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.

A middle taco in a row of tacos al pastor with pineapple and chipotle.

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.

Gluten-free Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor on a serving slate with lime wedges on the side.

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.

An overhead picture of gluten-free al pastor on a slate.

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!)

A row of tacos al pastor on slate to eat for an easy lunch.

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 delicious row of Pork al pastor tacos with fresh pineapple and spicy chipotle.

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.

Tap stars to rate!

4.49 from 60 votes

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.
Yield 8 tacos
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 55 minutes
Total 1 hour 10 minutes
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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups pineapple fresh, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup red onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 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 

  • 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.
  • Blend for 1-2 minutes or until marinade is completely smooth.
  • 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.
  • Once ready to cook, add pork and marinade into the Instant Pot.
  • Cover, make sure pressure release valve is sealed, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
  • Once the timer goes off, let the pork sit in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes for a 10 minute natural pressure release (NPR).
  • After 10 minutes, release the pressure valve and let it ventilate until you are able to open the Instant Pot.
  • Shred the pork and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Serve shredded pork on corn tortillas with diced pineapple, red onions, cilantro, and avocado. Enjoy!
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Tap stars to rate!

4.49 from 60 votes

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 525mg, Potassium: 600mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 795IU, Vitamin C: 27.9mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 2.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Made this recipe?Leave a comment below!

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Comments

    1. Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! They’re perfect for a group. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!

  1. We loved this. Next time we will double the amount of chipotle peppers and adobo. We wanted a little more heat.

    1. Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Suzie! I hope you enjoy the extra heat next time. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!