Grilled Pork and Pineapple Tacos
Yield: 6 servings
This Grilled Pork and Pineapple Tacos recipe is a much easier twist on tacos al pastor. It promises to be your next taco night hit!
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds pork tenderloin (not pork loin), sliced ½" thick into "mini steaks"
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 big pinch ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small to medium fresh pineapple, outer skin and core removed, with flesh cut into thin vertical spears
- 1 large red onion, sliced into 4 rings (leave the rings connected)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 12 medium-sized flour tortillas
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup guacamole
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Prep
- Place sliced pork on a large rimmed pan. Brush both sides of each pork slice very lightly with olive oil and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cumin, ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and cloves. Sprinkle this spice mixture evenly onto both sides of each piece of pork, using all of the spice mixture. Set aside.
- Place pineapple spears and onion slices on a separate rimmed pan. Brush both sides of the pineapple and onion very lightly with olive oil. Then sprinkle both sides of the onion with salt and pepper.
Grill
- Heat grill to medium-high. Scrub the grates clean and then oil well (see Notes below).
- First grill the tortillas, laying them right on the hot grates. It shouldn't take very long to get a nice char. Flip to just lightly char the other side. Take care to not let the tortillas sit on the grill too long, as they can become brittle and not as easy to fold into tacos. Remove from grill and set aside.
- Oil grates again. Then place pineapple spears and onion slices on the hot grates. Grill for 1-3 minutes per side, or until charred to your liking. I like to use a thin metal spatula to flip the pineapple, as it sometimes wants to stick - this tool helps you get beneath the pineapple better, to preserve that beautiful char. Tongs are also great, for quick flipping. Remove pineapple and onion from grill and let cool for a few minutes, then chop into ½" pieces.
- Oil grates again. Place pork slices onto hot grates. The pork is thin and won't take long to cook. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side, until nicely charred and the internal temperature reaches 145°F. Do not overcook, or the pork's juicy tenderness will be lost. Remove pork from grill and let rest for 3 minutes, then slice into very thin strips.
Serve
- For taco assembly, set out the grilled pork, tortillas, pineapple, and onion, along with the tomatoes, guacamole, cilantro. Offer fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the top.
Notes
To oil the grill grates: Add some vegetable oil to a small bowl. Then fold a heavy paper towel a few times to make a smaller square. With a tongs, grasp the folded paper towel and dip it into the oil until the paper towel is soaked. Then run the soaked paper towel over the grates, repeating until all grill grates are thoroughly oiled.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 449kcal Carbohydrates: 40g Protein: 36g Fat: 15g Saturated Fat: 5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 89mg Sodium: 474mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.