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Home » Recipes » pork » Ground Pork Tacos – Al Pastor Style

January 30, 2018

Ground Pork Tacos – Al Pastor Style

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These Ground Pork Tacos Al Pastor style are made with fresh orange, pineapple and spicy chipotle flavors.

ground pork tacos being held in hand

Al Pastor style pork tacos are a fusion food combining Lebanese spit-grilled meat with central-Mexican spice and fresh fruit flavors. So no these tacos are definitely not authentically Al Pastor. However I don’t know many people who roast large hunks of pork at home on a spit – at least definitely not on an average weeknight. 

ground pork tacos with salsa, orange and lime halves

Ground pork is such a great option for family dinners. It’s inexpensive in comparison to ground chicken and turkey and can carry whatever flavors you want to add to it. In this case my taco seasoning is a combination of fresh orange juice, chipotle pepper sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic, salt and a little cayenne pepper. The spicy flavor of the pork taco meat pairs perfectly with a simple fresh pineapple salsa.

pork tacos front view

I’ve shared several taco recipes on the blog because if my kids had to choose they’d say Mexican food is their favorite. And being honest I’d say these Ground Pork Tacos (Al Pastor style) might be my favorite. Well – except for the pineapple marinated steak tacos – those are pretty awesome too. But these pork tacos are so quick and simple to make and they are big on flavor. They can easily be made dairy-free too, just leave off the Pepper Jack cheese.

pork tacos with bowl of pineapple salsa

Tips for making Ground Pork Tacos Al Pastor Style:

  • Ground pork is usually found where the other prepackaged cuts of pork are displayed – not where the sausage is displayed
  • Canned chipotle sauce is found in the Mexican food aisle – if you can’t find it you can substitute it with the adobo sauce in canned chipotle peppers 
  • Here’s a video guide for how to cut a fresh pineapple if you’ve never done it before

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Ground Pork Tacos - Al Pastor Style | Foodtastic Mom

pork tacos with bowl of pineapple salsa
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5 from 20 votes

Ground Pork Tacos - Al Pastor Style

Ground pork tacos are flavored in the style of Al Pastor - spicy and smoky pork topped with cool and sweet pineapple salsa.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 387kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 lbs ground pork
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 3 tbsp canned chipotle sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple diced
  • 1/3 cup red onion finely diced
  • 1/3 cup cilantro chopped
  • juice of one half lime
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 oz Pepper Jack cheese shredded
  • flour or corn tortillas

Instructions

  • In a bowl combine the pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and set aside.
  • In a non-stick skillet over medium heat add the ground pork and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the ground meat with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  • Into the cooked pork stir the orange juice, chipotle sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, remaining one teaspoon of salt and cayenne pepper. Stir well and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • Serve the ground pork taco meat with tortillas, the fresh pineapple salsa and shredded Pepper Jack cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal

DON’T MISS THESE OTHER TERRIFIC TACO RECIPES:

Chicken Soft Tacos
Cheesy Baked Tacos
Sheet Pan Fish Tacos

Related Posts

  • Chicken Soft TacosChicken Soft Tacos
  • Pineapple Marinated Steak TacosPineapple Marinated Steak Tacos
  • Sheet Pan Fish TacosSheet Pan Fish Tacos
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hope says

    January 30, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    What a fresh and tasty looking family meal! I love the pineapple salsa on top!

    Reply
  2. Jacklyn says

    January 30, 2018 at 8:39 pm

    5 stars
    Love the sweet and spicy combo! Never thought to put pineapple in my tacos before but these look so good!!!

    Reply
  3. Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says

    January 30, 2018 at 8:54 pm

    5 stars
    What, you don’t roast large hunks of pork every night? Me neither, so ground pork sounds like a great way to bring these tacos home. And the salsa sounds wonderful. I can almost taste the pineapple with the spicy pork.

    Reply
  4. Janette | Culinary Ginger says

    January 30, 2018 at 9:09 pm

    They have so much flavor and I love the natural sweetness from the pineapple.

    Reply
  5. Cristie | Little Big H says

    January 30, 2018 at 9:52 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so lovely and fresh. Can’t wait to taste it for myself.

    Reply
  6. Carrie says

    April 03, 2018 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    Mmm love all the spices in this and the pineapple must be so refreshing!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 03, 2018 at 10:28 pm

      It’s a great combo of sweet, spicy and salty flavors!

      Reply
  7. Julia says

    April 03, 2018 at 9:01 am

    5 stars
    Good timing! I’ve been craving tacos for a few days now and couldn’t decide what recipe to use! Love the pineapple salsa there!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 03, 2018 at 10:28 pm

      Thanks so much Julia

      Reply
  8. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

    April 03, 2018 at 9:26 am

    5 stars
    I am digging that pineapple salsa! These look like a treat for any night of the week. Great recipe.

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 03, 2018 at 10:28 pm

      Thank you Lisa!

