Slow Cooker Al Pastor-Inspired Tacos
These easy Slow Cooker Al Pastor-Inspired Tacos feature smoky, juicy meat topped with onions and pineapple for an irresistible dinner! The traditional recipe is modified for home cooks while still retaining all the robust flavor. Plus it's naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo and Whole30!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 257kcal
Ingredients
- 1 medium white, yellow or red onion
- 2-2½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, butt
- 1 (15 oz.) can pineapple rings
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder (preferably guajillo)
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- your favorite tortillas (corn, flour or grain-free), lettuce cups (romaine or Boston lettuce), or veggie rice
- chopped cilantro, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and trim off the ends of the onion. Halve and slice into thin half-moons. Spread these out on the bottom of the slow cooker insert, tossing with a 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Trim any excess fat from the pork (if it has an especially thick fat cap, you can trim it down to a thinner layer). Slice the pork lengthwise into 1/2" wide steaks. Season with salt on both sides and lay on top of the onions.
- In a blender, add 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple rings), the apple cider vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, chipotle powder, cloves and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the pork and onions. This might not seem like enough liquid but the pork and onions will also release liquid as it cooks.
- Cover and set on low for 6-7 hours.
- Turn on the broiler.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and lay flat on a baking sheet. Broil for 3-5 minutes, until parts are darker and crispy, then flip and broil for another 3-5 minutes.
- Slice the pork crosswise into chunks. Chop the pineapple rings into small chunks. Set out your preferred tortillas, lettuce cups or veggie rice. Serve the pork, drizzling more sauce over the top, with the onions, pineapple and cilantro, if using.
Notes
(Note: normally you don't cook the onion with the pork. However, I'm not a fan of raw onion so I cook them so they get all soft and tender. If you'd rather keep it more traditional, leave the onions out of the slow cooker. Dice them and sprinkle on top of the pork when serving.)
Storage/make ahead
For even better flavor, you can marinate the pork (without the onions) for up to 24 hours.
You can also make the sauce up to 5 days in advance and store in the fridge. Blend again before using, if necessary.
Once cooked, the pork and onions can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Skim off any excess fat and rewarm over low heat in a saucepan or spread out on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes, tossing occasionally.
They can also be frozen in an air-tight container or baggie for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat as above.
Substitutions and variations
- If you want to use fresh pineapple, finely chop enough to equal 1/4 cup and use that in the sauce. Then chop the rest into cubes for the tacos.
- You can use 3 peeled garlic cloves instead of the garlic powder.
- You can use 2 teaspoons of toasted cumin seeds instead of the ground cumin.
Nutrition
Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 164IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg