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Tangy, spicy, and sweet pork slow cooked for 8 hours results in a tender, easy to shred pork perfect for filling your empty taco tortillas with the fixings. This tasty tacos al pastor captures the delicious restaurant-style flair of classic Mexican ingredients for an authentic taste and a crisp, tender texture.
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Ingredients for Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor
- Tips & FAQs
- Recipe
- Check out these other great recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
My recipe features authentic Mexican flavors with ingredients such as cumin, achiote paste, and oregano. Achiote paste can be found at a Mexican grocery store. It’s inexpensive as well (I paid $1.30 for it. Crazy right?). It’s flavor is something that you need in tacos al pastor. Without it, it won’t be as flavorful. Most Tacos al Pastor recipes feature pineapple juice, but I went ahead and used fresh pineapple chunks. Rather than discarding the skin with all of that pineapple left on it, I went ahead and placed them on top of the pork before letting it slow cook all day. It helps release even more pineapple flavor and juices as the pork cooks. A whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is used. You want the peppers plus the adobo sauce. That’s where all the flavor is. Don’t worry about it being extremely spicy! The pineapple cuts that. The result is a tender pork with a tangy, spicy, and sweet sauce that you can lather it up with before adding it to a warm corn tortilla.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor
(Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- Pork Shoulder Roast, Boneless: Also called boston butt, this pork is perfect for getting the tender shredded pork you want.
- Bottle of Dark Beer: A dark Mexican beer works well with this recipe, such as Modelo Negra. If you don’t have any beer, beef or chicken broth work just as well in its place.
- Can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: This gives the recipe its spice content. It’s not as spicy as you think, despite how much my recipe calls for. The pineapple cuts the spiciness. It gives flavor as well.
- Fresh Pineapple: A medium sized pineapple is fine for this recipe. You’ll be using some chunks for the pork, the skin that you would normally toss out after cutting it off, and some chunks for serving. Why do you use the pineapple skin, you may ask? Well, it helps release even more pineapple flavor and juices as the pork cooks. Do not throw them out until the pork is done!
- Achiote Paste: This is an important ingredient to the Tacos Al Pastor. It’s a spice mixture that usually includes annatto, oregano, cumin, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic, and salt.
- Garlic: Adds flavor and is blended together with the achiote paste.
- Orange Juice: I used this when I blended together the achiote paste and garlic. It just helps loosen it up, plus adds more citrus to the pork.
- White Onion: This slow cooks with the pork and gives it flavor. The white onion is a little more robust than the yellow onion, so it’s perfect for this recipe. You can use yellow onions if you wish.
- Cumin, Dried Oregano, Chili Powder, Salt, Garlic Powder: The spice blend for the pork.
- Lime Juice: More citrus flavor! Lime is common in most Mexican recipes.
- White Vinegar: This helps the pork tenderize as it cooks.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Allow it to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze this for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag and put it in the freezer.
- Serve it with: Warmed corn tortillas, fresh pineapple chunks, cilantro, and sour cream are the best garnishes. You can top it off with grated cotija cheese.
- Why am I using the pineapple skin? It helps release even more pineapple flavor and juices as the pork cooks. Do not throw them out until the pork is done!
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor
Ingredients
- 1 (5 lb) boneless pork shoulder roast (AKA Boston butt), extra fat trimmed off, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 medium fresh pineapple
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 7 oz can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 7 oz achiote paste
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 12 oz bottle of beer
- 1 small white onion, quartered
- For serving: corn tortillas, sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges
Instructions
- Place the pork chunks in the slow cooker.
- Peel the pineapple, reserving the strips, each about 2 inches wide. Cut the pineapple; core it, then chop it into ½ inch chunks.
- Mix together the cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside. Blend together the orange juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, and achiote paste.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the pork. Pour the achiote mixture over it, then add the pineapple chunks, lime juice, vinegar, beer, and white onion. Place the pineapple strips on top, cut side down.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours, or until the pork is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork. Discard the pineapple peels and onions, then toss the pork in the juices. Serve with tortillas and other garnishes.
Notes
Storage: Allow it to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze this for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag and put it in the freezer.
Serve it with: Warmed corn tortillas, fresh pineapple chunks, cilantro, and sour cream are the best garnishes. You can top it off with grated cotija cheese.
Why am I using the pineapple skin? It helps release even more pineapple flavor and juices as the pork cooks. Do not throw them out until the pork is done!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
237.04Fat (grams)
2.85 gSat. Fat (grams)
0.82 gCarbs (grams)
32.59 gFiber (grams)
6.21 gSugar (grams)
19.48 gProtein (grams)
17.86 gSodium (milligrams)
1215.09 mgCholesterol (grams)
43 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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