Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor

Taco Tuesday is probably my favorite day of the week. We usually go for traditional crunchy tacos with turkey meat and some homemade taco seasoning. Growing up in Texas, I've had a ton of exposure to all types of tacos– soft, crunchy, pork, beef, turkey, breakfast. Tacos al pastor are hands-down my favorite tacos, with their tender, slightly spicy, slightly sweet pork, mango salsa (a must on these), and soft tortillas (I prefer flour– I know, I know. Not traditional, but YUMMY). Instant Pot tacos al pastor are the best version I've made yet. My tastebuds and the rest of my family's' all agree.

The thing is, the biggest problem with tacos al pastor is that they used to take all day in a pot or the crockpot, which usually meant I didn't think about it until it was too late to make them. When I got my Instant Pot a few weeks ago, I couldn't WAIT to add this to the meal plan. Instant Pot tacos al pastor are INCREDIBLE and SO fast. About an hour and I had fall-apart, can't-pull-them-out-in-one-piece pieces of pork to stuff a tortilla with.

Thanks to the smoky, spicy flavor of the chipotle peppers, the sweetness of the pineapple, the tartness of the lime juice, and the boozy-ness of the beer (because booze makes everything better), they're complex in flavor, but easy in preparation. Add some mango salsa (mango, pineapple, red onion, avocado, tomato, and cilantro with a little lime juice and salt) and crumbled cotija (or goat cheese, if you're dairy-free like us) and you have the perfect combination to stuff yourself silly on Taco Tuesday!

Plus, if you use Lime Essential Oil in it after it's done cooking, you'll up the lime flavor without watering down the meat at all. Just make sure that you're using the best essential oils on the market so that you get the best benefits you can while keeping your family as safe as possible! doTERRA's CPTG oils are hands-down the only ones I trust with my family. For more information why, check out this post!

Looking for a cold-weather, warm-you-up taco recipe? How about some EASY chicken taco soup instead?

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Instant Pot Tacos al Pastor

Ingredients

5 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt, diced into 2" cubes, fat removed as much as possible

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 pineapple, diced

1/2 red onion, chopped-ish

2 T chili powder

2 T fresh lime juice

5 drops of Lime Essential Oil, optional

2 T white vinegar

1 t ground cumin

1 bottle of beer (I prefer a Mexican brand like Corona or Modelo)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

2. While you cut up your pork, turn the Instant Pot to saute and pour in the beer. Allow it to boil for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol (since alcohol doesn't cook off in a pressure cooker setting).
4. Place the pork in the pot of your Instant Pot.
6. In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients except the beer (carbonation and blending aren't friends), and blend for 60-90 seconds until smooth.
8. Stir in the beer and pour over the meat in the Instant Pot.
10. Seal the lid and set for an hour on manual high pressure.
12. Allow it to naturally release (at least for the first 10-15 minutes).
14. Once it's safe to open, skim the fat off the top and add the Lime Essential Oil if so desired.
16. Pull the meat out to shred or put on the tortillas as is!
18. Top with mango salsa and a little cheese and serve.