• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop

Chili Pepper Madness logo

  • Recipe Index
  • RECIPES BY TYPE
    • BBQ/Grilled
    • Burgers
    • Chicken Wings
    • Chili
    • Curry
    • Dehydrator
    • Game Day
    • Hot Sauces
    • Jalapeno Poppers
    • Marinades
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Quick and Easy
    • Salsas
    • Sauces
    • Seasonings
    • Stuffed Peppers
    • Tacos
  • COOKING TIPS
  • Pepper Info
    • Chili Pepper Types
    • The Scoville Scale
    • Hottest Peppers in the World
    • Growing Chili Peppers
    • Preserving
    • Health Benefits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Buy Plants & Seeds
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Pepper Info
  • Chili Pepper Types
  • The Scoville Scale
  • Growing Chili Peppers
  • Preserving
  • Chili Pepper Health Benefits
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Cooking Tips
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • About Us
×

Home » Homemade Tacos al Pastor Recipe

Homemade Tacos al Pastor Recipe

by Mike Hultquist · Mar 16, 2022 · 8 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Tacos al Pastor Recipe

My homemade tacos al pastor recipe is easy to make with pork shoulder marinated with pineapple and achiote, then grilled until tender, restaurant style!

Tacos al Pastor Recipe

There is a Mexican restaurant right up the street from me that makes outstanding tacos al pastor. There is also a Mexican restaurant just on the other side of town that makes a mean one. And another about 2 miles away from me.

My town isn't hurting for great Mexican food.

I just can't get enough tacos. There are so many types that I love, and absolutely one of my favorites is Tacos al Pastor. As much as I love going out for tacos, I love even more making them at home myself.

It's super easy.

If you've never tried making your own homemade tacos al pastor, now is the time to give it a go. I'm here to help.

It really is an easy recipe, my friends. It's mostly about the marinade. Then it's a bit of grilling and chopping and topping those tacos.

But first.

Tacos al Pastor with lots of fixings

What are Tacos al Pastor?

Tacos al Pastor is a recipe from central Mexico derived from shawarma introduced by Lebanese immigrants. Similar to Greek gyros, the meat is traditionally spit-grilled on a trompo and sliced into tacos, though tacos al pastor uses pork.

The dish is compared to recipes like tacos de adobada from Northern Mexico and tacos árabes from Puebla.

"Al pastor" translates to "shepherd style".

There are two components to tacos al pastor that make it unique compared to other taco recipes - the marinade and the grilling.

Tacos al pastor marinade can vary somewhat from cook to cook, but it boils down to a base of Mexican chili peppers, fruit juices and seasonings that make this dish a culinary favorite.

Let's talk about how to make Tacos al Pastor, shall we?

Ingredients to make our tacos al pastor marinade

Tacos al Pastor Ingredients

  • FOR THE MARINADE
  • Chili Peppers. I'm using ancho peppers, guajillo peppers, and chiles de arbol. You can use chili powder as well.
  • Onion and Garlic.
  • Pineapple. Use fresh, or you can use canned, or pineapple juice.
  • Chipotle Sauce.
  • Achiote Paste. This is what gives tacos al pastor its distinctive red color.
  • Orange Juice.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar.
  • Brown Sugar.
  • Seasonings. Mexican oregano, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
  • FOR THE TACOS AL PASTOR
  • Pork Shoulder. You can use boneless pork shoulder or bone in.
  • Olive Oil.
  • Warmed Corn Tortillas.
  • Garnish, such as pineapple slices, sliced peppers, fresh herbs.

This is enough to thoroughly coat and marinate a 3 pound pork shoulder, which is the cut of meat you want for tacos al pastor. 

Tacos al Pastor on a plate, ready to serve

How to Make Tacos al Pastor - the Recipe Steps

Make the al Pastor Marinade

Soften the Peppers. Dry toast the dried anchos, guajillos and chiles de arbol a couple minutes per side in a hot pan to release their oils.

Cool, then remove stems and seeds. Set into a bowl and cover with hot water to soften for 20 minutes.

Drain. Drain the water and add the rehydrated peppers to a large food processor.

Food Processor. Add in the onion, garlic, pineapple, chipotle sauce, achiote paste, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt to taste.

Process until smooth.

Tacos al pastor marinade in a food processor

Slice the Pork. Slice the pork shoulder into long thin strips, about ½ inch thick. Make them large enough so they won’t fall through your grill grates.

If using the Vertical Skewer method, slice the pork instead into 1/4 inch slices.

