Is there anything as satisfying and delicious as making your own tacos at home? And if we’re talking tacos, the best and easiest thing to make at home is al pastor. 

Your local Mexican place is always going to have the best tacos al pastor, but for those times you can’t get out, this recipe is so good you’ll feel like you’re back wherever your taco heart belongs.

tacos al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com

What is al pastor

Al pastor is a Mexican dish with pork that’s been slow roasted on a vertical spit. Vertical spits are often associated with middle eastern food and this is no exception: legend says that Lebanese immigrants brought the cooking method to Mexico, where they paired it with traditional adobada to make the genius known as al pastor.

It’s served in all kinds of dishes, in tortas/sandwiches, pizzas, and even on rice, but the most celebrated way to serve it is in tacos al pastor. The crisp smoky pork is sliced-to-order with a razor sharp knife as it’s flame crisped by the vertical spit. The meat falls right into each taco and topped with a flourish of slow-roasted pineapple. It’s heaven in a tiny tortilla.

al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com

Because you probably don’t have a flame powered vertical spit at home, you can’t replicate it 100% perfectly. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing, just-as-good version at home too, especially if you are far away from Mexico right now.

The best homemade al pastor

Why this is the best homemade al pastor recipe: it’s smoky, sweet, and super easy. I’ve tried a lot of recipes on the internet and none of them really come close to what I love about al pastor – the smoky finish and the crisp edges.

This recipe has been in my back pocket for a long time now. It’s our go-to for taco nights, but I’ve never put it up until now because I always thought the ingredients were a little hard to come by. It’s worth it though, this recipe is simple, tasty, and comes really close to the real street-side deal.

tacos al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com

How to make al pastor

  1. Soak your chiles. Guajillos come dried and soaking them makes them pliable and easy to deseed.
  2. Slice and season your pork. I try to go for as thin of a slice as possible, so that there’s more surface area to absorb the marinade.
  3. Make the marinade. Blend the guajillos together with garlic, sugar, achiote, adobo, and pineapple juice until smooth.
  4. Marinate. Marinate your pork for at least 30 minutes, but better yet, overnight.
  5. Roast. You probably don’t have a vertical spit at home, so the best way to achieve that combination of soft supple insides and crispy, smoky edges is to lay out the pork in a single layer and broil at 500ºF until cooked. Don’t forget to roast your pineapples as well (on a separate baking sheet).

chopped al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com

How to make tacos al pastor

  1. Prep your toppings. Dice your onions, chop your cilantro, slice your jalapenos, and portion out your salsas.
  2. Chop it up. Roughly chop your pork so that the majority of the pieces are about 1/2″ x 1/2″.
  3. Crisp up your al pastor. Frying it is optional but really intensifies the flavors, not to mention gets it nice and piping hot.
  4. Prep your tortillas. If you’re using flour tortillas, you should cook them now. If corn, cover 10-12 at a time with a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds (or use a tortilla warmer like we do), then let sit another 30 seconds to steam before you build.
  5. Build and enjoy! Top with roast pineapples and all the other toppings you love.

tacos al pastor recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Al pastor ingredients

Guajillo chilies

Guajillo are dried mirasol chiles that are sweet, smoky, and not very spicy. One of the most common chiles for Mexican food and one of our favorites. I’ve found the easiest way to buy the best quality chiles is online, where it’s far superior to anything outside of a good Mexican grocery store.

guajillo chiles | www.iamafoodblog.com

Achiote paste

A blend of spices featuring annatto that goes great in everything. Not at all spicy, just deeply flavorful. My favorite brand is El Yucateco. From a staining perspective, annatto is just as bad as turmeric, so be careful not to get any on your clothes or white porous surfaces.

achiote paste | www.iamafoodblog.com

Chipotle chilies in adobo

These are smoky spicy dried chipotle chiles (chipotle is smoked jalapeno) in adobo sauce – a sweet blend of tomatoes, vinegar, and spices. This recipe uses a whole can. Most people won’t find chipotle in adobo very spicy, but if you don’t prefer the spice level of jalapeno, it might be best to skip one or two of the pepper pods inside the can – the adobo part is a must however.

chipotles in adobo | www.iamafoodblog.com

Canned pineapple

Al pastor is traditionally served with roasted pineapple cut from the top of the vertical spit. This recipe needs pineapple juice anyway, so I prefer to use canned chunk pineapple and roast them, rather than deal with a whole pineapple. Most 398ml/13.5oz cans will yield exactly 1/2 cup of juice, which is what is called for in this recipe.

