Everyday Kitchen

Mexican · Dinner

Tacos al Pastor

Draft recipe — not kitchen-tested
Non-vegEasy

Diet: Non-veg · High-protein

Tacos al Pastor is a Mexican dish. This pan version adapts the spit-roasted street-food dish.

Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Rest, soak, marinate or chill
240 min
Total
290 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Cuisine
Mexican
Course
Dinner

Estimated times for the original batch. Preparation, cooking and listed waiting time are included. Batch cooking can take longer.

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Representative photograph of Tacos al Pastor.
Representative photograph of Tacos al Pastor. Garnishes and presentation may differ. This is not a tested result of this draft. Photo credit and licence
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Ingredients

Metric weights use grams. US weights use ounces; liquids use fluid ounces. Conversions are rounded. Spoon measures use 5 ml teaspoons and 15 ml tablespoons; cups use 240 ml.

Serves 4

Choose any positive whole number of servings. Ingredients and measured amounts in steps scale together. Times, temperatures and equipment stay unchanged. For larger yields, cook separate original-size batches. Counted ingredients can become fractions; beat eggs before dividing them. Fixed correction-water checks remain fixed.

Marinade

Pan

Serve

Equipment

Kitchen scales; measuring jug and spoons; knife; cutting board; mixing bowls; heavy frying pan; spatula; blender; food thermometer; heatproof spoon; spatula.

Check all product labels and cross-contact. Diet groups describe this listed draft, not every substitution.

Steps

Marinate · About 240 min

  1. Blend marinade ingredients from 700 g pork shoulder, thinly sliced, 100 ml pineapple juice, 30 g achiote paste, 30 ml white vinegar, 15 g garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, ¾ tsp salt, coat pork and refrigerate 4 hours.

Cook · About 5 min

  1. Heat oil from 25 ml neutral oil, 200 g pineapple, diced; sear pork in batches 4–5 minutes per side to 63°C / 145°F; rest 3 minutes. Fry pineapple 3 minutes.

    Check: The food must be hot through at 63°C / 145°F.

Serve · About 8 min

  1. Chop pork, warm tortillas from 12 corn tortillas, 100 g onion, chopped, 20 g coriander, 40 ml lime juice and fill with pork, pineapple, onion, coriander and lime.

Tips

  • This pan version adapts the spit-roasted street-food dish.
  • Use the texture and doneness checks in the method; cooking times depend on your pan and heat.

Substitutions

  • Use orange juice instead of pineapple juice in the marinade.

Storage

  • Refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or within one hour in heat above 32°C / 90°F. Store covered at 4°C / 40°F or below. Use within two days for this draft.
  • Reheat cooked dishes to 74°C / 165°F, stirring or turning for even heating. Serve cold salads, dips and chilled desserts directly from safe refrigeration.
  • For sauces and soups, add a little water if thick and reheat gently. Crisp coatings soften after storage.

Make ahead

  • Prepare the measured ingredients for Tacos al Pastor one day ahead. Refrigerate chopped vegetables and other perishable ingredients separately; complete the staged cooking on the serving day.

FAQ

What matters most when making Tacos al Pastor?

This pan version adapts the spit-roasted street-food dish.

What can I substitute in Tacos al Pastor?

Use orange juice instead of pineapple juice in the marinade.

Can I prepare Tacos al Pastor ahead?

Prepare the measured ingredients for Tacos al Pastor one day ahead. Refrigerate chopped vegetables and other perishable ingredients separately; complete the staged cooking on the serving day.

Food safety references

FoodSafety.gov: cooking temperatures · Food Standards Agency: rice storage and reheating

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