good sear on the outside of the marinated meat, these are all but guaranteed to be some of the best tacos you've ever had.

Tacos al Pastor sauce ingredients on a cutting board

raw onion slices and raw pineapple slices on a cutting board

Tacos al Pastor Ingredients

This is one of our favorite taco recipes to make. With just a handful of pantry staples and spices, you can have a better-than-average taco night without the expense of take-out. Plus, this is a great MealPrep dish to make ahead and freeze (just the sauce, or the finished cooked meat). And if you don't want to mess with a whole pork butt (shoulder), buy a couple of individual pork shoulder steaks and use those instead. We have slightly adapted Mely's recipe from over at Mexico In My Kitchen and if you don't know her yet, go check out her blog (we're HUGE fans of her recipes and her authentic Mexican cooking♡).

al Pastor Taco Ingredients

corn tortillas
boneless pork butt or shoulder
onion
fresh pineapple (sub 1 can of pineapple)
fresh cilantro
one recipe of al Pastor Sauce (below)

al Pastor Sauce

dried guajillo peppers
achiote paste
canned (or jarred) pasteurized pineapple juice
white vinegar
garlic cloves
Mexican oregano (sub Italian if you don't have Mexican)
ground cumin
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 cloves
garlic powder
onion powder

How to Make Tacos al Pastor at Home

There's a reason why people love these delicious tacos -- they're super tasty and easy to cook. So, whether you're a mindful omnivore looking to eat less beef or just someone who really loves tacos, we think you'll enjoy this recipe.

Reconstitute the dried peppers. Add the peppers to a saucepot and cover them with water and bring the heat to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Strain them and allow them to cool while you measure out the al Pastor sauce ingredients.
Make the al Pastor sauce. Add all of the al Pastor sauce ingredients and the slightly cooled peppers to the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer (placed over a large mixing bowl or casserole dish) to create a smooth cohesive sauce. Add salt to taste (if needed) and set aside while you prep the pork.
Prep the pork. Sprinkle the pork butt slices with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Add the slices of meat directly to the al Pastor sauce and turn them over to coat each piece of meat well. Marinate the meat for at least four hours (or up to overnight which is always tastier).
Cook the pork. Here are 4 good and easy options (and one bad option) for cooking al Pastor pork at home:
- Pan-sear the pork in a preheated cast-iron skillet. Remove excess marinade from the pork (otherwise the meat will stick to the pan when you cook it). Slice the meat and pineapple into thin slices. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a heavy-gauged skillet or wok. Just as it starts to smoke, working in batches, add the pork along with a little onion and pineapple and cook for a total of about 12-15 minutes, tossing occasionally to keep the meat from sticking to the skillet and to allow for even crisping. Remove from the skillet and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining pork, onions, and pineapple. *Do not overcrowd the skillet and do not move the meat after it first hits the pan. Allow the mixture to sear for about 4 minutes on medium-high heat before tossing the meat cooking until golden brown and crispy.
- Grill the pork. Place the pork steaks, onions, and pineapple slices directly onto a preheated grill and allow them to cook until the meat is crispy and sizzling and the onions and pineapple are caramelized. Remove them from the grill and allow them to rest for 4 to 5 minutes, slice them into thin strips, and serve immediately.
- Cook the pork in a countertop rotisserie. Stake the meat, pineapples, and onions. Start with a slice of pineapple, add 3 to 4 slices of meat, a layer of onions, more meat, and a slice of pineapple and repeat all of the layers until no meat remains, ending with a slice of pineapple on top. Allow any excess marinade to drip off for about 20 minutes before starting the timer and cooking. Shave the meat off in thin slices and add them directly to a preheated skillet to crisp up even more to your liking and serve immediately.
- Cook the pork steaks under a preheated broiler. Cut the meat into kebab-sized pieces, alternate the meat, pineapple, and onion slices on metal or (soaked) wooden skewers, and place them onto an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake the kebabs under a preheated broiler for about 20 minutes rotating them 2 to 4 times while cooking to get even crisping on all sides. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or remove from the skewers and slice the meat into smaller strips before serving.
- Roast the pork in a vertical stack in your oven (NOT RECOMMENDED NO MATTER WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS POST OR ONLINE). See recipe card notes if you care to know more about this method.

5. Assemble the tacos. Once the meat is cooked through, slice or chop the meat and the pineapple and serve it on warmed tortillas with your choice of toppings.