Ever since I was introduced to it by friend Gilbert, tacos al pastor has been my all-time favorite Mexican dish. So, it should come as no surprise that I’ve long wanted to try a fusion and make Pizza Al Pastor. What could be better than combining the savory, spicy, and sweet of Al Pastor on a delicious pizza crust?
Before We Tackle Pizza Al Pastor…
What’s The Story Behind Al Pastor?
Before we dive into the pizza, let’s talk about the origins of al pastor. Did you know that this beloved Mexican street food has its roots in the Middle East? According to Wikipedia, Al pastor was actually inspired by Lebanese immigrants to the Puebla and Mexico City region in the early 1900’s. They brought with them their traditional method of cooking thinly sliced lamb on a vertical spit, known as doner or shawarma (I’m going to have to make a shawarma pizza one day soon!). Over time, this cooking technique was adapted to fit local Mexican flavors, swapping the traditional lamb for pork and adding Mexican chilies and spices.
This method became known as “al pastor”, meaning “in the style of the shepherd.” The pork is marinated with a blend of spices, including chiles, garlic, vinegar, and achiote paste, which gives it its signature red color, and then cooked on a trompo.
Al Pastor Pizza: To Trompo or Not to Trompo
In my favorite version of Al Pastor, the meat is stacked on a rotating spit called a trompo and cooked slowly, allowing the flavors to develop while the outer layers become perfectly caramelized. When you’re ready to eat, the crispy, juicy pork is shaved off the trompo and served…normally in tacos, but of course, we’re making Al Pastor Pizza.
However, the Trompo isn’t found in most homes in Mexico and not even in many restaurants. That doesn’t prevent people making Al Pastor – instead, one might see it cooked on a griddle, oven-roasted (more on that in a second), or even in a crock-pot.
Home Trompo Al Pastor
So, the reason it’s taken me so long to come up with this is that I didn’t know how to make a “home trompo” Al Pastor. The rotating vertical spit isn’t used in all Al Pastor recipes, but that’s what’s used in my favorite.
How was I going to do this?
Well, low and behold, two fellow food bloggers (Laura & Angie, who host Dinner and a Side) showed me how when they made homemade chicken gyro using an improvised vertical spit. Finally, I had a plan!
To create the al pastor, I use boneless thin-sliced pork loin chops. Al Pastor normally uses pork shoulder because of the fat marbling. However, pork shoulder often comes in a pretty hefty portion size and likely requires slicing.
So, I find the thin-sliced chops are more practical – you can buy 1 pound of pork and 1 small to medium pineapple and you’ll have enough for AT LEAST 2 pizzas.
Al Pastor Marinade
The marinade is where the magic happens. It’s also a bit of a chore in the grocery store. It took me a bit to even figure out how to buy achiote powder. A lot of recipes refer to achiote paste, but I couldn’t find it. I did however find Sazon Goya seasoning packets that had both coriander and Annatto (which is achiote). One packet will do this recipe, so there wasn’t a need to hunt further.
Chipotle in adobo is pretty easy to find in the Latin American section of most grocery stores.
Guajillo chiles are also an important part of the recipe and, lucky for me, Heather was growing some in the garden! But you should be able to find dried guajillo chiles in the grocery store. If not, ancho peppers are a good substitute. And if that’s eluding you too, dried chilli pepper powder (not spicy) is the next best thing.
Our marinade will also benefit from fresh garlic, fresh onion, apple cider vinegar, and pineapple juice. I’ve read that it’s better to use it from a can of pineapple, but I had no problem using pineapple juice.
You’ll want to marinade the garlic, onion, and guajillo in oil for 10 minutes then mix everything in a blender to produce the final marinade.
Put the pork in the marinade and work it with your hands to ensure the meat is fully saturated. Marinate the pork for about 4 hours, but halfway through, remix the meat into the marinade by hand.
Once the marinading is complete, it’s time to build your mini trompo. Slice your pineapple and take a decent slice from the top and bottom to make the base and top.
Then slice thin slices of pineapple to alternate with the pork and begin layering thin slices of marinated pork.
For the middle pieces of pineapple, you’ll want to cut the rind off because you won’t want that in your sliced Al Pastor.
Finish it with the other thick slice of pineapple on top to help flavor the meat while it roasts and to shield it from drying out.
You’ll need to insert skewers to hold everything in place while it cooks. You may find that some skewers are too long to stand up in your oven! I used shorter skewers for part one, then used longer skewers for the second part. Besides, this little piggy skewers are irresistibly cute!
Cook the trompo in the oven or on a grill at 275°F for about 2.5 to 3 hours. This method gives you beautifully roasted, tender pork with a hint of char from the caramelized edges. You’ll want the pork to reach no higher than 145°F, which is medium rare. That’s because we have more cooking to do.
