Corn tortillas stuffed with spicy chipotle seasoned ground pork, mashed avocado & topped with a zesty fresh pineapple salsa! These ground pork Al Pastor tacos are a fun spin on a classic Mexican dish!
Tacos are my love language. (As if you couldn’t tell by the vast amount of taco recipes I have on the blog…😉) But these ground pork Al Pastor tacos are truely something special! The pork is cooked with garlic and lots of Mexican spices then coated in a smokey blend of chipotle, lime and vinegar. It’s then stuffed inside charred corn tortillas with mashed avocado and a bright and zesty pineapple salsa!
I just love the sweet and spicy flavors in these tacos! (Plus the addition of avocado just takes them over the top!) They’re full of flavor and so easy which makes them perfect for a quick and easy meal during the week!
What Are Tacos Al Pastor?
Al Pastor literally translates to “shepard’s style” which refers to the way the meat is cooked. It’s a dish that orginated in Central Mexico where it’s traditionally made with seasoned and marinated pork shoulder that’s slow-roasted on a spit, very similiar to the way that lamb schwarma is cooked. The meat is then sliced off in chunks for tacos or other various dishes.
This recipe makes these tacos a little more accessible by using ground pork instead of pork shoulder while still keeping it’s delicious flavor! Plus it cuts down on time and price too!
Ingredients For Al Pastor Tacos
- Ground pork: We use Duroc ground pork (80% lean 20 % fat) for our tacos.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: We’re only using the sauce for this recipe, not the actual peppers! You’ll need 2 tablespoons of sauce to mix in with your pork while it cooks.
- Garlic: You’ll need 2 cloves of garlic for this recipe!
- White vinegar: 1 tablespoon of white vinegar is also added to your pork.
- Limes: You’ll need enough lime juice to coat your salsa, cook with your ground pork and to serve with your tacos later! I’d suggest having at least 3-4 large limes on hand.
- Spices: Chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, dried oregano and salt are needed to season your ground pork!
- Pineapple chunks: Use precut fresh pineapple chunks to cut down on prep! (You can usually find them in the produce section at most groccery stores.)
- Onion: Red onion works the best for your pineapple salsa but white onion can be used instead. (Finely chop your onion for the best results!)
- Jalapeño: Deseed your jalapeño if you don’t want your salsa too spicy.
- Cilantro: An essential ingredient for any salsa recipe! (Use the leaves and stems to maximize their flavor!)
- Tortillas: We love using corn tortillas for our pork tacos!
How To Make Ground Pork Al Pastor Tacos
1. Make your pineapple salsa. Add your chopped pineapple, red onion, jalapeño and cilantro to a bowl and squeeze your lime over the top. Toss the salsa until it’s fully coated then taste it and adjust your lime juice if needed. Cover the bowl and keep it chilled in the refrigerator while you prepare your tacos.
2. Mix your seasonings. Combine your chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, dried oregano and salt together in a small bowl and set it aside. (For more smokey flavor – try add ing a ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika!)
3. Cook your ground pork. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil to the pan once it’s hot. Then add your ground pork and and garlic and cook until the pork is cooked through and there’s no fat/liquid left in the pan. (Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the pork as it cooks.) Next turn your burner down to medium and stir in your pork taco seasoning. Add your chipotle sauce, lime juice and white vinegar and mix until the pork is fully coated. Then remove the pan from the stove and transfer your Al Pastor pork to a serving bowl.
4. Assemble & serve! Fill your tortillas with the Al Pastor pork, pineapple salsa, avocado and any other preferred toppings. Serve immediately with fresh lime wedges and enjoy!
Other Topping Ideas
These Al Pastor tacos can get a little spicy, so think about using toppings that will help cool them down. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Mashed avocado
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Cotija cheese
- Shredded cabbage
- Shredded lettuce
- Extra lime wedges
FAQ’s
- Can I use a different type of ground meat? Yes! Ground chicken or ground turkey are both great options.
- Can I use canned pineapple for my pineapple salsa? Short answer – yes, but fresh pineapple has much better flavor! We’ll usually pick up a container of precut fresh pineapple in the produce section to make things a little easier.
- Where do I find ground pork? It’s usually be found in the meat section next to other packaged pork cuts (ex. pork chops, pork loin, etc.).
- Where do I find chipotle peppers in adobo? Most grocery stores keep it in the Mexican aisle with other various canned chiles and peppers.
Why you’ll love these Al Pastor tacos
- So flavorful! Smokey chipotle flavors + tangy lime & vinegar paired with a bright and zesty pineapple salsa! It’s so good together! (Highly recommend adding avocado for a little creaminess too!)
- An easy weeknight meal! Just make your pineapple salsa, cook your pork & serve!
- Inexpensive! Ground pork is usually way less expensive than most other types of ground meat! Plus a few pantry staple spices & cheaper produce & that’s it!
- Easier than traditional Al Pastor pork! We’re using ground pork instead of pork shoulder so it won’t take hours long to cook!
More taco recipes you might like:
- Crispy Chicken Carnitas Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Crispy Chipotle Shredded Beef Tacos
- Easy Taco Cups
- Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Sauce
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
Ground Pork Al Pastor Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
For the tacos:
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (only use the sauce – not the peppers)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- Corn tortillas
- Avocado, mashed (optional)
- Cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage (optional)
For the pineapple salsa:
- 1½ cups pineapple chunks, diced
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, deseeded & finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (or to taste)
- ½-1 lime, juiced
Instructions
To make the pineapple salsa:
- Add your diced pineapple, onion, jalapeño and cilantro to a bowl and squeeze your lime over the top. Toss the salsa until it's fully coated then taste it and adjust your lime juice if needed. Then cover the bowl and keep it stored in the refrigerator while you prepare your tacos.
To make the pork tacos:
- Combine your chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, dried oregano and salt together in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Then heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil once it's hot.
- Add your ground pork and garlic and cook until the pork is cooked through, breaking up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon. (Cook until there's little to no fat/liquid left in the pan.)
- Then turn your burner down to medium and stir in your spices. Add your chipotle sauce, lime juice and vinegar and mix until the pork is fully coated. Then remove the pan from the stove and transfer your pork to a serving bowl.
- To assemble: Fill your tortillas with the Al Pastor pork, pineapple salsa, and your preferred toppings. Serve with fresh lime wedges and enjoy!
Can’t wait to try this! How do you toast your corn tortillas? I never seem to get the tortillas right and I feel like that’s a biggie for the best outcome! Where do you buy your corn tortillas? Any particular brand? Thanks! Can’t wait to try!
Hi Shelby! Totally agree, getting the tortillas right definitely makes the taco!😉 We use Romero’s King Size White Corn Tortillas . I also have a tortilla pan that we use to heat our tortillas on. I’ll see if I can find a link to it. 🙂
Here’s the one we use! Tortilla Pan on Amazon