This Tacos al Pastor recipe was given to me by my sister, she wrote the recipe while watching a TV show in Mexico, they were having a competition for the best Tacos al Pastor in Mexico City. The most famous taquerias were represented there, and the winner was kind enough to share his recipe. My sister took notes and this is the best recipe.
Best Authentic Homemade Tacos al Pastor
As a Mexican living abroad, it is not easy for me to satisfy the craving for eating really good Tacos al Pastor or Tacos de Trompo, as we call them in my hometown. Something happens inside taco trucks or Mexican-style restaurants outside of México that cannot explain in this short space, but you can see that there is a Mexican-looking guy cooking in the kitchen but the food doesn’t taste anything like the real thing.
I know they are focusing their business on the local clientele’s palate but please, why change the flavors 180 degrees? That is why I am always looking for ways to recreate those flavors at home as much as possible and this Tacos al pastor recipe is one of them.
Photo courtesy of Mexico Alternativo
Tacos al pastor are cooked on a vertical spit, the meat is stacked in the shape of an inverted top. Over the years, I tried different methods to mimic the tacos as they are sold in Mexico. One method was stacking the meat and bake it in the oven, it just doesn't work, the result was soft meat and not the crispier texture of the vertical pit, then the classic skillet versions where the meat sticks a little bit to the pan, the kabob style got better results than the previous cooking methods until one day I happen to visit blogger Kalofas and saw his Gyro recipe.
Using a rotisserie to make it. Bingo! I had found what I needed, a vertical rotisserie oven small enough to place on your countertop.And after doing some shopping via eBay and 26 dollars, including shipping and handling, I am the proud owner of a Carousel Rotisserie. For me, this is the only way to cook tacos al pastor and also Tacos Arabes, Gyros, Chicken Shawarma, and a whole chicken, too.
You can buy a newer version of thisVertical Rotisserie online. Or get the same like mine, just click on the link below the ingredients list.You can buy a similar and new version Rotisserie in Amazon.
How to make Tacos al Pastor Recipe
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the peppers in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer over a medium heat until they look soft. Let them cool and drain. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Place peppers, vinegar, pineapple juice with the spices and achiote paste in your blender. Process it until you have a very smooth sauce. Pour the sauce slowly through a fine sieve to get a nice homogenous texture.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the sauce and steaks in a large bowl and marinate the meat or use a pastry brush.
- Marinade for at least 4 hours or overnight of hours, and then grill the steaks or fry in a skillet. Grilling some pineapple and onion slices on the meat to add to the tacos when serving.
Now for the cooking process:
- To cook in the Vertical Rotisserie stake the meat intercalating with some slices of onions and pineapple. Let any marinade drain for about 20 minutes before starting the timer. 1 Hr. is enough to cook 2 pounds. Shave the meat with a sharp knife and place it in an already warm skillet.
- The second option to make your tacos al pastor at home is using the broiler in your oven. Cut the meat as for Kabobs and insert into the skewer placing onion and pineapple slices between the meat. Since the meat is cut into smaller portions this method will take about 20 minutes to cook rotating at least 2 times while cooking.
- Now, this is the easiest since almost anyone has a frying pan or skillet at home. Once your meat has marinated cut into small fine strips. Make sure to remove any excess adobo sauce. Warm the frying pan and add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of oil until hot enough that when you place the meat it sizzles. Add onion and pineapple slices along the meat to cook. Turning as needed to avoid the meat to stick to the pan.
Slice the meat finely and make your tacos al pastor with warm tortillas, topped with chopped onion and cilantro, onion, pineapple and a salsa of your choice.
Check out our recipes for Tacos de Suadero, Tripitas, Steak and Beef Tongue.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
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Tacos al-Pastor en español.
Tacos al Pastor at home
Ingredients
- 1 oz. guajillo peppers cleaned and seed removed About 4 peppers
- 1 oz. achiote paste
- ¼ cup pineapple juice you could use the juices from the sliced pineapple can
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
FOR THE TACOS
- 2 Lbs. pork butt Shoulder cut in ⅓ inch steaks
- Salt and pepper to season the meat
- 1 medium size white onion cut in slices
- 1 can of pineapple rings
- 1 medium size bunch of cilantro washed and finely chopped
- 1 medium size onion finely chopped
- 12 Corn tortillas
- A good spicy salsa of your choice
Instructions
- Place the peppers in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer over a medium heat for about 15 minutes or until they look soft. Let them cool and drain.
