Slow Cooker Tacos al Pastor
Slow cooker tacos al pastor combine the traditional flavors of cumin, coriander, pineapple, citrus, and adobo. The modern part? Your slow cooker.
Ingredients
For the tacos
- Cooking spray, for the baking sheet
- 3 1/2 lb pork shoulder roast, bone-in or boneless, trimmed of excess fat
- 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small (5 oz) onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh pineapple
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon lime zest (from 1 lime)
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 orange)
- 1/4 cup canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 12 to 15 (6 inch) corn tortillas
For the pineapple-avocado salsa
- 1/2 small (5 oz) red onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon agave
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the chipotle mayo
- 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
Instructions
Make the tacos
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Slick a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Season the pork with 3 teaspoons of the salt and the black pepper, making sure to cover the whole pork shoulder.
- Place the onion and pineapple on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the onion and pineapple with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle them with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
- Roast the onion and pineapple until tender, flipping them halfway through the cooking time, 15 to 16 minutes. Add the brown sugar and toss the roasted onion and pineapple to coat them. Roast the onion and pineapple until they start to caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Drop the onion and pineapple into a blender or large food processor. Add the lime juice, lime zest, orange juice, orange zest, remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, broth, vinegar, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, onion powder, allspice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Blitz the ingredients until a smooth, thick sauce forms.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker and cover with the pineapple sauce. Cook on low heat until the pork is fork tender, 7 to 8 hours.
- Move the pork to a large bowl, and remove the bone if you are cooking a bone-in pork shoulder. Remove any fatty pieces, then use forks or tongs to shred the pork.
- Stir in 1/2 cup or more of the leftover sauce from the slow cooker, if desired.
Make the pineapple-avocado salsa
- In a medium bowl, combine the onion, pineapple and avocado. Stir in the oil, lime juice, agave, cilantro, and salt, and mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Make the chipotle mayo
- In a small bowl, combine the mayo, yogurt, adobo sauce, and lime juice and stir well.
- Over a gas burner or in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, slightly char the corn tortillas. Top each tortilla with the pork, pineapple-avocado salsa, and chipotle mayo.
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 921mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g