Quick Summary: The iconic Mexico City taco made easier with an Instant Pot. Pork shoulder is pressure-cooked until tender, then finished with a robust blend of Mexican spices, achiote, and a touch of fruit sweetness. Not authentic vertical-spit al pastor, but captures the essential flavors in under an hour. Includes four regional variations and tips for crisping the meat. Prep: 15 min | Cook: 45 min | Serves: 6
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Tacos al Pastor? | Variations | Step by Step | More Taco Recipes | FAQ
Tacos al pastor is the iconic Mexico City taco, showcasing a stack of pork that has been marinated for days, cooked on a rotating spit and then sliced and crisped to order.
It’s street food perfected over decades, and I’m not going to pretend this Instant Pot version perfectly replicates that experience.
What this version does is capture the essential al pastor flavors in a weeknight-friendly format. The same spices (achiote, cumin, oregano, dried chiles), the same sweet-savory balance from fruit, the same tender pork.
The Instant Pot does the braising, and a quick sear at the end provides the caramelization you’d get from the spit.
For the slow carb version, I’ve substituted quince paste for the traditional pineapple, which lowers the carbs slightly and adds a more complex sweetness. Use pineapple if you prefer authenticity over slow carb compliance.
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What are Tacos al Pastor?
Tacos al pastor are considered the signature taco of Mexico City. The name means “shepherd style,” a reference to the Lebanese immigrants who brought vertical-spit cooking to Mexico in the early 20th century. They adapted their shawarma techniques to local ingredients, and al pastor was born.
Traditional preparation involves marinating thin slices of pork in a paste of dried chiles, achiote, and spices, then stacking them on a vertical spit called a trompo. A pineapple sits on top, basting the meat as it cooks.
The meat is shaved off in ultra thin strips by the skilled cook (a taquero), lightly crisped, and folded into tortillas to make the tacos.
It’s one of the world’s great street foods, and nearly impossible to replicate at home without specialized equipment, like this trompo from Amazon.
This Instant Pot version in the recipe below doesn’t try to replicate the technique. It aims for the same flavor profile through different means.
4 Variations on the Classic Taco Al Pastor
Depending on the spices and how you serve the tacos, there are actually four regional variations of this taco.
- Traditional: This is the most recognizable of the al pastor versions and is the most closely related to the Lebanese gyro “taco”. The main difference between the Lebanese version and the taco al pastor is that the taco al pastor is served in a corn tortilla. The traditional tacos al pastor also has pineapple in the filling. This is the version most associated with Mexico City street carts.
- Purista: This version adds a little adobo seasoning in the marinade. The purista includes chiles and achiote like the traditional version, but typically does not have pineapple added.
- Trompo Rojo: Trompo rojo literally means, “red spinning top”. Which is no coincidence, as this version has more achiote added to the marinade to give it a deeper red color. This version is more typically found in the northeast parts of Mexico and the state of Nuevo Leon, capital city of Monterrey (see map below).
- Guisado: The pineapple is also optional in this lesser-known version of a taco al pastor. Guisado means “stew” in Spanish, and this version is actually not cooked on a grill spit like the other versions. The guisado taco is instead cooked in its own juices and fat. This version usually has more onion and can be slightly more charred than the other three versions. This is essentially what we’re making with the Instant Pot.
The Distinction of Searing the Meat
Whichever version you choose (or combination of versions), traditional tacos al pastor call for the meat to be “crisped” or seared on the stove top.
How to Make Instant Pot Al Pastor (Step by Step)
Here are the steps lined out with photos. For the details of the recipe itself, see the recipe card below.
Tips for Crisping the Meat:
Traditional al pastor has caramelized, slightly charred edges from the trompo. To approximate this:
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add the cooked pork cubes (without sauce) and let them sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until browned on one side (see Step #5 above). Stir and repeat.
Then add the sauce and reserved liquid, tossing to coat.
This extra step takes 5 minutes but significantly improves the texture. The crispy edges against the tender interior is what makes great al pastor.
Can You Get Traditional Flavors from a Spice Blend?
The essential al pastor flavors come from:
- Achiote paste: Provides the signature red-orange color and earthy, slightly peppery flavor
- Dried chiles: Typically guajillo, ancho, or a blend
- Cumin and oregano: Warm, aromatic base
- Cloves: Just a hint, for depth
- Vinegar: Brightness to balance the richness
The recipe below uses a smoked pepper blend plus achiote paste. If you have whole dried chiles, you can toast, rehydrate, and blend them, but the powdered blend saves significant time.
Check out this complete guide to stocking your pantry for Mexican cooking, from everyday meals to holiday celebrations.
More Mexican Taco Recipes
This crispy carnita recipe is another favorite for seared crispy pork tacos.
And this beef birria quesataco is my favorite taco made with meat that has been “stewed” instead of seared.
Baja Fish Tacos is another great taco recipe
Check out our Mexican Recipe catalog of recipes for over 70 recipes for street food, traditional Mexican fare, and Mexican celebration recipes.