- Place peppers, vinegar, pineapple juice with the spices and achiote paste in your blender. Process it until you have a very smooth sauce. Pour the sauce slowly through a fine sieve to get a nice homogenous texture. At this time, taste the sauce just to make sure the salt is enough for your taste.
- Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the sauce and steaks in a large bowl and marinate the meat or use a pastry brush and apply the sauce to each side of the steaks.
- Marinade for at least 4 hours or overnight of hours (believe me it tastes way better), and then grill the steaks or fry in a skillet. Grilling some pineapple and onion slices along the meat to add to the tacos when serving. When cooking in a skillet, remove any excess adobo sauce since it will stick to the pan.
Now for the cooking process:
- To cook in the Vertical Rotisserie stake the meat intercalating with some slices of onions and pineapple. Let any marinade drain for about 20 minutes before starting the timer. 1 Hr. is enough to cook 2 pounds. Shave the meat with a sharp knife and place it in an already warm skillet to give it that crisper taste as they do at the taquerias in Mexico.
- The second option is using the broiler of your oven. Cut the meat as for Kabobs and insert into the skewer placing onion and pineapple slices between the meat. Since the meat is cut in smaller portions this method will take about 20 minutes to cook rotating at least 2 times while cooking.
- Now, this is the easiest since almost anyone has a frying pan or skillet at home. Once your meat has marinated cut in small fine strips. Make sure to remove any excess adobo sauce.Warm the frying pan and add 1 – 2 Tablespoons of oil until hot enough that when you place the meat it sizzles. Add onion and pineapple slices along the meat to cook. Turning as needed to avoid the meat to stick to the pan. Cook for about 12 -15 minutes.
NORMA RUIZ
Esos taquitos me han hecho agua la boca Mely que deliciosos se ven, son de mis favoritos me encantan los taquitos al pastor.
Mely
Hola Norma,
Y tu en el DF consigues los mejores tacos.
Mely
Martin
Hello everyone! A friend of mine, from Mexico City, and my self, made tacos al pastor. But instead of cooking the meat on a pan, we cooked it in my smoker. It was a hit!!! It had all the great flavor of the spices, with a Smokey flavor.
Mely Martínez
Hello Martin,
I bet those were some amazing tacos!
Nammi
Hi Mely, thats a lovely looking tacos, even though I dont eat pork. Have a nice day 🙂
Mely
Hi Nammi,
You can use chicken instead of pork, the adobo sauce is really good even with fish dishes.
Mely
Prieta
OMG! This looks soooo gooood! This reminded me of the days when I used to eat more meet. My husband and I used to cross the border on special trips to our favorite tacos de adobada stand. Oh god, I could have some right now! Great recipe Mely, I'm glad you posted it. Saudis.
Mely
Hola Prieta,
Missing the taco stand at the border too. I used to go to the ones in Reynosa, Tamps while living in Texas. Have a great week!
Karen
Tacos al Pastor are one of my favorites... this is a great way to recreate them!
kirby
Mely, you're a genius! Twenty six bucks and change for authentic al pastor. That's much easier than my plan to hook the dog up to a treadmill to turn a spit on the Weber.
Mely
Hello Kirby,
I always love your sense of humor. I can even imagine the dog running around in circles.
Mely
Chris
Oh my! You have me wanting a vertical rotisserie so very much!!!!! I am going to hunt one down.
Mely
Hi Chris,
I was lucky to find it as soon as I saw the post in the Kalofagas. When rigth to ebay and there it was. It looked like there were no takers maybe that is why is was so affordable.
Good luck in finding yours!
Mely
Nora
Me encanta tu rostizador vertical! Ahora yo quiero uno! =( =) Que tortura con los taquitos al pastor
Ahora tengo que hacerlos
Besos
Mely
Nora, desde que hago los tacos en el rosticero no hay vuelta atras.
Saludos,
Mely
trisha
Tengo suenos de tacos al pastor en un restaurante en Queretaro. Me encanta tacos al pastor. Porque no estan en los menus de restaurantes en EEUU?
Mely
Hola Trisha,
Pienso que la razon principal por la cual no los ofrecen es porque saben que no saben igual cociendo la carne en otro metodo que no sea el asador vertical. Y ese que usan en las taquerias es toda una inversion.
Saludos y que tengas muchos sueños bonitos.