Corn or flour tortillas

A lot of people prefer corn but if you live in the Southwest, you know (fresh) flour is awesome. When I’m not near really good flour tortillas, I try to buy locally made corn tortillas, but sometimes you’re just in a food desert and don’t have a lot of options other than national brands. In those cases, Mission is my go-to, both for corn and flour. Look for a street taco size.

Spice level

This is not a spicy dish, but if you’re the kind of person where black pepper is just on the edge of spicy to you, then you might want to leave out a chipotle chile or two from the can. If you really, really hate spice, you’ll also want to deseed the guajillos. We use them for smoky flavor in this recipe, so you can remove all the seeds if you want to. The larger peppers are easier to deseed. Once softened, just turn them upside down and remove the stem, and 80-90% of them should fall right out.

al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com

Grilling at the table

For taco nights, we like to do the last warming part at the table with a small tabletop griddle. You can warm your tortillas and the al pastor all at once, and it makes for a really fun night. Just prep all your toppings in little communal bowls, grab some drinks, and taco the night away.

What to serve with tacos al pastor

tacos al pastor recipe | www.iamafoodblog.com

Al Pastor Recipe

Smoky, sweet, and super easy crispy edged roast pork tacos topped with broiled pineapples.
Serves 8
4.65 from 105 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 dried guajillo peppers
  • 2 lb pork shoulder/butt cut into~ 1/4" slices, boneless
  • 8 cloves garlic peeled
  • 7 oz chipotle peppers in adobo 1 can
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp achiote paste 1.75oz/half package
  • 13.5 oz pineapple chunks fruit and juice separated, 1 can
  • corn or flour tortillas warmed, as needed

Instructions

  • Soak the guajillos in a small bowl filled with hot tap water for 15 mins. You can either remove the stems and seeds beforehand, or wait til the peppers are soft and pliable, hold them by the tip, upside down, over the sink, and cut the stems off. The seeds should fall right out.
    guajillos soaking in warm water | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Meanwhile, season the pork generously with salt.
    seasoned pork shoulder slices | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Add guajillos, garlic, chipotle in adobo, sugar, achiote paste, and 1/2 cup pineapple juice to a blender and blend into a smooth marinade.
    al pastor marinade | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Marinate the pork for at least 30 mins and up to 24 hours in the fridge.
    al pastor pork meat | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Preheat your oven to 500°F. Arrange the pork in a single layer on another baking sheet. Broil the pork until the edges and corners start to char, about 20 minutes.
    broiled al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • While you wait for your pork to finish, arrange drained pineapple chunks in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Remove the pork and broil pineapples until charred, another 15 minutes.
    roasted pineapples | www.iamafoodblog.com
  • Slice meats, fry up, and make tacos.
    Fried pork al pastor | www.iamafoodblog.com

Notes

Makes roughly 16 tacos (2oz per taco). Serves 8 when paired with other food, or 4 for taco nights. Estimated nutrition doesn't include tortillas, toppings, or sauces (if any).

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Al Pastor Recipe
Amount Per Serving (2 oz)
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 93
% Daily Value*
Fat 10.3g16%
Saturated Fat 3.3g21%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 237mg10%
Potassium 212mg6%
Carbohydrates 5.1g2%
Fiber 1.6g7%
Sugar 3.1g3%
Protein 15.4g31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

22 Comments

  1. Sabrina says:

    5 stars
    yum and thank you, have never made this dish from scratch, closest is pre-marinaded for tacos, so thank you, love the flavor

  2. Russ Webster says:

    5 stars
    I’m a 56-year-old white guy. I have loved Al Pastor for a long time. I finally decided to try to make it at home. This recipe was simple and easy to follow. My wife and I sat at the dining room table and enjoyed it together and it was absolutely fantastic. Follow every direction and by all means do not forget the pineapple. Follow the instructions to a T. Thank you so much for this recipe it’s absolutely fantastic

  3. Olia says:

    5 stars
    very good. I followed the recipe exactly except I grilled the pork on the grill rather than broil, came out great. Will definitely be making again, thank you!

