Description
Tacos Al Pastor is a classic Mexican street food featuring thinly sliced, marinated pork sirloin grilled to perfection and served with charred pineapple, fresh cilantro, and diced onion on warm corn tortillas. This recipe combines a flavorful chipotle and ancho chili marinade with the sweetness of grilled pineapple for an authentic and delicious taco experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Marinade
- 2 pounds boneless pork sirloin roast
- 1 white onion (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (+ 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pineapple and Toppings
- 1 pineapple
- 12 corn tortillas
- Lime wedges
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Diced onion
Instructions
- Slice the pork sirloin: Thinly slice the boneless pork sirloin and place the slices in a large bowl to prepare for marinating.
- Prepare the pineapple: Peel the pineapple, slice into quarters, and remove the core. Chop one quarter into large dice for blending, and slice the other quarters into large wedges for grilling.
- Make the marinade: In a blender, combine the diced pineapple quarter, roughly chopped white onion, chicken broth, distilled white vinegar, ancho chili powder, garlic cloves, chipotle pepper in adobo, 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce, kosher salt, dried oregano, and ground cumin. Blend until a smooth marinade forms.
- Marinate the pork: Pour the blended marinade over the sliced pork. Toss well to coat all pieces thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days to allow flavors to develop.
- Grill the pork: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the marinated pork slices in batches, cooking each piece for 2-4 minutes until cooked through and slightly charred.
- Grill the pineapple wedges: While the pork is grilling, place the pineapple wedges on the grill and cook until charred and caramelized, enhancing their sweetness.
- Assemble the tacos: Chop the grilled pork and pineapple into small bite-sized pieces. Warm the corn tortillas and serve by filling them with the chopped meat and pineapple. Garnish with lime wedges, chopped fresh cilantro, and diced onion for a fresh and vibrant finish.
Notes
- Marinate the pork for at least 2 hours but ideally overnight for maximum flavor.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan or broil the meat in the oven on a high rack.
- Serve immediately once assembled for the best texture and flavor.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, ensure your chicken broth and other ingredients have no added gluten.
- Adjust the amount of chipotle pepper and adobo sauce based on your preferred spice level.