Mely
Byte64
Me tomaste por sopresa querida Mely, tenía planes de volver a hacer los tacos al pastor desde hace un par de meses así que me quedo con aún mas ganas de comerlos.
A mi hijo les encantan también, la genetica no miente 😀
El año pasado, cuando fui al mercado de San Juan en el DF, pasé por las calles del centro historico donde están un montón de tiendas con herramientas para la cocina y los restaurantes y por supuesto tenían trompos de varios tipos, el mas bonito que ví costaba alrededor de 14000 pesos.
Mely
Hola FLavio,
Si esos son bastante caros, pero ya sabes el ingenio de otros me ayudo a hacer mi propio trompo.
Saludos,
Mely
Miz Helen
Hi Mely,
You have created a wonderful Taco, this is just beautiful and your presentation is just awesome. I just love the flavors that you combined for this recipe and the method that you used to achieve your goal. Hope you have a great week end and thanks for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Ruth S. Macotela
Que delicia! hay Mely, tu nadamas me haces romper la dieta. Que buena idea lo de prepararlos en el Carousel rotisserie, no se me habia prendido el foco. Mi esposo desde cuando quiere comprar un trompo para preparar los tacos al pastor en el verano para nuestros amigos y dejar en paz por un rato la BBQ, pero si que estan un poco caritos. Por otro lado, tu receta con mole, esa que se prepara en capa sy queda como un lasagna me la han "chuleado" mucho 🙂
Como siempre gracias por las ideas y las recetas. Que disfrutes de un exelente verano!
XOXO
Mely
Hola Ruth,
Que bueno que les guste la receta del platillo con mole, es rico y saca siempre de apurros por lo facil que es preparar.
Saludos,
Mely
Swathi Iyer
Another beautiful and traditional recipe post from you.
Candace
Mely, this looks soooo good. I have got to find one of those rotisseries. I made corn tortillas for the first time tonight and wish that I had some of this meat to go inside of it. Soooooon! 🙂
Mely
Hello Candace,
It is so cool that you are making your tortillas at home. Look forward to see the pictures.
Mely
Gerry @Foodness Gracious
Beautiful, al pastor is a hard taco to find and to find a good one is even harder, Yours looks fantastic..
Mely
Hello Gerry,
You are right, these are some hard to find tacos, a really good ones. So better make them at home.
Happy cooking!
Pau F
we just did tacos al pastor over the weekend on the grill, they came out amazingly good! Esto es lo que mas extraño de vivir en Mexico (y tacos arabes con jocoque!!)
saludos!
Pau F
We just did your tacos al pastor recipe this past weekend on the charcoal grill, they came out perfect!!! Esto es l o que mas extraño de vivir en Mexico! (y tacos arabes con jocoque)
Saludos!
Mely
Hola Paul F,
Tacos Arabes are also some of my favorites, well I just love a good taco. 🙂
Happy week!
Mely
Gabriela, clavo y canela
Que divino! hasta parece que me llega el olorcito. Divinas fotos
besos
MyCookingTime
Qué ricos tacos Mely!
Me encantan los tacos de "trompo" así se les llama también en Monterrey.
Gracias por la receta!
Pily
Ya comí y se me hizo agua la boca!!!! me gustó que le pones jugo de piña , así lo voy a hacer ahora!!
un beso
Lori
I didnt know you could buy these things. That is great. I will have to look for one of those.
Ruth Shin
So happy to stumble upon your site. Wonderful recipes. The "rotisseries" they seem to be using in the pic look identical to the ones that middle easterners use to make shawarma. I am up in NY. For decades there was a definite desert of authentic mexican food. However, I'm happy to say that as the Mexican population grows, it is becoming possible to find authentic places. These businesses tend to initially cater to the Mexicans in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the quality level seems to go down as soon as the place is discovered by hipsters. They tend to mob these places and then they start losing their authenticity and quality. Always a disappointment when this happens. I am glad I can recreate these at home. Another thing that seems impossible to find is an authentic cemita! Luckily I have my own source for papalo!
Mely
Hello Ruth,
I agree with you about how the quality go down and the flavors also change to cater their new customers.
Come back soon.
Mely
Cristian Vasquez
When do you pour the vinegar?
Mely
Thenak you Cristian for your question and catching that missing item. It goes along with the peppers and spices into the blender. I already update te recipe.
Thanks again.