In the meantime, you’ve got a couple of hours to kill so you might experiment with other things you can do with pineapple (or maybe it’s just me?).
When the trompo is 30 minutes from being done, it’s time to preheat the pizza oven.
Again, don’t cook the pastor to more that 145°F.
Remove the Al Pastor from the oven and lay it on its side. I needed to use longer skewers for this part and you might too.
Finishing the Al Pastor in the Pizza Oven.
If you’re using an outdoor pizza oven, you can really get a nice sear to finish off the pastor. You’ll have to be watching this the entire time, because it goes VERY quickly. I rotated the trompo a quarter turn every 30 seconds for a total of 2 minutes. If you don’t have an outdoor pizza oven, you can also use the broiler in your oven. Same thing – watch it like a hawk!
Building the Al Pastor Pizza
Now, it’s pizza time!
Before starting the base, I sliced the Al Pastor. Just like any pizza launching from a peel, you want the toppings done first. Slice the outer edges from the trompo into the pan. I found mopping up the juice was helpful to keep the pork nice and moist.
For the base, I went with a classic Neapolitan AVPN recipe, but you can choose whatever style you prefer. Trader Joe’s makes a very dependable Neapolitan style too.
For the sauce, I used 2 ounces of Adobo sauce from the can of Chipotle peppers. But you could also opt for a thin layer of salsa roja or tomato sauce.
Once your base is ready, generously top it with the Al Pastor pork and pineapple.
Finally, sprinkle some Queso Fresco cheese over the pizza. This cheese has good moisture, which holds up in the hot oven, and brings a nice balance to the pork. But it’s not really a melty-cheese. So, if you really like a stringy-cheese pizza, go ahead and add some Quesadilla cheese (or even Mozzarella – it is a Mexican Pizza fusion, after all).
Bake the pizza at the proper temperature for your pizza crust (we used a Neapolitan base, so >800°F) until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
Final Touches for Pizza Al Pastor
When the pizza comes out of the oven, I like to finish it with some fresh cilantro. Many people will also want to add fresh white onion and possible some radish. I don’t love fresh onion, so it didn’t end up on my pizza!
Some people might also want to add a little bit of fresh, uncooked pineapple. I thought there was plenty from the trompo, but again, everyone will have their own preference!
Why I Love This Fusion
Pizza and tacos may seem like two totally different worlds, but when you bring them together, magic happens. There’s something incredibly satisfying about this combination of Mexican and Italian cuisine. Al pastor is one of my all-time favorite dishes, and seeing it transform into a pizza was exciting. The first time I made it, I knew this would be a go-to for pizza night. Plus, it’s always fun to watch the reaction of people trying it for the first time—there’s that moment of “Wait, pineapple on pizza?” followed by, “Wow, this really works!”
If you’re a fan of bold flavors and love to experiment in the kitchen, give this recipe a try! And if you don’t want to go through the trouble of making al pastor from scratch, no worries—store-bought versions will still give you great results. Just remember to pair it with some grilled pineapple for the full experience.
Variations for Al Pastor Pizza
I’ve included a number of possible variations to my al pastor pizza through the article, but here they are in summary:
- Nothing’s stopping you from using Al Pastor meat from your favorite Taqueria. It’s a bit of work and time consuming to do this from scratch. Worth it, but still time consuming.
- I used boneless pork loin chops. This is pretty much always my favorite cut of pork. And because they came thinly sliced from the store, it saved a lot of work. But Al Pastor generally uses pork shoulder, which is often a bigger cut and will likely require you to cut the slices yourself. However, the fattier cut will impart more flavor.
- There are a lot of marinade variations. Cinnamon, dried Mexican oregano, coriander, and peppercorns show up in some recipes.
- Onions (especially fresh, white onions at the end) are staples in Al Pastor. I’m far less of a fan, so I didn’t. That’s the beauty of pizza – make it your own!
- I used Adobo sauce for the base, but you could also use salsa or tomato sauce.
- I used Queso Fresco cheese, but you could switch (or supplement) with Quesadilla cheese and/or mozzarella if you like it melty.
- You can add extra fresh pineapple at the end also.
Pizza Al Pastor (Mini-Trompo Edition!)
Equipment
- 1 Outdoor pizza oven Optional
- 1 Pizza stone/Pizza steel Also optional for cooking your pizza in your indoor oven
- 1 Skillet cast iron is optional, but it must be oven-safe
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Pizza Cutter
- 3 Skewers They need to be long enough to hold the trompo together, even when on its side, but not so long they won't fit in your oven. I used two different lengths.
Ingredients
- 20 ounces Pizza Dough (Two dough balls)
Meat and Other Ingredients for the Trompo
- 1 lb pork shoulder thinly sliced
- â…“ pineapple start with a whole pineapple, you'll have left overs
- ¼ onion thinly sliced (I don't use this, but many people will)
For the Marinade:
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 chile guajillo fresh or dried (deseeded)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp pineapple juice
- â…“ cup water
- â…“ tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce not the whole can – just two peppers
- 1 tsp adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
- 1 tsp achiote powder I used Sazon Goya Con Culantro y Achiote – one package.
