During our stay in Austin this past month, Kathryne and I lived for a month with our version of a very “minimalist” kitchen.
The house that we rented definitely had some of the basic pots and pans. But in order to do our jobs and cook for a month, we got all Google-spreadsheet-y beforehand and coordinated a few “essential” items to bring along, like my favorite Le Creuset Dutch oven (which we both loved so much we had to schedule times to use it), her favorite food processor (that she can’t live without), and a good-quality lime juicer (for regular margarita nights at home, a must). We kept culling back our list to keep things as simple as possible, nixing things like our stand mixers and extra baking dishes that would take up space we didn’t have. And at the last second, I decided to also leave my beloved slow cooker back at home in KC.
Never again.
Over the course of the month, I decided unequivocally that having a slow cooker is not an option in my kitchen. It’s a must!! I kept having idea after idea while we were down there for various slow cooker recipes that I wanted to make, and with us buzzing all over town during the days in evenings, there was no way I was going to babysit some recipes while they slow cooked on the stove. Patience is not a virtue of mine. So instead, I fired up my crock pot the second I got home and have been slow cooking my way through a delicious list of recipes ever since.
First up? Slow cooker tacos al pastor.
I realized — around the time I ate my 500th taco in Austin — that I had actually never tried making tacos al pastor homemade before. Which is something I immediately needed to address, because I’m a mega fan. I mean, tender pork marinated with fresh pineapple and chiles and lime juice? What’s not to love??
Well, let’s just say that this classic combination is even more lovable when the slow cooker does all the work for you. No need to babysit a pot on the stove all day. Just puree up the marinade, toss it in the slow cooker with your pork, and let the slow cooker work its magic.
Then a big pot of tender, juicy, flavorful, perfect pork will be yours to enjoy.
I served mine up street-taco-style, with fresh chopped cilantro, onions, and a few lime wedges. And since I had some pineapple leftover, I also tossed in a few tidbits. (Fresh, mind you. Resist any temptation to use canned pineapple in this recipe. Resist!)
If you want, you can also add some crumbly Mexican cheese on top, like cotija or queso fresco. But otherwise, the slow cooked pork is the rockstar of the recipe, so there’s not much else you need.
Ah, feels so good to write those words again. Slow cooker, I missed you. :)
Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor
Ingredients
- 1 (5-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), extra fat trimmed off
- 1 (12-oz.) bottle of beer (I used Modelo Negra, or use chicken stock if making this gluten-free)
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored, then roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 3 tablespoons chili powder (not cayenne)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- corn tortillas, for serving
- optional toppings: crumbled goat cheese, (extra) diced fresh pineapple, chopped fresh cilantro leaves, chopped red onions, diced avocado, thinly-sliced radishes
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch cubes. Add the pork to the bowl of the slow cooker.
- Add the chipotles in adobo, pineapple, red onion, chili powder, lime juice, white vinegar, salt, cumin and black pepper to a blender or food processor. Puree until the mixture is completely smooth, about 30-60 seconds. Stir in the beer until it is evenly combined. Then pour the mixture on top of the pork, and toss until the pork is evenly coated.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours, until the pork is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork. Use two forks to shred the pork, then toss it in the remaining juices.
- Serve warm on tortillas, garnished with optional toppings.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Dying to try this out! Roughly how much is in one pineapple? A little over a pound, 20 oz-ish? And can you use two 2.5lb pork shoulders? I didn’t see a 5lb last time I was at a Safeway, but maybe WF would have bigger ones….
Hi Kristen! We just used a standard-sized pineapple for this (about 2 lbs). And yes, we think you could probably use two 2.5 lb pork shoulders if you’re unable to find one 5 lb one. We hope this helps and that you enjoy!
I’m a little bummed that the recipe did not come out how it was supposed to. I followed exactly like it was instructed, it tasted DELICIOUS, but it just didn’t taste al pastor AT ALL.
Al pastor is my favorite type of tacos, and I couldn’t taste it at all. Just because it has Pineapples doesn’t mean it should called al pastor. However, it was still delicious and everyone loved it.
I’ll definitely make it again, just won’t call it al pastor.
We’re sorry this did not meet your expectations, Pri, but we’re glad it was still enjoyed!
What kind of beer do you recommend?
Hi Kristin! We like Modelo Negra for this. We hope you enjoy!
Yes, I don’t know what I did wrong but I followed the recipe to the t I thought and it didn’t have much flavor at all! I would suggest also putting the extra pineapple in with it when it is finished cooking making it easier to serve
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t care for this, Teresa!
If I want some good flavor and not too spicy, what should I reduce in the recipe? Cut the chipotle pepper in adobe from 1 to 2 and possibly cut the chili powder from 3 to 2 tablespoons? I don’t want to mess with culinary perfection but half our family doesn’t like spicy. Just trying to find a good balance. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes with us!
Hi Tandra! If you want to reduce the spiciness in this, we’d suggest 2 TBS of chili powder (instead of 3). We think you would still be fine to use both of the chipotle peppers in adobo, but if you’re concerned, you could just use one. We hope this is helpful!
I was concerned about the spice from the comments because our kids are 4 and under, but I went ahead and made the recipe anyway. So glad I did! If you follow the directions and just take 2 chipotle peppers out of the can, it just adds flavor. I chose smaller peppers from the can as well… I’m sure i could have used larger peppers or even an additional pepper for spice! Thanks for the recipe! I’m using the leftovers for soup!
Thanks for sharing with us, Andrea — we’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
hey!
i wanna do this for super bowl but i don’t have a crock pot … i think you tried to say you DONT recommend stove top but can use a covered Dutch oven @275 for 3.5-4 hours!!! is that correct?
thanks!!
Hi Christina, yes, that’s correct! We hope you enjoy!
I wish I had read the comments before making this – what a fail! There is SO MUCH liquid and the flavor is not at all like al Pastor (we live in Texas, and yes there is some variation amongst recipes, but this recipe is nothing like any al Pastor!). My advice if you attempt this at all is to skip any beer/stock and just try the chili/pineapple mixture and see what happens (and also add more chipolte… Two are barely enough to even taste…). Maybe you’ll get lucky…., I am here draining half a gallon of liquid off and trying to figure out if I can make a sauce out of a second pineapple and extra chipolte to try to make this edible. I generally love Ali’s recipes but this one was unusually disappointing. I also have no idea how these photos were obtained from this recipe, she must have used a different sauce or reduced it.
Can you use a different kind of beer or does it have to be modelo Negro could I use Budweiser???
We think you could use Budweiser for this. We hope you enjoy!
How ca I make this less spicy
Hi Natassia — you can just use 1 chipotle pepper instead of two, and you can also cut back not he chili powder if you want (you can always add more later on). We hope this helps!
Have you tried these in an ‘Instant Pot’ and if so, what modifications did you make?
Hi Lanie — we’re sorry, but we haven’t!