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Tacos Al Pastor

Tacos al pastor with marinated pork shoulder, caramelized in batches, then topped with charred pineapple. Loaded into warm corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and a squeeze of lime for that Mexican street food vibe.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
marinating 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 580
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Al pastor pork marinade
  • 2 lb pork shoulder Thinly sliced for faster caramelization.
  • 4 guajillo chiles Deseeded.
  • 2 ancho chiles Deseeded.
  • 0.25 cup pineapple juice
  • 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 4 garlic cloves Crushed or roughly chopped.
  • 1 tbsp achiote paste
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Toppings and assembly
  • 1 corn tortillas Warm for serving.
  • 1 pineapple chunks Char in the same skillet.
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 cilantro Chopped.
  • 1 lime wedges Serve with a squeeze.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Soak and blend the marinade
  1. Soak the guajillo chiles and ancho chiles in hot water for 10 minutes until soft, then drain. The softened chiles should look pliable and dark red.
  2. Blend the soaked chiles with pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic cloves, achiote paste, cumin, and oregano into a smooth paste. Scrape down the blender as needed so no chile bits remain.
Marinate the pork
  1. Coat the thinly sliced pork shoulder with the marinade until evenly covered. Add salt and pepper to taste, then mix well.
  2. Let the marinated pork sit for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight). Keep it refrigerated and covered so the flavors deepen.
Cook and char
  1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add the pork in batches. Stir occasionally and cook until caramelized and cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. Char the pineapple chunks in the same skillet after the pork. Cook until browned with char spots, then set aside.
Assemble the tacos
  1. Serve the caramelized pork on warm corn tortillas. Top with the charred pineapple, diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice from the lime wedges.

Notes

For the closest street-style texture, slice pork thinly so it caramelizes at the edges instead of steaming—thin pork makes the 15-20 minute batch cook work. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze cooked pork (without tortillas) up to 2 months and reheat in a skillet. Dietary swap: use a plant-based “pork” cut from a soy blend and reduce marinade time to 30-60 minutes for best texture (still char pineapple the same way).