Marinate the Pork. Add the pork to a large bowl and cover with the marinade. Make sure to get all of the pork evenly coated.

Marinating the pork to make tacos al pastor

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to marinate.

Easy Grilled Tacos al Pastor

When you're ready to make your tacos al pastor, heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.

Alternatively, you can make this indoors in a grill pan on the stove top.

Shake off excess marinade and grill the meat for 6-7 minutes, or until slightly charred and cooked through.

You want to get a bit of crispy char on them.

Grilling the marinated pork

Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve over warmed corn tortillas. Top with diced jalapeno, diced grilled pineapple or fresh pineapple, diced tomato, chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges or lime juice, spicy chili flakes, hot sauce.

Vertical Skewer Grilled Tacos al Pastor

Thread the Skewer. Shake off excess marinade and thread the sliced pork onto a vertical spit or skewer.

Adding marinated pork shoulder to the vertical skewer

Grill the Pork. Heat the grill to 250 degrees F and grill the pork over indirect heat for 3-3.5 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.

The outer edges should be a bit crispy and charred.

Grilling pork al pastor on a vertical skewer

Remove and Slice. Remove from heat and slice the pork, then serve! Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Slicing the pork for tacos al pastor

BOOM! Done! Quite easy, right? I love easy. And BIG FLAVOR. Taco time, my friends!

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • On Slicing. Slice the pork shoulder into thinner strips or slices for marinating. Some recipes call for you to slice the pork into thicker steaks, but cutting them smaller allows the marinade to better permeate and flavor the meat. Thin slices of pork is best for flavor. Just don't cut them so small that they will fall through your grill grates.
  • On Marinating. Marinate the sliced pork at least 2 hours, but longer is better for more flavor infusion. 
  • Make it Ahead. Get your sliced pork marinating the night before you want to make tacos al pastor. When you get home from work, dinner is on the table in a snap. All you need to do is prep your toppings, grill and slice the pork, then serve up tacos.

Are Tacos al Pastor Grilled?

Yes. It's easier to use your grill to get the colorful char. I like to the cooking method of smoking the pork on a charcoal grill to get that smoky, wood flavor that takes this recipe to the next level.

However, you can make this recipe on a stove top with either a grill pan or even your every day pan. You'll miss that extra flavor component, but it will still be satisfying and flavorful.

You can use a gas grill as well.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your easy tacos al pastor! Homemade!

Try Some of My Other Popular Taco Recipes

  • Tacos al Carbon
  • Chicken Tinga Tacos
  • Baja Fish Tacos
  • Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
  • Chorizo Tacos

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Beef Enchiladas
  • Cochinita Pibil
  • Chicken Enchiladas Verde with Cheese
  • Rajas Poblanas – Roasted Poblano Strips in Cream Sauce
  • Mexican Chicken Tortas
  • Carne Asada - Mexican Grilled Steak
  • Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork)
  • Bean Burritos
Mike stealing a taco off the plate - bad Mike!

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Tacos al Pastor Recipe
Print

Homemade Tacos al Pastor Recipe

My homemade tacos al pastor recipe is easy to make with pork shoulder marinated with pineapple and achiote, then grilled until tender, restaurant style!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: pork, recipe, spicy, tacos
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 40 minutes
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 12 tacos
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 3 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE

  • 2 ancho peppers
  • 2 guajillo peppers
  • 2 dried chiles de arbol or more as desired
  • 1 small yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/3 cup crushed pineapple or use pineapple juice
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
  • 2 tablespoons achiote paste
  • Juice from 1 large orange about 1/3 cup
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste

FOR THE TACOS AL PASTOR

  • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
  • Olive oil as needed
  • 12 corn tortillas warmed
  • FOR SERVING: Diced jalapeno, diced pineapple, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes, hot sauce

Instructions

FOR THE MARINADE

  • Dry toast the dried anchos, guajillos and chiles de arbol a couple minutes per side in a hot pan to release their oils. Cool, then remove stems and seeds. Set into a bowl and cover with hot water to soften for 20 minutes.
  • Drain the water and add the rehydrated peppers to a large food processor.
  • Add in the onion, garlic, pineapple, chipotle sauce, achiote paste, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt to taste. Process until smooth.
  • Next, slice the pork shoulder into long strips, about ½ inch thick. Make them large enough so they won’t fall through your grill grates. (If using the vertical skewer method, slice the pork into 1/4 inch or thinner slices, not strips.)
  • Add the pork to a large bowl and cover with the marinade. Make sure to get all of the pork evenly coated.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

FOR THE TACOS AL PASTOR (EASY GRILLING METHOD)

  • Heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Alternatively, you can make this indoors in a grill pan on the stove top.
  • Shake off excess marinade and grill the pork for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through. You want to get a nice crusty char.
  • Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve over warmed tortillas. Top with diced jalapeno, diced pineapple, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes, hot sauce.