    1. Darius says:

      I was just thinking about grilling instead. I think it will add to the flavor.

  4. cb says:

    5 stars
    we kind of live out in the sticks now, so achiote paste is not easily available (although I did get the chipotles in adobo locally; had to use good ground ancho for the guajillo). I looked up what the achiote paste is made from, and I had everything but the annatto seeds, so I added all those ings. I chopped the salted pork into smaller pieces before the marinade, and added the pineapple to the marinading pork – next time I’ll use crushed instead of chunks. marinated 24hr, broiled 12min, rotated the pan, broiled 8 more. really, really, REALLY good, thank you!

  5. Nick says:

    Made this tonight and it got rave reviews all around, don’t change a thing!

  6. Chris says:

    5 stars
    First time I’ve made Pastor, mine came out wetter than I was used to, but very very good. And, honestly, more flavorful. I will definately make this again. Thank you.

  7. Erin says:

    4 stars
    Very good, but almost intolerably spicy. And I’m not a wuss! If I make it again, I’ll leave out all but one chipotle. I might also follow the previous commenter who chopped up her pork before marinating!

    1. Jake says:

      5 stars
      Agreed to chop up the pork before marinating!

  8. Kevin says:

    5 stars
    We are big fans of Pastor but I never tried it at home because I assumed you need a spit to get it authentic so I was skeptical when I tried this recipe. However, I was blown away at how on point this was! The flavors were as good if not better than the best pastor I’ve head anywhere. I live in AZ and have access to very good Mexican food so that is saying a lot. Only thing I did different was to grill it over mesquite. It gave it an extra depth of flavor with some light smokiness. Thank you for sharing!

  9. David says:

    Making this delicious sounding recipe for the 1st time and am shooting for 24 hours marinating time. Question – when pulling the marinated meat out to broil, just leave any marinade clinging to the pieces on there and broil?

  10. Clint says:

    5 stars
    Great flavor from the marinade! I cut my pork roast slightly thicker and cooked it with with the marinade sous vide for 8 hours at 157 degrees. Resulted is perfectly cooked pork, not falling apart, so it could be put on the grill to char- to make the char faster with our drying out I also hit it with a flame torch. Perfectly crisp and juicy pork. Thanks!

    If you have a sous vide you must do this.

  11. Pamela says:

    5 stars
    What a great recipe! Not overly spicy, but very flavorful! We’ve made this twice, and are going to double it because it was such a hit with the family!

  12. Masako says:

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe exactly, except I didn’t have achiote paste so I googled a substitute and used that. it turned out fantastic! we will definitely make it again. thank you!

  13. Tony says:

    5 stars
    I never comment on recipe sites but I gotta say thank you. Just made this for Christmas eve dinner with visiting family and it turned out amazing.

  14. Mike N says:

    5 stars
    made this for myself and my coworkers at work. everyone loved it. thank you for sharing it.

  15. John D says:

    4 stars
    Amazing but a bit spicy for my family. what would you recommend to maintain the flavor without the spice? Less Chipotle peppers and water or more pineapple juice in the marinade? I feel like if it was thinner it keep the flavor with the heat being in suck a thick paste

    1. Stephanie says:

      less chipotle peppers is the way to go. if you have the patience and kitchen gloves, you can try to remove the membranes and seeds from the chipotle peppers, but it’s pretty messy and the peppers are rarely intact. more pineapple juice will help too!

  16. Christina says:

    5 stars
    Have made this twice. And both times it has been a hit. The first time I couldnt find the anchiote paste and I didn’t notice a big difference with or without it. For me it took longer than 20 min in oven. Perhaps mine isn’t hot enough. Recommend!

  17. B says:

    Has anyone tried this with pork loin? I know it’s much more lean, but I smoked a good size one and don’t want the leftovers to go to waste!

    1. Stephanie says:

      i haven’t, but i think it would work, it will be a bit more dry though!

  18. Dave Edwards says:

    5 stars
    Made it once and just put the pork and pineapple on skewers on grill and it came out great. Trying it again this weekend on vertical spit in green egg and serving on crispy tostones as appetizer for neighborhood party. Its a little spicy but with pineapple salsa I figure we will be okay.

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