Tacos al Pastor
Marinated pork with pineapple in soft corn tortillas, topped with onion and cilantro.
- Preparation
- 30 min
- Cook/bake time
- 20 min
- Total
- 4 hr 50 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 1164 kcal
- Servings
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cooking & baking
- 20 min
- Resting
- 4 hr
Only 50 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.
Marinated pork with pineapple in soft corn tortillas, topped with onion and cilantro. The marinade of dried chilies, achiote, and pineapple juice traces back to Lebanese immigrants in Mexico who brought their spit-roasting technique. At home, a very hot pan achieves those same caramelized edges.
Why this works
The pineapple isn't just for sweetness. It contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down muscle protein and tenderizes the pork neck, which is why the marinade shouldn't sit for more than a few hours, or the surface will turn mushy. In the pan, its fructose caramelizes along with the sugar from the chilies to create the dark edges that would form on a spit. Doubling up the tortillas is a precaution: the bottom one catches the fat before the top one gets soggy.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Soak the chilies
Toast the seeded chilies in a dry pan for thirty seconds per side until fragrant, but do not let them get dark, as burnt chilies will make the whole marinade bitter. Pour hot water over them and let them soak for twenty minutes until soft and pliable.
- 2
Blend the marinade
Place the drained chilies with achiote paste, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt in a blender and puree into a smooth, deep red paste. If it is too thick to blend, add soaking water by the spoonful. Taste it: it should be intense, slightly tart, and distinctly salted.
- 3
Marinate the meat
Thoroughly mix the thin pork slices with the marinade so that each slice is coated all over, and let it rest in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight. The acid from the pineapple and vinegar tenderizes the meat and carries the chili flavors deep inside.
- 4
Sear over high heat
Heat a heavy skillet or griddle until very hot and fry the meat in batches in a single layer for two to three minutes per side. The marinade should form dark, caramelized edges, exactly mimicking the spit. In the last two minutes, add the diced pineapple and let it take on some color as well.
- 5
Tortillas and serving
Warm the corn tortillas individually in a dry pan for thirty seconds per side until soft and pliable, and keep them warm in a cloth. Coarsely chop the meat and fill two stacked tortillas per taco. Sprinkle with red onion and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
Our best tips
- Stack two tortillas per taco, just like the street stalls in Mexico do. The bottom one catches the juices and prevents sogginess.
- Do not toast dried chilies too dark. Thirty seconds is enough, otherwise they become bitter.
- Have the butcher cut the meat into thin slices, it saves half the work.
Tasty variations
From the grill
Thread the slices onto skewers and grill over direct coals for two minutes per side, which comes closest to the original.
With chicken
Use chicken thigh fillets instead of pork, the marinade and all steps remain identical.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 1164 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 59 g |
| Carbohydrates | 114 g |
| – of which sugar | 18 g |
| Fat | 50 g |
| Fiber | 11 g |
Where the 1,164 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get dried chilies?
At a Latin American grocery store or online. Guajillo is mild and fruity, Ancho is sweet and smoky. As an emergency solution, a mix of paprika powder and a little chipotle paste works.
What is achiote?
A paste made from annatto seeds, which mainly provides the typical orange-red color and has a mild earthy taste. Alternatively, mix paprika powder with turmeric.
Why pineapple?
It provides sweetness to balance the chili heat, and its enzymes tenderize the meat. Fresh pineapple is more effective than canned.
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