Tacos al Pastor con Salsa Verde (Pork and Pineapple Tacos)
Thin slices of chilli marinated pork charred with pineapple and piled into corn tortillas, finished with salsa verde.
Made with Salsa verde (cooked tomatillo salsa) and Corn tortillas from masa harina and Al pastor marinade. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min plus marinating
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £3.17 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the thin pork slices in a bowl with your ready made al pastor marinade (see its base recipe). Mix well, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
240 min - 2
Heat a large cast iron or heavy frying pan over a high heat with the oil. Cook the pork in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until charred in places and cooked through with no pink. Do not crowd the pan.
10 min - 3
Cook the pineapple wedges in the same hot pan for 2 minutes a side, until golden and caramelised at the edges. Chop roughly.
4 min - 4
Mix the white onion and coriander.
- 5
Warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan for 30 seconds each side, then stack in a clean tea towel.
- 6
Fill the tortillas with the pork, pineapple and the onion and coriander. Spoon over your ready made salsa verde (see the base recipe) and serve with lime wedges, 3 tacos each.
Tips
- Slice the pork thinly. Chilling it for 20 minutes in the freezer first makes slicing easier.
- Cook in batches over a high heat for charred edges. A crowded pan steams the pork.
- Never reuse marinade that touched raw pork as a sauce unless it is boiled first. Here it is cooked on the pork.
Storing and freezing
Chill cooked pork within 2 hours and keep up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Do I need a spit to make al pastor?
No. Thin marinated slices seared in a very hot pan or under a hot grill give a similar charred flavour at home.
Can I use tinned pineapple?
Yes, drained pineapple rings work. Fresh is better because it chars well, but tinned in juice is a fine shortcut.
How long can I marinate the pork?
Between 4 and 24 hours. Longer than a day can make the thin slices mushy because of the pineapple in the marinade.
More made with salsa verde (cooked tomatillo salsa)
Tacos de Coliflor Adobada (Adobo Cauliflower Tacos)
GFDFEFCaldo de Pollo con Verduras (Mexican Chicken and Vegetable Soup)
GFDFEFPapas con Carnitas y Huevo Estrellado (Potatoes, Pork and Fried Eggs)
GFDFNFTacos de Chicharron en Salsa Verde (Pork Crackling in Green Salsa Tacos)
EFNFSee every dish made with salsa verde (cooked tomatillo salsa)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.