Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor are super tender, full of fresh pineapple and spicy chipotle, and are a simple Instant Pot pork recipe. Serve these Instant Pot tacos al Pastor for a quick and easy weeknight dinner in gluten-free corn tortillas or over cauliflower rice for a Paleo alternative.
If you have ever visited Texas you probably already know that tacos are all the rage. (Especially Tacos al Pastor!)
Every corner you turn there is another food truck, taqueria, or fancy taco shop.
Texas tacos range from being slightly too-fancy-and-fussy-for-my-taste to that-taco-is-drowning-in-so-much-grease-I-can-barely-pick-it-up.
So when you find that hidden gem of a taco spot, that happens to make incredible al Pastor tacos, you definitely take note.
This past weekend we were out celebrating a buddy’s 30th birthday party.
We happened to be in the center of downtown Austin, where the food is oftentimes over-priced and not-so-good.
We ordered a few tacos, including their tacos al Pastor, and waited at a table with our friends.
Suffice it to say, my expectations were anything but high. I was hungry, and there were tacos. That’s all I was there for.
However, when we received our variety of tacos (Cohl can consume A LOT of tacos!!) I was beyond surprised.
Of the four different tacos we ordered, the tacos al Pastor were the best… by far!!
They blew my mind so much that I could not stop thinking about them for DAYS. (Hence, the inspiration for the Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor!)
What Kind of Instant Pot is Best?
After a bit of research, I found that the 6-quart Instant Pot is the way to go. It has enough room for large batches of soup, but it is still a great size to fit into your cabinets with ease.
I have the Instant Pot Duo Plus 6-quart, 9-in-1, and it works for just about any and every use you can imagine!
However, if you think you will be making A LOT of bone broth, or enormous batches of soup, you might want to look into the Instant Pot Duo Plus 8-quart.
A Few Things To Note about these Instant Pot Tacos Al Pastor:
While you can adapt this Instant Pot al Pastor recipe to your preference, there are a few points I want to make sure you don’t forget!
- Fresh pineapple is KEY here. If you get the canned variety they will taste WAY too sugary.
- Don’t forget the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These bad boys give the tacos al Pastor their signature taste.
- Please marinate for AT LEAST 1 hour. The longer the better. I marinated mine overnight and they were perfect!
How Can You Evolve this al Pastor Recipe?
There are a few changes you can make to these Instant Pot tacos al Pastor to make them a bit healthier:
- If you would like to make this recipe whole30 compliant, simply substitute the maple syrup for date paste or syrup.
- Feel free to use a leaner cut of pork. Pork shoulder is traditional and definitely tastes the best, but you can always try other cuts.
- If you prefer your al Pastor a little spicier, add a bit of cayenne pepper to the recipe.
Instant Pot Tacos Al Pastor
Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor are super tender, full of fresh pineapple and spicy chipotle, and are a simple Instant Pot pork recipe. Serve these Instant Pot tacos al Pastor for a quick and easy weeknight dinner in gluten-free corn tortillas or over cauliflower rice for a Paleo alternative.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pineapple fresh, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 2 pounds pork shoulder trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8-16 corn tortillas*
- ½ cup pineapple fresh, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped, optional
- Cilantro optional
- Avocado optional
Instructions
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In a high speed blender or food processor combine pineapple, onion, garlic, maple syrup, vinegar, chipotle peppers, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
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Blend for 1-2 minutes or until marinade is completely smooth.
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Place trimmed and cubed pork shoulder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag along with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
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Once ready to cook, add pork and marinade into the Instant Pot.
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Cover, make sure pressure release valve is sealed, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
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Once the timer goes off, let the pork sit in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes for a 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR).
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After 10 minutes, release the pressure valve and let it ventilate until you are able to open the Instant Pot.
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Shred the pork and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
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Serve shredded pork on corn tortillas with diced pineapple, red onions, cilantro, and avocado. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If your pork shoulder was very fatty you may have a bit too much liquid. If so, double up the corn tortillas to make sure your tacos do not fall apart!
- Nutritional information is calculated for 1 taco with 1 corn tortilla.
Want more recipes like these Instant Pot al Pastor Tacos?
