Al Pastor means ‘herdsman style’ and traditionally refers to pork that is slow cooked on a spit or vertical rotisserie, much like shawarma. The meat is marinated ahead of cooking, and some where along the way pineapple was added into the mix. For me, tacos al pastor taste similar to carnitas but with a sweet and spicy flavor from the chipotle chilies and pineapple.

While traditional al pastor is made on a spit, most home cooks (myself included) don’t have an easy way to accomplish this; so we are pulling out the slow cooker! This al pastor recipe may not be traditional, but it’s easy to make and yields tender, flavorful pork that can be used in tacos, rice bowls, quesadillas and more.

Related: If you love this recipe you MUST try our carnitas recipe next!

Ingredients

• Pork Shoulder
• Salt
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Cayenne
• Chicken stock
• Chipotle peppers in adobo
• Lime
• White onion
• Pineapple

How to make tacos Al Pastor

Combine the dry spices to make the rub: salt, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne. Rub the pork shoulder all over with the mix and place in the slow cooker.

Add the chicken stock, chipotle peppers in adobo, lime juice, diced onion, and 1/3 of the pineapple cut into small chunks. I also place the outer skin of the pineapple over the top of the meat while cooking.

Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 10 hours.

Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred, this should be easy to do with two forks. Fill tacos shells with the meat and top with diced onion, pineapple and chopped cilantro.

Tips and Notes

• Pork shoulder is also called Boston butt, picnic shoulder and picnic roast. If you can’t find this or want a pork substitute a good alternative is beef chuck roast.
• I don’t trim the fat before slow cooking. I find leaving it on adds tenderness to the final dish. I also think it’s easier to remove any large fat sections during the shredding process.
• You can use water instead of chicken stock. If you do I’d recommended adding a little more salt, maybe 1/2 teaspoon or more.
• I love this al pastor right out of the slow cooker once shredded. But if you want to add some texture or crispy ends you can quickly pan fry it in a little oil, much like my carnitas recipe.
• Al pastor meat makes great leftovers! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. You can easily rewarm it on the stovetop or microwave.

More Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes

• Barbacoa
• Carne Asada
• Chilaquiles
• Ceviche
• Torta
• Pozole
• Elote
• Chicharron
• Avocado Salsa
• Mango Salsa
• Mole Sauce
• Chipotle Sauce
• Chimichurri Sauce
• Queso
• Enchilada Sauce
• Chicken Verde Enchiladas
• Taco Dip
• Birria Tacos
• Birria Pizza
• Arepas
• Chimichangas
• Fajitas

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#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-1-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }5 from 1 vote Print Get the Recipe Tender pork made with chipotle peppers, onion and pineapple in a slow cooker. Yield 6Prep 10 minutes minsCook 5 hours hrsTotal 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins Ingredients1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 pounds pork shoulder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne
• ▢ ½ cup chicken stock
• ▢ 1 lime
• ▢ 7 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• ▢ ½ white onion
• ▢ ⅓ pineapple

Instructions

• Combine the dry spices to make the rub: salt, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne.
• Rub the pork shoulder all over with the mix and place in the slow cooker.
• Add the chicken stock, chipotle peppers in adobo, lime juice, diced onion, and 1/3 of the pineapple cut into small chunks. I also place the outer skin of the pineapple over the top of the meat while cooking.
• Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 10 hours.
• Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred, this should be easy to do with two forks.
• Fill tacos shells with the meat and top with diced onion, pineapple and chopped cilantro.

Notes

• Pork shoulder is also called Boston butt, picnic shoulder and picnic roast. If you can’t find this or want a pork substitute a good alternative is beef chuck roast.
• I don’t trim the fat before slow cooking. I find leaving it on adds tenderness to the final dish. I also think it’s easier to remove any large fat sections during the shredding process.
• You can use water instead of chicken stock. If you do I’d recommended adding a little more salt, maybe 1/2 teaspoon or more.
• I love this al pastor right out of the slow cooker once shredded. But if you want to add some texture or crispy ends you can quickly pan fry it in a little oil, much like my carnitas recipe.
• Al pastor meat makes great leftovers! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. You can easily rewarm it on the stovetop or microwave.

© Author Emma ChapmanCourse Main CourseCuisine American, MexicanKeywords al pastor Nutrition .wprm-nutrition-label-layout .wprmp-nutrition-label-block-line {background-color: #333333;} .wprm-nutrition-label-layout .wprmp-nutrition-label-block-nutrient {border-top-color: #333333;} Nutrition FactsAl PastorAmount per ServingCalories339% Daily Value*Fat 14g22%Saturated Fat 5g31%Polyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 124mg41%Sodium 946mg41%Potassium 751mg21%Carbohydrates 16g5%Fiber 5g21%Sugar 8g9%Protein 37g74%Vitamin A 128IU3%Vitamin C 30mg36%Calcium 49mg5%Iron 4mg22%* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

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