Tacos de Adobada (Pork Adobada Tacos)

This Tacos de Adobada recipe features diced pork, marinated in roasted chili salsa, vinegar, and Shawarma Seasoning. Marrying Mexican and Middle Eastern flavors really works beautifully in this Pork Adobada Tacos recipe. Also great with creamy cilantro lime sauce!

Why This Recipe Works

Similar to Al Pastor tacos (or Arab Tacos) these tacos were influenced by two cultures known for their delicious cuisine. This makes Tacos de Adobada aromatic, packed with flavor, and absolutely incredible!

The simple ingredients, as well as the easy preparation, make this a recipe worth trying and including in your regular dinner recipe rotation. The heat level can be manipulated simply by the chiles used to marinate the pork. Stick with my red chile sauce recipe for spicy Adobada Tacos, or replace the chiles with California or New Mexico chiles for milder Adobada tacos.

The meat can also be used in quesadillas or substituted for Carne Asada in my California burritos recipe.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pork — You'll want to use a fatty cut of pork, for example, pork butt or shoulder. I also like to use pork boneless ribs which come sliced into strips. They're flavorful and cost less than a roast.
• Chile Sauce — I make my own sauce using a variety of dried peppers (California, New Mexico, Chipotle, Guajillo, Ancho, and Arbol).
• Spices — I highly recommend making your own shawarma seasoning, however, you can also find shawarma seasoning at Middle Eastern markets, online (affiliate link), and at some grocery stores. I was actually shocked to find it at our local grocery store here in Montana.
• Pineapple Juice — Pineapple juice adds a bit of sweetness that compliments the spicy chile sauce. All you need is approximately ¼ cup of pineapple juice. I'm leaving it as an optional ingredient.
• Tortillas — You will need corn tortillas to serve the tacos in unless you are planning to serve the diced meat in quesadillas or burritos, in which case you will need flour tortillas.

How to Make Tacos de Adobada

Prepare Adobada Marinade

(The ingredients for the sauce can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can also substitute with your favorite chile sauce instead).

STEP 1: Add sesame oil to a cast-iron skillet and allow the pan to get hot over medium-high heat. Toast chiles in the pan with unpeeled garlic cloves and chopped onions. Stir until charred but not burned.

STEP 2: Remove stems from the chiles, then add them to a blender. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the chiles and soak them for 15 minutes. Once cool, add the peeled garlic, onions, red wine vinegar, salt, cumin, and coriander. Blend until smooth.

Tip: When blending hot liquids they tend to explode when unscrewing the blade from the cup (I use my Ninja blender). To avoid being splattered with hot liquid, allow the liquid to cool prior to blending it).

Adobada Tacos

STEP 1: Dice pork into small pieces, remove and discard excess fat. Leave some of the fat on for added flavor. Add diced meat into a large bowl.

STEP 2: Pour 1 cup of chile sauce over the meat. Leave the rest to serve on the side with tortilla chips. Add Shawarma seasoning, salt, dried oregano, and ¼ cup pineapple juice (optional). Mix until the meat is covered with the marinade then transfer the mixture into a large ziplock bag. Refrigerate for at least a few hours.

How to Cook Adobada

STEP 1: Heat a cast-iron skillet for a few minutes until very hot. Sear marinated pork, working in batches; do not overcrowd. Sauté for a few minutes or until the meat has a nice crispy exterior and is cooked through.

Serving Suggestions

Char corn tortillas over a gas flame or in a hot cast-iron skillet or comal. Fill with Adobada, cheese, diced onions, and any of the following:

• sliced avocados
• diced cilantro or Italian parsley
• chopped pineapple
• serrano peppers (if you're looking for additional heat)
• lime wedges
• sour cream or crema
• hot sauce

Side Dishes to Serve with Tacos de Adobada

If you need some ideas on what to serve with Adobada tacos, here are some suggestions:

• Mexican/Spanish Rice
• Spicy Mexican Pickled Carrots
• Pickled Red Cabbage
• Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
• Cheesy Chipotle Chorizo Beans
• Elote in a Cup/Mexican Street Corn
• Pineapple Chutney with Habaneros

Recipe Background History

Around 1923, an Assyrian man, (some sources say he was Lebanese), named Zacarías Galiana Antar, fled Iraq due to religious persecution and ended up in Puebla, Mexico.

Around 1930, Mr. Antar came up with a taco recipe that was inspired by how Shawarma was prepared back in his home country. Although lamb is preferred in Middle Eastern recipes, