My all time favorite authentic taco is an al pastor taco. Juicy flavorful pork, sweet pineapple, crunchy red onion and flavorful cilantro get wrapped up in a thin tortilla and make up this simple and delicious taco. I turned this into a salad for a delicious weekday lunch!
To make this recipe, I took the essential ingredients here and served them over a bed of romaine and drizzled it with a flavorful lime cilantro dressing. For an added crunch, I used corn tortillas to make crunchy tortilla chips on top!
I made this juicy and flavorful pork in the instant pot because it comes out so tends and shreddable. I didn't even use a fatty portion of pork either, but rather the tenderloin. This keeps the salad light and perfect to push off that afternoon slump!
My absolute favorite part of this recipe is the sweet bright pineapple on top!
The dressing comes together in just seconds. Simply add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor, pulse, and you are good to go.
The whole salad can be prepped ahead of time and enjoyed throughout the week.
I keep the pork, chips and dressing separate from the actual salad part to make sure everything is crisp and fresh when serving.
Al Pastor Taco Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
8-10 Servings | Cook time: 1 hour
Notes: for bigger appetites you can add a tortilla on the side or serve over rice/beans!
Ingredients:
For al pastor pork:
2 lb pork tenderloin
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp liquid smoke
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
8 cloves garlic, minced
50g onion, diced
4 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped)
1/3 cup pineapple juice (fresh squeezed)
For the salad:
225g red onion, diced
9 cups romaine lettuce
7 ulta thin corn tortillas
Cilantro lime dressing:
1 cup cilantro
1 tsp lime zest
3 cloves, garlic, chopped
2 oz avocado
9 oz plain greek yogurt
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Directions:
Pork:
Cut pork tenderloins into 2” thick chunks.
Turn instant pot onto brown/sauté and spray with nonstick olive oil spray. Add pork tenderloin and sear for about 2 minutes. Use tongs to rotate meat and sear another 2 minutes.
Add spices, garlic and onion to the pot and toss. Allow to sauté another 2 minutes. Stir in chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, water and pineapple juice until well combined.
Close instant pot lid and seal. Set to cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, allow the instant pot to release naturally, about 15 minutes. Remove lid and use either 2 forks or a hand mixer to shred the meat in the liquid. If there is excess liquid once it is all shredded, turn the instant pot onto brown, sauté to steam off excess.
Dressing:
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until well combined.
Store in fridge until ready to use.
Salad:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cut tortillas into 1/2” by 1” strips. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and arrange tortillas in a single layer on the sheet and again spray with nonstick spray. Optional: sprinkle the tortilla strips with a little salt, chili powder and cumin.
Bake strips for about 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway. They should be crispy and just start to brown.
Assemble the salad with a base of romaine lettuce and topped with red onion, tortillas strips, al pastor pork and lime cilantro dressing.
Serve topped with additional cilantro and lime.
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Nutrition facts provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used. Nutrition facts for cilantro lime dressing are provided separately for conveinence. Additionally, nutrition facts are based on 9 servings as the recipe makes about 8-10 servings.