      Reply
  9. ali randall says

    April 03, 2018 at 9:37 am

    5 stars
    The pineapple is on sale and so so sweet right now. I love this idea for dinner that is different than just plain usual tacos. This is my kind of dinner. YUM!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 03, 2018 at 10:27 pm

      Perfect – I hope you try them!

      Reply
  10. Swati says

    April 03, 2018 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    Loved loved loved your stunning pictures . Although I don’t eat pork, your Tacos made me drool. I would love to try this recipe with Chicken. Saving it !

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 03, 2018 at 10:27 pm

      Yes you can absolutely make this recipe with ground chicken. And thank you for the compliment on my photos 🙂

      Reply
  11. Susie says

    April 19, 2018 at 8:42 am

    5 stars
    This recipe looks so good. Great for a weeknight dinner. I love using ground pork because it is so inexpensive!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 19, 2018 at 7:23 pm

      Exactly, ground pork is very budget friendly! Thanks for the rating!

      Reply
  12. Jolly says

    April 19, 2018 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    This looks so tempting and very fresh. Well I don’t eat pork, your pineapple salsa made me drool. I would love to try this with Chicken. Bookmarked!!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 19, 2018 at 7:23 pm

      Yep, can easily be made with ground chicken or turkey too! Glad you like the salsa 🙂

      Reply
  13. Suzy says

    April 19, 2018 at 9:26 am

    Tacos for the win! Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 19, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      You’re welcome!

      Reply
  14. Alida | Simply Delicious says

    April 19, 2018 at 10:44 am

    5 stars
    Those tacos look so great! Yum!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      April 19, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Thank you Alida!

      Reply
  15. Patty @ Spoonabilities says

    May 03, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    5 stars
    These tacos look amazing! I just love the pineapple in them!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 03, 2018 at 10:22 pm

      Thanks Patty!

      Reply
  16. Noel Lizotte says

    May 03, 2018 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    Talk about popular, there’s a whole bunch of reasons this dish is loved! I’m pretty sure the pork and the orange and the cilantro have a lot to do with the flavors. That’s got to be what keeps folks coming back for more.

    Adding to my “to make” list.

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 03, 2018 at 10:22 pm

      Awesome. Come back and let us know what you think please!

      Reply
  17. Allison - Celebrating Sweets says

    May 03, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    5 stars
    This is what I want for Cinco de Mayo! These look fabulous!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 03, 2018 at 10:09 pm

      I hope you make them! Thanks Allison!

      Reply
  18. Denisse | Le Petit Eats says

    May 03, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    I don’t eat meat anymore but I am digging that pineapple salsa!!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 03, 2018 at 10:09 pm

      You could swap out veggie crumbles for the pork – if you eat those 🙂

      Reply
  19. Camila says

    May 03, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    5 stars
    pineapple and mango salsa sure are my options when I serve Tacos al pastor!! yummm!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 04, 2018 at 8:12 am

      Thank you Camila!

      Reply
  20. Jen says

    May 03, 2018 at 10:47 pm

    5 stars
    Sweet and Spicey. Amazing.

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 04, 2018 at 8:12 am

      Such a great combination. Thanks Jen!

      Reply
  21. Kisha says

    June 20, 2018 at 4:22 pm

    I came across your site as I was looking for ground pork taco recipes. I love that slim white platter you have your tacos on. Is it a certain type of serving platter, that is, does it have a name?

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      June 25, 2018 at 10:14 pm

      It has been a long time since I purchased it but I’m pretty sure I found it at Home Goods. I just liked the way it looked!

      Reply
  22. Pam says

    March 20, 2020 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic!! THanks! we are cooking much more often these days and your recipes are always big hits around here!!!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      March 25, 2020 at 10:41 am

      I am happy to hear this. Thank you for the positive comment and review. I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  23. Chi Town Tiki Boy says

    April 21, 2020 at 10:56 am

    5 stars
    Sounds GREAT! I am a huge El Pastor fan, cannot wait to try. Can I use Chipotle in Adobo sauce in place of Chipotle sauce? Or are they one in the same?

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 05, 2020 at 10:57 am

      Basically the same, just minus the whole peppers. Enjoy!

      Reply
  24. Megan says

    May 06, 2020 at 2:32 pm

    We made these last night for Cinco de Mayo. They were AMAZING! The heat of the chipotle went so well with the sweet pineapple. The cilantro brought a brightness to the dish, and the lime brought it all together. We’re definitely putting this in our rotation. Maybe every other night 🙂

    Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • foodtasticmom says

      May 06, 2020 at 5:10 pm

      Your comment made my day. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe and that you’ll be making them again. Thanks very much for taking the time to rate and comment!

      Reply
Newer Comments »

Trackbacks

  1. 35 Best Ground Pork Recipes - ushfc says:
    December 8, 2021 at 4:48 am

    […] Ground Pork Tacos […]

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