Mely
gristine
Oh my god. I'm staying in Mexico as an exchange student this year, and I'm only about a month away from returning to Norway. I have to learn how to make tacos al pastor. They are delicious! But I had no idea it took so much time and effort 😮 Thank you for the recipe, I'll definitely try your recipe.
Stephanie Vargas
We love tacos al pastor and I decided to try making them at home and found this recipe. WOW..so good. My husband is from Mexico and he loved them too. Thanks for the great recipes!
amy thompson
I love this!
Stephanie Vargas
We love tacos al pastor! I decided I would try making them at home this weekend instead of going out...WOW they were good! My husband is from Mexico and he loved them too. Thanks for all the great authentic recipes! 🙂
Joost Nixon
Mely, way up in the Northern Washington State, real Al Pastor is just about impossible to find. This recipe reminds me of a little place in LA, where I grew up. Made ten pounds for a church potluck. Boom! Thank you!
The tacos were a big hit! THANK YOU!
Brittney Salinas
Hi Mely!
This probably comes off as a stupid question, and I do realize that doing it this way would most likely change the texture of the finished product very different than your original... But my question is, Can I make the meat for tacos al pastor in the crock pot instead of stacking the meat on a vertical rotisserie? I don't have one and they were all pretty expensive on Amazon.. However, I do want to try the recipe and if I use the same ingredients like the achiote, guajilo chile, pineapple, onion, garlic, etc and just simmer it with pork shoulder in a slow cooker that may work right? What are your thoughts on this? Love your site and your recipes!! Muchas Gracias!!!
mmartinez
Hello Brittney,
You can cook the meat with the adobo, the texture and flavor will be a little bit different but they for sure will be good. I had tried even making them in the oven, but they don't really taste as tacos al pastor. Just like another pork adobada meat.
CaptMike Tracy
Our first stop in Mexico everytime for Pastor. Look forward to trying this recipe. Nice buy on the Vertical Rotisserie.
spectrumama
This looks amazing! Could you do this on a horizontal rotisserie? I have one of those already. Just wondering if the recipe would work the same?
mmartinez
Hello Spectrumama,
I think you could. I never hurts to try!
It's me
How did it turn out
Leticia Alaniz
Hola Mely, mañana iremos a un festejo en casa de unos amigos de Goa. Los consentiré con unos tacos al pastor pero de pollo y tortillas recién hechas, Tu receta es de verdad cielo al paladar.
mmartinez
Hola Lety,
Que delicia, espero les guste a tus amigos de Goa.
Minh
Great recipe! I like how you describe the different ways to prepare the meat. Have you also been able to experiment with an Instant Pot? I wonder whether it would be possible to prepare the meat somehow with that.
mmartinez
Hello Minh< The Instant Pot will render a different texture in the meat compared to the traditional way Tacos al Pastor are made.
Minh
okay I'll stick to one of the options in your recipe then. Thank you! 🙂
Judy Howle
I tried an Instant Pot recipe and the flavor was good but not the texture. Stick with what Mely recommends.
Judith
Your site is just great, I have tried so many recipes and have loved them all. So glad I found your site as there have been recipes that I wanted to cook for many years but some seemed daunting, some I didn't pay enough attention to my mom when she'd cook them. Your step by step details has me always saying "I thought that was a half day cooking process I won't be able to do it after work." I guess I just think of my mom starting at 3PM everydsy making a dozen flour tortillas and dinner being ready at 6. Now that I think about it she was a stay at home mom most of my life so she took her time preparing the dough at 3PM, then moving onto the beans, rice and main dishes. When the food was near the end of cooking time she'd roll out and cook the tortillas. Now through your recipes I see the big picture while this cooking, start on this then once that's cooking you can start this. Thank you for sharing your recipes and helping this woman realize it's not exactly 2-3 hours of cooking that I thought it was for most dishes.
mmartinez
Hello Judith,
That is the way to handle the cooking, must times you multitask, while you cook the rice, also cook or chop the vegetables or stew meats. It fot sure takes time, and I'm always wondering about the working moms and the little time they have to handle work, house, child care and cooking. It is a lot of work!
Thank you for your kind words, it got me all teary-eyed.
Muchas gracias!
Steven G.
I did this with 2oz of guajillo peppers + 80mL (1/3 cup canned) pineapple juice. After simmering the peppers for about 15 minutes. lay them on a clean surface or chop block with the skin side down. Using a spoon gently scrape the meat off the skin and into the blender then discard the skin. Put the pineapple juice, achiote paste and guajillo meat with the spices into a blender and mix for MINUTES. You will have a much darker sauce, a bolder flavor and no need to strain it through a seine. The end result has a viscosity of ketchup and is very smooth. Amazingly authentic tasting. I swear you could bottle it.
Can be used on thin sliced pork loin (trimmed) with excellent results when marinated for 11 hours.
Thank you Mely. You are my Mentor.
Christina
Hi, I made your recipe with fresh pineapple and marinated it for 1 day. The meat turned out VERY mushy because of the enzymes in the pineapple. In your recipe I suggest specifying *only canned* pineapple for the marinade. And when I broiled the meat in the oven it did not brown much and ended up steaming instead. Did you only broil 1 skewer at a time?
Mely Martínez
Hello Christina,
Pineapple juice tenderize the meat. That's why I mention on the notes that it is better to cook on a grill or on a frying pan as a better option that the oven.
Judy Howle
Yes, I read on several recipes not to marinate the meat in fresh pineapple juice for that reason. I will use the juice from the canned pineapple.
JT
These tacos are restaurant quality. I can’t believe how well they turned out. The recipe on this site for salsa de chile de arbol is a perfect complement. If they don’t taste “authentic” to you, remember that recipes vary regionally in Mexico and most taquerias in the states try to do a little of everything rather than specialize in pastor.
We chose to use a charcoal grill and really enjoyed the added smokiness. Hope to try them with a vertical rotisserie someday.
Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Mely Martínez
Hello JT,
Thank you for your comment and for trying the Tacos al Pastor recipe. Happy cooking!
Karina
I tried this recipe for the first time and I LOVED it! I loved it so much, I regret not making more.
Mely Martínez
Hello Karina,
Next time if you make double save some to make quesadillas. Happy cooking!
Judy Howle
I did a search for authentic Mexican recipes and discovered you. I love Tacos al Pastor. A local Mex restaurant has them and they are good but the last 2 times the meat was really dried and hard so I quit buying them. I made them at home once but they were not too good using an Instant Pot. Your recipe looks great! I can't wait to try it. I may use the grill now that we cleaned it to roast chile peppers, haha. I am going to look at your other recipes.
Mely Martínez
Hello Judy,
I hope you like this recipe. I have a friend in Austin, TX that uses this recipe to cook tacos al pastor. His clients love them.
Joanne
This may be a silly question.....step 4 of the instructions says to grill the steaks (this is after marinating) and then the cooking instructions below that give 3 options: rotisserie, broiler and pan fry. I do not have a rotisserie...can you clarify if I'm supposed to grill the steaks first and then finish them off in the pan? Wondering if it would come out too dry? I absolutely LOVE all your recipes and want to be sure that I get this one right! 🙂
Mely Martínez
Hello Joanne,
Those are different cooking options. You do not need to cook it again.
Brad
Hi Mely, I have a horizontal rotisserie for my gas grill and also have a wood pellet smoker.
1) have you ever tried smoking the kebabs?
2) Would a horizontal rotisserie work well for this in place of a vertical? Unfortunately vertical rotisseries seem very expensive when I only need it sporadically.
thanks!
Mely Martínez
Hello Brad,
I have never smoked kebabs, and for the horizontal rotisserie, you can use that one. I know what you mean, they are really expensive for sporadical use.
Robb
How much is an oz of achiote paste? American measurements are so annoying! An oz can be both a volume and a weight measurement.
Mely Martínez
Hello Robb, I just google it for you. It will be 28.34 grams.
Carole Golden
Ridiculously delicious. This recipe should be in everyone's box.
Mely Martínez
Hi, Carole,
Tacos al pastor are delicious! Thank you for trying the recipe.
Dave
This the best al pastor I have ever eaten. I made it on a cast iron skillet. I highly recommend you to try this you will not be disappointed. My wife made me make it over and over inviting our kids and neighbor’s over to try it. I got exhausted and everyone said it’s the best.
Mely Martínez
Hello Dave,
Thank you for trying the recipe for Tacos Al PAstor. I'm glad to know you like them!
Kendra
Love this recipe. We have made it a handful of times now. We have a big green egg with a rotisserie so we cook it over the hot coals with a pineapple rigged up above it to drip over while cooking. I also like to double or triple the marinade amount then boil the liquid after marinating to use as a sauce on the tacos.
Mely Martínez
Hello Kendra,
It sounds so good, I bet the flavors are outstanding when you make it on your Green Egg grill.