Instant Pot Lamb tacos al pastor
, Updated Oct 13, 2022
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This instant pot lamb tacos al pastor recipe is quick and easy to prepare and full of flavour. Make a big batch and liven up your office lunches!
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Recipe in collaboration with ‘Lamb – Try It Love It’
Ahhh… January. It’s cold, everyone is broke, taxes are due, no wonder the third Monday of the month is designated as “Blue Monday”.
Why not chase away the January blues with some delicious food? Works for me and I have just the recipe for you to try: lamb tacos al pastor!
What is “tacos al pastor”?
“Al pastor” translates as “shepherd style” and it is a Mexican dish that has its roots in Lebanon! Lebanese immigrants brought their shawarma spit grilled meat (similar to Greek gyros) expertise to Mexico.
Tacos al pastor are made with pork but I think they are even more flavourful made with lamb – as indeed it probably was in its original incarnation.
Spit roasting is a bit out of reach for home cooks so I have used my Instant Pot instead!
Why use lamb
Lamb is sometimes sidelined as “being hard to cook with” but in reality nothing could be further from the truth!
In this recipe I used shoulder of lamb which turns meltingly tender when cooked slowly, making it perfect for this taco recipe.
Since lamb shoulder is best cooked low and slow, I cut the cooking time considerably by using a pressure cooker. You can also make in a slow cooker.
Check out Lamb Try it, Love it, for more recipes and ideas on how to incorporate more lamb into your diet.
Al pastor sauce
I can’t claim this is very authentic – Mexican chillies are a bit hard to come by in the UK. I have used easy to source ingredients to create a simplified version that’s no less delicious.
You will need
- Orange juice
- Lime juice
- Tomato paste
- Chilli paste or use Chipotle en Adobo paste for a more authentic taste
- Garlic
- Dried oregano
- Ground cumin, smoked paprika and ground cloves
- salt and pepper
- Pineapple juice, you could also use beer
How to serve lamb tacos al pastor
You can serve the shredded lamb over rice or in a salad – so it pays to make a big batch and use leftovers for your lunch.
Though if you are a bit of a wizz at meal prep, you could easily package these up taco-style for lunch al desko!
To serve as tacos you will need tortillas, fresh pineapple, sliced avocado, coriander (cilantro), onion and hot chilli sauce.
It’s a very fresh combo that’s much lighter than usual taco fare. Since I am currently on a diet, I served mine in lettuce leaf boats instead of tortillas!
How to make lamb al pastor in the Instant Pot
Step 1. Put all the ingredients for the al pastor sauce in a bowl and mix together.
Step 2. Trim the lamb shoulder of large pieces of fat and cut into large pieces. Place in a lidded container.
Step 3. Rub the sauce over the lamb and place in the fridge overnight.
Step 4. Transfer the lamb and marinade in the Instant Pot. Rinse the container out with pineapple juice and add to the pot.
Step 5. Cover, set vent to sealing and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure. Leave pressure to release naturally.
Step 6. Transfer the lamb to a platter and use two forks or shredding claws to shred the meat. Add some of the sauce and toss together.
Step 7. To serve: heat the tortillas up in a pan (or your toaster, but watch they don’t burn!). Spread a generous amount of shredded lamb on each. Add pineapple and avocado slices. Top with coriander and sliced onion and some hot sauce, if you like. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
How to make lamb al pastor in a slow cooker
Follow steps 1-3. Put the marinated lamb and pineapple juice (please note you will need more than in the IP version) in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours, until the lamb is completely tender and falls apart at the touch of a fork.
NEED MORE LAMB RECIPE INSPO?
- Traditional Shepherd’s Pie
- Pressure Cooker Lamb Dhansak curry
- Spicy Lamb Keema Pizza
- Slow Cooker Lamb Shank Rogan Josh
Find out more at trylamb.co.uk and @TryLamb on Facebook and Instagram.
HAVE YOU MADE MY LAMB TACOS AL PASTOR?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
Instant pot lamb tacos al pastor
Video
Ingredients
- 120 ml | 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 lime , juice only
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp chilli paste
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves (a small pinch)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2.2 kg | 5 pounds lamb shoulder
- 120 ml | 1/2 cup pineapple juice or beer
- Salt and pepper to season (to taste)
To serve
- tortillas
- 1 small pineapple , cut into cubes
- 1 avocado , sliced
- 1 lime , cut into wedges
- 3 tbsp coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped
- 1 small onion , very finely sliced
- Hot chilli sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and mix together.
- Trim the lamb shoulder of large pieces of fat and cut into large pieces. Place in a lidded container.
- Rub the sauce over the lamb and place in the fridge overnight.
- Transfer the lamb and marinade in the Instant Pot. Rinse the container out with pineapple juice and add.
- Cook for 35 minutes at high pressure and leave pressure to release naturally.
- Transfer the lamb to a platter and use two forks or shredding claws to shred the meat. Add some of the sauce and toss together.
- Taste and check the seasoning is to your liking, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
To serve
- Heat the tortillas up in a pan (or your toaster, but watch they don’t burn!). Spread a generous amount of shredded lamb on each. Add pineapple and avocado slices. Top with coriander and sliced onion and some hot sauce, if you like. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
How to make lamb al pastor in a slow cooker
- Follow steps 1-3. Put the marinated lamb and pineapple juice (please note you will need 1 cup /250ml) in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours, until the lamb is completely tender and falls apart at the touch of a fork.
Notes
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on ingredients you choose.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
This was an excellent recipe. Very easy and was a huge hit with my kids. I only had 2.5 lbs of lamb but I didn’t bother to adjust anything. Used corn tortillas and topped with avocado, onions, sour cream and cilantro.
What a great taco!!! I’ll be making this again!
These look like such a delicious lunch option! Lamb is one of my favourite meats.
Oh these look so good! I love cooking with lamb so shall add this to my menu plan. Thank you!
Lamb is a great meat to cook with lots of flavours, so I can see this being utterly delicious. Great alternative idea for a taco filling,lovely and comforting, which is exactly what you need when the weather is cold.
What a great recipe there Lucy! It’s a great one to make for a party – I’m sure all the guests would be pleased and come back for seconds!
My husband loves lamb, and tacos, so I am definitely going to have to try this out soon.