Anyone who knows me knows that tacos are my favorite food. I love all kinds of tacos and have created so many taco recipes for this very website. But these slow cooker al pastor tacos might just be the ultimate taco because of the wonderful flavor contrast between the sweet pineapple and the rich, saucy pork. They’re my go-to order when I hit up my local taqueria or neighborhood food truck here in Boulder.
This recipe was created in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board.
Recipe Highlights
15-minute prep time: The slow cooker does most of the work here, so after I chop the pork and place it in my crockpot, all that is left to do is puree the sauce and pour it over top. Super easy!
Delicious sweet-savory flavor: Al pastor pork is so popular because it provides such depth of flavor, thanks to the puree sauce it cooks in. The flavors are sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy all at the same time. The shredded meat is great for taco night and make-ahead meal prep.
Works well for special diets: The shredded meat itself is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free, Paleo friendly, and Whole30, plus it’s naturally low in carbohydrates and high in protein, which is why this is a great recipe to serve at a dinner or event where people have different dietary needs. Keep it gluten free by serving the tacos in corn tortillas or try these grain-free tortillas.
Ingredient Highlight: Slow Cooker Pork
Pork is a main protein enjoyed in cuisines around the world, from Europe and Africa to Asia and South America. Al pastor pork, which is Spanish for “herdsmen style pork”, originated in Central Mexico.
For those who have never tried tacos al pastor, I think you’ll absolutely fall in love. Traditionally, the slow-cooked pork is marinated in a sauce made of pineapple and vinegar (to tenderize the meat) plus orange juice, garlic, chiles, achiote paste (which is made with paprika to add color and earthiness), ground cumin, and oregano. Once cooked, the pork is sliced or shredded and served on warm corn tortillas.
A pork shoulder roast is the perfect cut of meat for this recipe since it cooks low and slow in the crockpot until tender and then shreds perfectly. Sometimes a boneless pork shoulder is labeled as a picnic shoulder, pork butt, or Boston butt. Any cut labeled as those will work great in this recipe, and a bone-in pork roast will also work.
Other Ingredients Worth Spotlighting
This isn’t the full list of ingredients for these al pastor slow cooker tacos, but just some notes I have for other home cooks out there:
- Pineapple – I like to buy a whole fresh pineapple (rather than canned pineapple) and use about 1 cup of pineapple chunks in the sauce, then I finely dice more of it to use as a topping.
- Orange juice – this helps add sweet flavor to the cooking sauce. I use one medium orange, which provides about ¼ cup of fresh orange juice.
- Apple cider vinegar – the addition of this acid during the cooking helps to tenderize the meat and brighten the other flavors. I like apple cider vinegar but white vinegar will also work.
- Cayenne – this gives the shredded pork as little kick of heat, but if you don’t perfect that, use chipotle pepper powder instead (which gives it a little spice plus smokiness) or use black pepper, or feel free to omit it
- Tortillas – for traditional al pastor pork tacos, I like to use white corn tortillas and toast them a little bit over my gas stove flame to get some nice charring on the outside. Street-taco size flour tortillas also work great.
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Use A Fat-Separating Measuring Cup
I like to season the cooked and shredded pork with some of the cooking juices from the crockpot. A handy tool for this job is my fat separating measuring cup. It makes it so slick to get the flavorful liquid to pour over the shredded meat without all the fat included. But if you don’t have one, just spoon the fat off the top of the liquid before using the liquid to season and moisten the shredded pork.
Classic Toppings
When making these pork tacos, my favorite toppings include traditional al pastor taco toppings and few that I add for complimentary flavors and color:
- Finely diced pineapple – add delicious sweetness that compliments the flavors of the marinade and richness of the pork
- Finely diced white onion – a savory, crisp topping
- Chopped fresh cilantro – a favorite topping to add fresh, bright, herby flavor
- Lime wedges – a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds pleasant acidity to give the pork a pop of flavor
- Salsa – this is optional, but recommended. My favorite local taqueria serves al pastor tacos with a blended tomatillo-avocado salsa, but any salsa, such as this avocado salsa, will do
- Diced avocado – while not traditional, diced avocado adds a pleasant creaminess and pretty pop of color, or guacamole is also great and would achieve the same effect
Other ideas for toppings are sour cream, diced tomatoes, pickled red onions, or even pepitas.
Pairings And Presentation
This recipe makes a beautiful presentation, thanks to the bright color of the pineapple and fresh cilantro toppings to contrast the dark shredded meat. Most often, I serve the shredded pork al pastor as tacos, tucked inside white or yellow corn tortillas or small flour tortillas.
But it’s also delish to serve the pulled pork as a rice bowl over top of cooked white rice or stuffed into a burrito with the same toppings or fillings as I put on the taco: finely diced fresh pineapple, white onion or red onion, cilantro, limes, and diced avocado.
One thing I love to do (if I have time) is to get the cooked shredded pork nice and crispy by spreading it out on a sheet pan and baking it under high heat (like 400 degrees or the oven broiler) for 3 to minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.
To incorporate this recipe into taco night (Taco Tuesdays are popular around here) or a Cinco de Mayo party, serve it with other traditional Mexican favorites, such as refried beans, corn and black bean salsa, nacho cheese, or my real food margaritas.
Storing And Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover shredded pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store any leftover toppings or tortillas in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days, as well.
The shredded pork can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in a large saucepan or pot on the stovetop, adding a little chicken broth or water, as needed, to loosen up the shredded pork.
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Crockpot Tacos Al Pastor Recipe
Al pastor pork is shredded meat that’s ultra flavorful, providing sweet, savory, tangy, and spicy notes in every bite. Serve the meat to make tacos al pastor or use the meat to layer over rice bowls, salads, or stuff inside burritos. It’s good any way it’s served!
Ingredients
- 3 – 3 ½ lb. boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks (plus more finely diced pineapple for serving)
- ½ small white onion, quartered
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice (1 medium orange)
- 1 tablespoon pure honey
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛–¼ teaspoon cayenne*
- For serving: Small corn or flour tortillas, or cooked rice
- Optional toppings: finely diced pineapple, finely diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado or guacamole
Instructions
- In the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, place the pork pieces.
- To a blender or food processor, add 1 cup pineapple, the onion quarters, tomato paste, orange juice, honey, garlic, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper; blend into a puree until fairly smooth.
- Pour the pineapple-onion mixture over the pork in the crockpot and stir well to coat.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW until the pork shreds easily, 7 to 8 hours.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork to a rimmed baking sheet or shallow large bowl. Using two forks, shred the pork adding some of the cooking liquid to the bowl to taste. Taste the shredded meat and add more salt, if needed.
- Serve the shredded pork tucked into warm tortillas or over top of rice. Top with desired toppings, such as finely diced fresh pineapple, white onion, and cilantro. If desired, serve with lime wedges and diced avocado or guacamole.
- Store leftover shredded pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Notes
*May swap in chipotle pepper powder for the cayenne pepper (creates a more smoky flavor), or use black pepper or omit it completely for less heat.
For make ahead, the pork and sauce can be prepped the night before, tossed together, and refrigerated in the crock or a large bowl to marinate overnight. Then place the crock in the slow cooker to start the cooking the next morning.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 4 oz shredded pork
- Calories: 332
- Fat: 16 g
- (Sat Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 437 mg
- Carbohydrate: 9 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 7 g)
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 102 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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Wondering if I can do this in an instant pot with a frozen pork butt?
We haven’t tried this method so we cannot comment on the timing or the process. I would suggest thawing the pork butt first and using the slow cooker feature of the Instant Pot or following the method in this recipe if you want to pressure cook it.
Is there a sub for pineapple if you’re allergic?
Hi Laura, unfortunately pineapple is a key ingredient to al pastor, where the enzymes from the pineapple in the sauce are necessary to break down and tenderize the pork. We have many other slow cooker pork roast recipes that don’t include pineapple here.
Hello, this looks yummy. My husband can’t eat pork. Do you think chicken would work ok??
Hi Lezlie, it would not be an authentic al pastor, but you can certainly try chicken instead of pork. Chicken will cook much faster than the pork roast, so you’ll likely need to cut the cooking time in half or less.
My husband has Chronic Kidney Disease and loves pork al pastor! How much potassium and phosphorus in this recipe (per 4 oz. serving)?
Thank you!
Hi Julia! The potassium per serving is 813 mg, and phosphorous per serving is 397 mg. We hope you can make it for him!