FOR TACOS AL PASTOR ON A VERTICAL SKEWER

  • Shake off excess marinade and thread the marinated sliced pork shoulder onto a vertical skewer.
  • Heat your grill (or smoker) to 250 degrees F and set the skewer inside over indirect heat.
  • Grill over indirect heat for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
  • Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve over warmed tortillas. Top with diced jalapeno, diced pineapple, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes, hot sauce.

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. You won't really get much heat from Tacos al Pastor, but you will get awesome flavor. Add in both heat and flavor with your favorite complimentary hot sauce and some diced peppers and/or chili flakes.
Internal Temp: Because of the thin slices of the pork, you only need an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, not the usual 165 degrees F.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 226kcal   Carbohydrates: 17g   Protein: 27g   Fat: 4g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Cholesterol: 68mg   Sodium: 297mg   Potassium: 550mg   Fiber: 2g   Sugar: 4g   Vitamin A: 375IU   Vitamin C: 3mg   Calcium: 44mg   Iron: 1.8mg
Tacos al Pastor Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This post was updated on 3/16/22 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 4/24/19.

Categories: Game Day Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, game day and superbowl parties, mexican, patty's favorites

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Mike Hixson says

    June 09, 2022 at 6:34 pm

    This recipe looks delicious!!
    I'm concerned the enzymes in pineapple for an overnight marinade will breakdown the meat too much resulting in mushy meat. Has anyone done an overnight with the pineapple?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      June 10, 2022 at 5:48 am

      Mike, 2 hours is plenty of time for great flavor. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Antonio says

    March 16, 2022 at 2:45 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe Mike!

    A few days ago I made a similar recipe but with chicken and I made it in the air fryer, the outcome was delicious and it is a wonderful alternative to make these tacos al pastor that are delicious!

    Thanks for sharing this recipe, i will try it soon.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      March 16, 2022 at 2:52 pm

      Thanks, Antonio! I appreciate the comments! Cheers! =)

      Reply
  3. Cheryl Constien says

    April 16, 2020 at 4:19 am

    5 stars
    Fantastic!! We had this last night, let the meat marinade over night!! Definitely a keeper!! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 16, 2020 at 7:33 am

      Great, Cheryl! So glad to hear! Happy you enjoyed it. Much appreciated.

      Reply
  4. EGbluesuede says

    December 29, 2019 at 6:50 pm

    5 stars
    Another hit with my family. Thanks Mike! My butcher was closed for the holiday, but I found a pork butt steak at the supermarket, which was basically a bone in pork shoulder in the discount section, sliced into steaks. My guess is they do this to get rid of the bone in sections after other customers take the boneless section, and it helps sell them. So, I marinated, and then grilled them like steaks, and cut into smaller bites before serving. With the toppings, everyone raved and I will get add these to our menu again. Not that she's picky, but my dog loved the leftovers too! Sweet girl.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 30, 2019 at 10:42 am

      Great to hear! Yeah, pork butt steaks are just pork shoulder cut into steaks. Great stuff, actually! Perfect for this recipe. Glad you enjoyed it!! I love it.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

ALL. SPICY. RECIPES. Hi, I’m Mike and I LOVE Spicy Food! Say goodbye to bland and boring food with my easy-to-follow recipes. Let’s get cooking!

More about me →

Mexican
Cajun
Sauces
Seasonings

5 ESSENTIALS FOR SPICY COOKING

Subscribe and receive my FREE email series with tips for spicy cooking and new Recipes

Order The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND / BOOKS A MILLION

Order The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND

Most Popular Recipes

  • Bang Bang Chicken
  • Jamaican Curry Chicken
  • Mexican Birria Recipe
  • Homemade Blackening Seasoning
  • Michelada Recipe - Spicy Mexican Beer and Tomato Juice Cocktail
  • Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)

Footer

NEVER MISS A RECIPE

Receive my "5 Essentials for Spicy Cooking" email series & new recipes

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

↑ back to top

About | Contact | Travel-Food | Stories | Privacy | Disclaimer | © 2022 Chili Pepper Madness

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF MEDIAVINE FOOD