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- â…“ tsp cumin
- â…™ tsp black pepper a pinch
- â…™ tsp allspice a pinch
For the Pizza Toppings
- 2 ounces queso fresco (option to use quesadilla or mozzarella cheese for more melt)
- â…“ tsp cilantro
- 1 ounce white onion fresh, diced (I don't prefer this, but it's typical of Al Pastor tacos).
Instructions
The Pork:
- I prefer to use thinly-sliced pork loin chops. You can buy it in smaller packages and it saves a lot of trouble of trying to slice a larger piece thin.
Make the Marinade:
- Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and 1/8 onion, browning them lightly. Then, add the deseeded guajillo chiles and a bay leaf. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Lower the heat and then add 1 tbsp each of water and apple cider vinegar to the pan. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
- Pour the cooled mixture into a blender along with the chipotle pepper, chicken stock (1/3 cup), pineapple juice, achiote paste, salt, cumin, black pepper, and allspice. Blend until smooth.
Marinate the Pork:
- Pour the marinade over the thinly sliced pork and massage it in to coat each piece. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to fully infuse into the meat.Halfway through, remove the pork and massage the marinade into the meat a second time.
Build the Mini Trompo (Optional):
- Rinse the pineapple and twist to remove the stalk.
- Slice about a 1" thick piece from the top and bottom. These will serve as the base and the top of the mini trompo.
- Slice thin (less than 1/2") slices of pineapple to go between each piece of pork.
- Cut the outer edge off of the pineapple slices – you don't want the rind on your pizza!
- In a cast iron pan, layer the marinated pork slices and slices of fresh pineapple on top of each other.
- Finish with a thicker piece pineapple on top.
- Use at least 3 skewers from top to bottom to hold the trompo together. Make sure the skewers aren't too long to fit in the oven.
Roast the Al Pastor:
- Preheat your oven to 275°F.
- Place the mini trompo on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet and slow roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the internal temperature of the pork reaches no higher than 145°F.
- During the last 30 minutes, baste the meat with the pan juices for extra flavor and moisture. You can optionally take your trompo apart and baste the pan juices between the layers and then reassemble for maximum flavor.
- You should also preheat your outdoor pizza oven at this point. Use the correct temperature for your pizza dough.
Searing the Trompo stack
- To get the crispy edge, we are going to rotate the trompo stack on its side in the cast iron pan and baste with juices.
- Before doing this, make sure your skewers are long enough to hold the trompo together when tipped on its side. I used a second set of longer skewers for this step.
- Place the trompo in the outdoor pizza oven for about 30 seconds per "side" rotating it until all sides are caramelized (about 2 minutes total). If you don't have an outdoor pizza oven, turn on the broiler and place the trompo on its side under the broiler for about 2 minutes per "side", rotating until all sides are caramelized. Whichever way you do this, be very careful, as the the meat will burn quickly if not watched.
- Once the pork is done roasting, stand it back up and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then, remove the top of the trompo and thinly slice the pork and pineapple off the trompo.
Preparing the Pizza
- While the cooked trompo is resting, pre-heat your oven to the temperature required for your pizza. If you are using your outdoor pizza oven again, just leave it on.
- Dust your work area with flour.
- Stretch out your dough per its instructions.
- Add about 3 ounces of sauce to the pizza base. I used the adobo sauce from my chipotle peppers but you can use tomato sauce if you want it more mild. You can also use salsa rios.
- Add the Al Pastor meat and pineapple. About 5 ounces should be sufficient for a 12" pizza.
- Add 2 ounces of crumbled queso fresca.
Cooking the Pizza
- Launch the pizza into the oven.
- Follow the cooking instructions for your pizza dough. The Al Pastor is already cooked, so a shorter cooking time is fine.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board.
- Rest for 3 minutes before garnishing with fresh cilantro, diced white onion, and/or any other garnish you prefer.
Notes
- If you are going to cook this in a conventional oven, use the temperature suggested for your dough.Â
- If you have a pizza stone (or pizza steel), that’s going to help a lot in getting the most authentic crust. If not, a pizza pan (or cookie sheet) will still turn out a great pizza.
- You can either start the pizza on a pan (or cookie sheet) and transfer it to the stone after about 15 minutes (when the crust is firm enough to be safely transferred). At this point, turn off the oven and let the pizza cook on the stone for another 5 minutes. Remove and let rest on a cutting board for another 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Alternatively, you can start by launching the pizza directly to the pizza stone in your oven. This is more tricky and you might want to practice with some dough with no toppings!
Nutrition
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.