Al Pastor, (meaning “shepherd style” in Spanish) is a popular pork dish in Central America in which pork is marinated in pineapple, chilies and spices then stacked and vertically roasted on a slowly turning spit with a pineapple on top which bathes the pork with its juices.
I neither have a spit nor wanted to trot out my grill just for me (it was also raining today). And was searching for new things to do with the 6-quart air fryer I bought a bit ago.
I also had this cut of meat … Pork Sirloin … from my organic ButcherBox.com bimonthly delivery … that I could never figure out a good recipe for. I had thrown cooking attempts out both times.
So I had this frustrating meat … and the closest thing I could find to an authentic al pastor recipe was Air Fryer Tijuana Street Tacos. From thisoldgal.com
The original recipe used beef, but I used my pork sirloin with GREAT results. Freeze whatever meat you use (recipes say anywhere from 15-20 minutes to 2-4 hours) for easier slicing.
I used fresh pineapple for the marinade and to lay over the meat. But next time will try canned pineapple rings in juice for easier prep.
My Paleo 3-Ingredent Naan worked well for the tacos. Make them smaller (around 6 inches)as a larger one can't hold all the moisture from the tacos and fixin's well. I made a batch, refrigerated them, and then reheated them in a pan ... FYI ... they held up much better.
Oh ,,, the fixin's. Avocado Cream ... a sort of grown-up guacamole ... and pico de gallo. I threw in some of the air-fried pineapple too. Eat it up ... FOR REAL!
AuthorJill PlaceAl Pastor tacos from an air fryer? As good as the original, and a lot healthier too! Pair with grain-free tortillas for true scrumptiousness.
Freeze whatever meat you're using for at least 20 minutes to up to 4 hours. Or thaw until partially frozen. Slice thinly.
Slice pineapple into rings and core the center. Mince a small amount (about 1/4 cup) for marinating. Or use a can of pineapple slices or rings in juice.
Place meat in a medium bowl and add chipotle in adobo (or just sauce), oregano, cumin, achiote (or ancho chile powder), 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapple) or minced pineapple, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (or other sweetener), and salt. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or more.
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Pull out air fryer drawer and lightly spray basket with cooking spray.
Place marinated meat in single layer in air fryer and cover with pineapple rings. sprinkle 1 Tbsp. brown sugar over pineapple.
Cook at 390 degrees F for 8 minutes. You may have to cook several batches.
Serve with warm tortillas, preferable grain-free, with pico de gallo, lime wedges, and Avocado Cream (recipe) or guacamole. Enjoy pineapple in taco or on the side.
Ingredients
Directions
Freeze whatever meat you're using for at least 20 minutes to up to 4 hours. Or thaw until partially frozen. Slice thinly.
Slice pineapple into rings and core the center. Mince a small amount (about 1/4 cup) for marinating. Or use a can of pineapple slices or rings in juice.
Place meat in a medium bowl and add chipotle in adobo (or just sauce), oregano, cumin, achiote (or ancho chile powder), 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapple) or minced pineapple, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (or other sweetener), and salt. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or more.
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Pull out air fryer drawer and lightly spray basket with cooking spray.
Place marinated meat in single layer in air fryer and cover with pineapple rings. sprinkle 1 Tbsp. brown sugar over pineapple.
Cook at 390 degrees F for 8 minutes. You may have to cook several batches.
Serve with warm tortillas, preferable grain-free, with pico de gallo, lime wedges, and Avocado Cream (recipe) or guacamole. Enjoy pineapple in taco or on the side.
Can you cook from frozen in air fryer? And how long at what temperature?
Depends upon the food. If you’re talking about this dish, you freeze the meat a bit to easily slice it and then marinate it so it’s already thawed. You CAN cook from frozen, like bagged fries, appetizers, or fish sticks, but you need to look on the labels or consult this chart https://airfrying.net/air-fryer-cooking-chart-for-frozen-food-in-air-fryer/. Of course, every air fryer cooks differently so I’d keep checking close to suggested time to make sure that the food is cooked/not overcooked. An instant read thermometer is also a good tool for this. Hope this helps.