How to Serve
The classic way to serve tacos is with a basket of warm corn tortillas browned on a comal (a flat griddle). Of course you can use a regular skillet or pan for browning tortillas, but a comal seems to give add that elusive extra punch of flavor.
Once you have decided on the meat for your tacos, why not lay it all out for guests or family in the style of a taco bar? you can go wild with Mexican accompaniments like avocados, pickled onions, different cheeses, radishes, cilantro, guacamole, etc.
Is This Recipe Slow Carb or Low Carb?
The recipe below has a “low-ish” carb count. Traditional tacos al pastor are marinated over pineapple slices and topped with fresh chopped pineapples, and pineapples are not low carb.
The pineapple is a problem for low carb or keto people. There is just no getting around how much sugar is in pineapple. In one cup of pineapple there are 22 grams of carbs and 16 grams of sugar.
I tried to come up with a low carb alternative to the pineapple but really it is such a classic addition to al pastor that it’s probably better to go ahead and use pineapple, but just use it more sparingly.
A variation in the recipe below: I didn’t have any pineapple handy, and I needed to figure out how to use that quince paste that had been sitting in my pantry for so long, so this recipe uses quince paste instead of pineapple.
I think using the quince paste really elevated this dish and made it unique (but not traditional). Quince is not low carb either however, so use your preferred fruit.
The other carb-heavy ingredient of course is the tortillas. If you are aiming to lower the carb count, you can either omit the tortillas all together or you can use a lower carb tortilla. This list compares store-bought low carb tortillas vs homemade low carb tortillas.
So, to keep the integrity of al pastor but still get the delicious taste, focus on using really fresh spices, and great pork and then just go easy on the pineapple.
We used pickled red onions to up the flavor even more.
FAQ
Literally, tacos al pastor means shepherd style. The style is similar to Middle Eastern gyro meat preparation- with meat cooking on a rotating vertical spit.
Both use pork, but the preparation differs. Al pastor is marinated in chiles and spices, then grilled or spit-roasted. Carnitas is braised or confited in fat until tender, then crisped. Al pastor has more complex spice flavor; carnitas is richer and more simply seasoned.
Yes. Fresh or canned pineapple is traditional. Use about ¼ cup crushed pineapple. The carb count will be higher.
Ground annatto seeds mixed with spices, vinegar, and sometimes garlic. It provides the distinctive red-orange color and earthy flavor of al pastor. Find it in the Mexican section of most grocery stores.
Yes. Brown the pork first, make the sauce, combine in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. The Instant Pot is faster but the slow cooker works.
Warm corn tortillas, al pastor meat, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Pineapple chunks are traditional if you didn’t cook with them. A good salsa verde is welcome.
Instapot Tacos al Pastor- Low(ish) Carb
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds pork shoulder cut into bite-size cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water
- 2-3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic smashed with knife and then minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon achiote paste
- ⅛ cup smoked pepper blend
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup vinegar white distilled or sherry vinegar
- ¼ cup quince paste alternative of pineapple
- 1 ½ cup liquid left in instapot from pork
- 1 cup pickled red onions and cilantro optional additions/garnishes
Instructions
- Add the cubed pork to the instapot, sprinkle with salt and add 3/4 cup water. Close lid and turn instapot setting to meat for 30 minutes.2-3 pounds pork shoulder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup water
- About 10-15 minutes before instapot pork is done, start the onion-spice mixture. Add oil to a large skillet and turn to med-high heat. Add chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes or until caramelized. Add mashed garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add all spices (through pepper) and stir into onion mixture for 30 seconds to toast and blend.2-3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 4-6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon achiote paste, 1/8 cup smoked pepper blend, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Add vinegar to hot skillet mixture. Add quince paste and melt into the onion mixture, stirring in thoroughly. Set skillet mixture aside until pork is done.1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup quince paste
- When instapot pork is done, open and remove liquid (pork juices and water) from bottom of instapot.At this point you can crisp the meat in a separate skillet if you want the seared/crispy effect. Otherwise add some of the liquid from the instapot to the reserved onion mixture in the skillet and cook over med-high until onion mixture is hot. Add pork chunks and stir thoroughly, coating pork cubes with onion-spice mixture.1 1/2 cup liquid left in instapot from pork
- Serve with low carb tortillas with pickled onions and cilantro garnish.1 cup pickled red onions and cilantro
Notes
- Traditional tacos al pastor call for the meat to be “crisped” or heated up on the stove top. Because I am striving to make everything as easy as possible these days, I simply added it to the Mexican-spiced sauce to finish. You can certainly crisp the pork in a separate skillet before adding it to the onion mixture.
- This crispy carnita recipe is my favorite recipe for seared crispy pork tacos.
- To keep the integrity of al pastor but still get the delicious taste, focus on using really fresh spices, and great pork and then just go easy on the pineapple.
Dorothy Stainbrook says: 
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