The Easiest Al Pastor Tacos (Tacos de Trompo Recipe)

Want the flavor of Al Pastor Tacos in less than 30 minutes? This stovetop recipe is made with ground pork, pineapple and lots of seasoning. These tacos taste like the real deal! 

We love Mexican cuisine in our house. Recently, I noticed when we’re out at Mexican restaurants, my husband has been ordering Tacos Al Pastor (or Tacos de Trompo)! So, I started to research how to make this very popular dish at home.

What did I learn? Well, that’s quite time consuming!

I have to be honest, a recipe that takes over a day of prep doesn’t really fit in our life at this point.

For this recipe, I wanted to achieve the flavors of Al Pastor in a recipe that would work on any weeknight, even the busy ones when my son has practice or activities! 

So, I worked to reverse engineer this traditional recipe to work for taco night at our house! I’m proud that I got the recipe down to 30 minutes by using smart swaps. And, I have to say, I think we’re 95% there!

This easy recipe achieves the great flavor of al pastor in just a fraction of the time. The result? Flavorful, tender pork tacos. I’m super proud of it! 

Want to try authentic Yucatan roasted pork? Try my Mexican Cochinita Pibil Recipe.

How are authentic Tacos Al Pastor made? 

The best Tacos Al Pastor take time! Authentic Tacos Al Pastor are made with boneless pork shoulder or pork loin is marinated in achiote paste, a combination of pineapple juice, orange juice and/or lime juice, and some dried chiles (guajillo chiles, chipotle chile and/or pasilla chiles) before being roasted on a vertical spit. Think about how they make gyro meat. It looks like that! 

The juicy cooked pork is then cut into pork slices or chunks and combined with fresh pineapple for the taco meat. For serving, the tacos are topped with pineapple slices, salsa verde, white onions and cilantro and served on warm corn tortillas. They’re truly my favorite type of taco to order at Mexican restaurants! 

Al Pastor means “shepherd style,” a style of preparing meat that originated in central Mexico, but has spread in popularity! You will also hear these tacos refferred to colloquially as “Tacos de Trompo.”

The traditional way of making homemade al pastor takes at least a day. I would argue that it’s worth it, but making traditional al pastor tacos is probably saved for a special occasion in our busy lifestyle. 

​Tacos al Pastor Shortcuts:

So, how do we get a days-long process down to 30 minutes or less? By making some smart substitutions!

For this homemade Tacos Al Pastor recipe, I worked backwards to mimic the flavors of traditional Tacos Al Pastor, without all the time (or the vertical rotisserie)! In place of the al pastor marinade, I use pineapple juice, tomato paste and a seasoning blend with chipotle, garlic and other flavors.

Instead of using pork butt or pork loin, we use ground pork to make the tacos al pastor meat. Instead of the dried chiles, we use fresh poblano peppers and sauté them until they are a bit charred. 

Substitutions or Additions: 

​Like most savory recipes, there are plenty of things that can be substituted or added to make it work for you! Here are a few suggestions: 

• For an extra kick, you can add a tablespoon of adobo sauce to the pork mixture! This is the sauce that comes with the canned chipotle peppers in adobo. You can also add a hefty pinch of cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to the pork mixture to make these spicy. 
• Use a different cut of meat! For example, you could buy a small pork tenderloin. Just cube the pork before sautéing it. You can also substitute ground chicken. 
• I think a small corn tortilla is the perfect pairing for this recipe. But, using flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas is totally fine! Place them on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil to warm in the oven a bit before serving. 
• For the quick-pickled shallots, you can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar instead of the lime juice. 
• ​Substitute thin sliced white onions or red onions for the shallots. 
• Skip the shallots altogether, and just top your pork tacos with diced white onion! 
• If you have Mexican oregano, use in the spice blend! Otherwise, normal oregano is fine as a substitute. 
• Instead of the pineapple juice, you can use orange juice. 

If you have a picky eater, you can absolutely top these tacos with shredded lettuce, sour cream and shredded cheese! 

Tacos de Trompo – Different Methods of Preparation:

Want to make your tacos off the stovetop? Here are a few suggestions: 

• This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot. Just use saute mode! 
• You can also prepare this in the slow cooker, but I do recommend that you quickly sauté the pork on the stovetop before adding it with the rest of the ingredients to the crockpot! 

When cutting the poblano peppers, use a sharp knife on a cutting board. You may also want to wear gloves, or at least wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water after working with the peppers. You can also just pop them in the food processor for a hands-free way to break them down! 

Serving Suggestions:

My favorite way of enjoying Tacos de Trompo is on corn tortillas, topped with cilantro, salsa verde, lime juice and either shallots or onions. 

For picky eaters, consider topping with shredded cheese, lettuce and salsa rosa (red salsa). You also may want to omit or pick out the poblano peppers! 

For even more flavor, drizzle these pork tacos with homemade Smoky Red Pepper Crema.

You can also use this taco meat as a filling for enchiladas, taquitos or tostadas.  

Storing Leftovers: 

Store leftover taco meat in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Reheat in the microwave of in a hot skillet. You may want to add a tablespoon of hot water before reheating to help keep the juicy pork moist!