Slow Cooker Tacos Al Pastor
You may have noticed, but I cook (and subsequently eat) a lot of tacos. Like a lot.
I can't say it enough: I just love tacos. I mean, who doesn't? They're delicious no doubt, in all of their infinite ways you can possibly eat them. But what's made me appreciate tacos more than anything is how cooking them at home is easy and fun. I might even go as far as to say slow cooking taco meat is downright therapeutic. Then shredding all that succulent, flavorful taco meat before getting all sorts of creative with your taco topping bar? It is simply the best.
As your self-proclaimed taco girl, I present to you a superbly delicious and easy recipe for tacos al pastor. Tacos al pastor typically feature pork marinated in chipotles, pineapple and spices which is slow cooked on a spit, similar to gyro meat. My recipe takes these classic flavors of al pastor and adapts them for the slow cooker.
These tacos are all about the meat. Crazy tender and bursting with flavor, they are absolutely the star of the show. But the bright and flavorful toppings - queso fresco, cilantro and fresh pineapple - really seal the deal. In one bite you get so many flavors that just build upon the next - spicy, then smoky, then sweet, then tangy then creamy.
From someone who loves cooking and eating tacos these are by far a favorite!
Slow cooker Tacos Al Pastor
Ingredients
1 4-5 pound pork shoulder
1 12 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
About 2.5 cups pineapple - I actually used a 20 oz can of pineapple chunks drained, but fresh pineapple is fine. I'm also lazy and often buy the super expensive pineapple pre-cut into chunks at the store and a tub of this would work just fine!
Juice of two limes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Kosher salt plus more for seasoning pork
To serve:
Corn tortillas - you know I'm all about those La Tortilla Factory ones!!
Fresh pineapple chunks
Crumbled queso fresco
Diced red onion
Chopped cilantro
Directions
Add chipotles and the adobo sauce, red onion, garlic, pineapple, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, chili powder and salt to a food processor. Puree all ingredients for about a minute until smooth. Cut pork into 4-6 smaller pieces. Season each piece generously with salt. Add pork to slow cooker and pour chipotle-pineapple puree over pork. Use your hands to massage pureed mixture over pork until each piece is covered. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Remove pork from slow cooker and place chunks on baking sheet. Shred with two forks, removing fatty pieces where you find them. Drizzle about 1 cup of slow cooker juices evenly onto pork. Bake for 15-20 minutes until pork starts to brown and get crispy. Serve in corn tortillas with crumbled queso fresco, chopped red onions, fresh pineapple chunks and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
