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History
Al pastor descends from the shawarma that Lebanese immigrants brought to Mexico in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the 1920s pork had mostly replaced lamb, and the Mexican-born children of those immigrants opened their own restaurants; later, in Mexico City, cooks began marinating the meat in adobo of dried chiles and serving it on corn tortillas, which became the al pastor taco, popular by the 1960s. It is cooked on a vertical spit, the trompo, and topped with pineapple. In Cancún it is the taquería standard: Los Parejas sold pastor at 35 pesos a taco in January 2026, and Tacos Rigo and Los Chachalacos serve it late.
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Common allergens: Pork
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg pork shoulder, sliced 5 mm thick
- 4 guajillo chiles, seeded
- 2 ancho chiles, seeded
- 50 g achiote paste
- 100 ml pineapple juice
- 50 ml white vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and sliced
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- A bunch of coriander, chopped
- Small corn tortillas, salsa and limes to serve
Method
- Toast the dried chiles for 30 seconds a side, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend with the achiote, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt.
- Coat the pork slices in the marinade and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Stack the slices tightly on a skewer set upright in a roasting tin, or layer them in a loaf tin, with a slice of pineapple on top.
- Roast at 200°C for 1 hour, then rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice the meat thinly from the outside and crisp the slices in a hot pan for 1 minute.
- Grill the remaining pineapple slices and chop them.
- Serve on warm tortillas with pineapple, onion, coriander, salsa and lime.
Tip from the editors. Crisping the slices in a very hot pan after roasting gives the charred edges a real trompo would.
Where to eat tacos al pastor
Tacos al pastor in Cancún
Los Parejas ★ 4.0
Los Parejas reopened in January 2026 on Avenida Tecnológico in Cancún and sells bistec, pastor and costilla tacos every day from 16:00 until 01:00.
OrderTacos de bistec and al pastor, then a costilla or tripa taco and a jamaica.
TipIt opens at 16:00 and closes at 01:00, so it works for a dinner after the evening rush; Revista BE priced bistec tacos at 35 pesos in January 2026.
Tacos Rigo ★ 4.1
Tacos Rigo's Palenque branch on Avenida de las Playas in Cancún began as a taco cart and cooks tripe, campechana and pastor tacos until 02:00 most nights.
OrderAn order of three tacos de tripa, campechana or pastor, or a parrillada with nopales and guacamole.
TipOn weeknights and Saturday the Palenque room closes at 02:00, and on Sunday at 01:00, so it keeps serving long after midnight.
Los Chachalacos Bonampak ★ 3.8
Los Chachalacos Bonampak, in Plaza Península on Avenida Bonampak in Cancún, is a taquería for pastor tacos, gringas and alambres that closes at 00:30.
OrderTacos al pastor and a gringa, with an alambre to share.
TipThe Bonampak branch runs from 13:00 to 00:30; the operator lists its Party Center and Calypso branches as open from 10:00 until 02:00.
Taquería El Campeón ★ 4.0
Taquería El Campeón on Avenida Comalcalco in Cancún sells pastor tacos, tortas, burritos and gringas from 18:30 until 02:00, or 03:00 at weekends.
OrderAn order of tacos al pastor, then a gringa or a torta if you are hungry.
TipThe griddle starts at 18:30 and runs to 02:00, or 03:00 on Friday and Saturday, so it suits the hours after the bars.
Tacos al pastor in Mexico City
El Huequito ★ 4.5
El Huequito in Mexico City is the 1959 Centro al pastor counter that runs through dinner until 22:00 in the original Ayuntamiento alley, the late-evening.
TryTacos al pastor
El Tizoncito ★ 4.4
El Tizoncito in Mexico City is the 1966 Condesa al pastor taqueria where four tacos with pineapple run about 140 pesos at sidewalk tables along Tamaulipas.
TryFour tacos al pastor with pina
El Vilsito ★ 4.8
El Vilsito in Mexico City is the Narvarte mechanic shop by day and Bib Gourmand al pastor taqueria by night on Peten, with the trompo running past 02:00 most.
TryTacos al pastor (night shift trompo)
Tacos El Califa de Leon ★ 4.6
Tacos El Califa de Leon in Mexico City is the San Rafael trompo-cut taqueria on Ribera de San Cosme, the world's first taqueria to earn a Michelin star.
OrderThe taco gaonera; the taco al pastor; the green and red house salsas.
TipTiny standing counter; lines run two hours since the Michelin star landed. Cash only. Open lunch and into the evening.
El Califa Condesa ★ 4.3
El Califa in Mexico City is the Condesa taqueria on Altata that runs till 04:00 daily, the late-night al carbon counter and the go-to Condesa post-bar stop.
TryCampechano and gaonera tacos
More cities are in research. Want tacos al pastor covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.