Instant Pot Al Pastor Tacos
Posted May 15, 2023 by: Admin
If you’re a fan of the deliciousness that is tacos al pastor but find yourself without a fire or barbecue, fear not! Introducing the all-new Instant Pot Al Pastor Tacos, your ultimate culinary companion.
Traditionally, preparing this mouthwatering Mexican delight is a laborious and time-consuming affair. It involves marinating pork in a delightful blend of chilies, pineapple, and spices, followed by slow cooking it on a vertical rotisserie over low heat until it turns a beautiful shade of golden brown. Undeniably scrumptious, but let’s face it, who has the luxury of that kind of time?
The Instant Pot, coming to your rescue! Simply massage your pork with a medley of seasonings and toss it into the pot alongside crispy bacon, juicy pineapple, zesty canned chipotles, and savory chicken broth. Set the timer for a mere 35 minutes, eagerly await the culinary magic, and then manually release the pressure. Voila! Your tender, succulent meat is now ready to be delicately shredded and served in the form of tantalizing pork tacos. No need for fire, no rotisserie, just an explosion of fantastic flavors that will leave your taste buds begging for more.
Can I adjust the spice level in the recipe?
Yes, you can adjust the spice level in this recipe to your preference. If you prefer less spiciness, there are a couple of things you can do to reduce it.
First, you can rinse your chipotles so they are free of the hot adobo sauce and remove some of the seeds which also add spice.
You can also reduce the amount of chipotles in the adobo sauce used in the recipe or omit them entirely, although that will also change the flavor to some degree.
On the other hand, if you like your Tacos Al Pastor spicier, you can increase the amount of chipotles in adobo by ½ or 1 can or add 2-3 tablespoons of hot sauce to the sauce mix. You can also add some crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, or chili powder to the seasoning mix for added flavor. You can also decrease the amount of pineapple added, which will lower the sweetness level and allow the spice to go higher. Keep in mind that the recipe as written has a medium level of spice, so adjust according to your taste.
How should I store my Tacos Al Pastor?
You can store your Tacos Al Pastor in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can microwave the filling until hot or heat it on the stove in a skillet.
Tortillas can be heated in the microwave or in a skillet. If you plan to freeze the Tacos Al Pastor, it is best to store the filling and tortillas separately to maintain the best quality. When you’re ready to eat, simply thaw the filling and tortillas in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as desired.
Instant Pot Al Pastor Tacos
- Cut the pork into quarters and rub each piece well with salt, pepper and 3 envelopes of Sazon Goya.
- Set Instant Pot to Brown or Brown setting and heat diced bacon until sizzling, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Brown each side of the roast pieces, about 5 minutes, then turn the Instant Pot off.
- Skim any excess fat from the pot, but leave the bacon and browned pieces in the bottom of the pan.
- In a blender, combine the chicken broth, chipotles, crushed pineapple, and the last packet of Sazon Goya and blend until smooth.
- Pour the liquid over the roast and bacon and stir well to remove any bits of roast from the bottom of the pot.
- Close the pressure cooker and cook for 35 minutes.
- When the cook time is up, allow the Instant Pot to slowly release for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually.
- Check that the pork has reached an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit and that the pork flakes easily. If not, reseal the Instant Pot and cook for another 5-10 minutes before checking again.
- Once the pork is cooked through, shred it, then return it to the bacon sauce.
- Serve warm on corn tortillas, optional, and top with chopped cilantro, white onion, and lime wedges, optional.
Instant Pot Al Pastor Tacos
This Instant Pot Al Pastor Tacos recipe combines marinated pork with traditional Mexican spices and cooks to perfection in the Instant Pot.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Time to cook: Four. Five minutes
- Total time: 55 minutes
- It serves:6
Ingredients
- 3 pounds roast pork tenderloin cut into quarters
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1.41 oz package of Sazon Goya with coriander and achiote divided
- 8 ounce thick sliced bacon packet diced
- 1 and 1/2 cup chicken soup
- 7 ounce can of chipotles in adobo sauce remove chipotles and discard sauce for less spice
- sixteen ounce cans of crushed pineapple undrained
- Corn tortillas optional service suggestion
- Chopped cilantro optional garnish
- chopped white onion optional garnish
- Lemon slices optional garnish
Instructions
- Cut the pork into quarters and rub each piece well with salt, pepper and 1/2 package of Sazón Goya.
- Set Instant Pot to Brown or Brown setting and heat diced bacon until sizzling, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Brown each side of the roast pieces, about 5 minutes, then turn the Instant Pot off.
- Skim any excess fat from the pot, but leave the bacon and browned pieces in the bottom of the pan.
- In a blender, combine the chicken broth, chipotles, crushed pineapple, and the rest of the Sazon Goya packet and blend until smooth.
- Pour the liquid over the roast and bacon and stir well to remove any bits of roast from the bottom of the pot.
- Close the pressure cooker and cook for 35 minutes.
- When the cook time is up, allow the Instant Pot to slowly release for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure manually.
- Check that the pork has reached an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit and that the pork flakes easily. If not, reseal the Instant Pot and cook for another 5-10 minutes before checking again.
- Once the pork is cooked through, shred it, then return it to the sauce with the bacon.
- Serve warm on corn tortillas, optional, and top with chopped cilantro, white onion, and lime wedges, optional.