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Chicken Salad with Grapes
tracy mclaughlin says
Delish! I broiled the park on a cookie sheet after to brown it some. Very tasty
London says
What a great idea, Tracy!! I will have to try that out next time. Thank you so much for your comment and rating!! 🙂
Karl Althaus says
I thought the meat came out very sweet compared to other tacos al pastor I’ve had. I may cut the syrup in half next go around. I would also suggest searing the meat on the “saute” function for a few minutes just before pressure cooking. This will caramelize some of the sugars in the marinade and help seal in some of that pork flavor. It may just be the way instant pots cook, but the meat is more of a hybrid between carnitas and al pastor. I need to try and see if frying the meat in some oil on the flat top gives it more of a carnitas crunch. Outside of the sweetness and the meat not being “traditional” I think this recipe has a ton of flavor. Will try again with some modifications.
London says
Love all of your feedback, Karl! Searing the meat at the beginning is a great idea. Will definitely need to try that next time. Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂
Lucía says
In fact, the original recipe for tacos al pastor has no syrup or any kind of sweetener. I wouldn’t put it in, for that it has fruit juice.
London Brazil says
You can totally leave it out, Lucia! It just adds a hint of sweetness to the dish that helps to balance out the savory and spicy flavors.
Jenn Fox says
My husband and I are making this RIGHT NOW 🙂 and he cut the pork way smaller than 2-inch cubes. Do you think we should make a modification on time? Marinating tonight…cooking tomorrow. Thanks if you see this!
London says
Hi Jenn!! The time should still work well for the pork! They’ll probably just come out a bit more tender 😉 Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Anonymous says
This was the very first meal that I made in my instant pot and it was a huge success in my house. I’ve made it several times since then. I’m trying it today with chicken and hoping for the same result. I’m adjusting the time for cooking. I’m going to try 15 minutes and hope for the best. Any advice? Especially were doing chicken is concerned.
London says
Hi!! So happy you have enjoyed it! What type of chicken are you going to use? Chicken breasts, boneless, bone-in, etc? If you’re using boneless chicken breasts, these actually cook pretty quickly so somewhere in the 10-15 minute range should be just fine. There is plenty of liquid, so you will not need to worry too much about it drying out! Would love to know how it turns out for you 🙂
Linh says
Can’t wait to try this! Is the Nutrionial value including tortilla as well?
London says
Hi Linh! The nutritional value does not include a tortilla (since tortillas vary so drastically in their nutritional content!) The nutritional information is only for one serving of pork.
Alma Montelongo says
Delicious and authentic. My coworker got me craving my beloved Texas food that cannot be found in Florida so I have to make my own! I actually added a bottle of Mexican beer to the pot.
London says
Hi Alma!! I am so happy it was able to cure your craving! Funny enough, we are actually in Florida right now! Your addition of Mexican beer sounds delicious… will have to try that soon! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Elena says
Working on your Al Pastor recipe… looking forward to eat some:-) I hope it turns as good as my favorite Mexican restaurant cooks their Al Pastor:-)
London says
Yay!! So excited you’re trying it. Can’t wait to hear what you think, Elena!
Heather says
How much longer should I cook if I got an almost 4lb shoulder?? It’s been marinating all night, can’t wait to taste later!!
London says
Hi Heather! Pressure cookers are a bit different than traditional cooking methods. You shouldn’t have to increase the cook time at all for your 4 lb shoulder, as long as you cut it into the 2-inch cubes mentioned in the directions. Here is a great article for doubling recipes in the Instant Pot!
Luke says
I’ve heard that before but the cheat sheet that came with my pot has times
Cheryl says
Hi. This recipe sounds delicious! I do not have an InstantPot though, and I was wondering how long do you think this recipe would you take in a slow-cooker? Thank you, Cheryl
London says
Hi Cheryl! I have not personally tried this recipe in a slow cooker, but I would give it 5-6 hours on low, and shred the pork towards the last 30 minutes! Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Albert Bevia says
The images alone are simply stunning, love the whole idea of using the instant pot to make these beautiful tacos al pastor
London says
Thanks so much Albert! The Instant Pot is incredibly easy!!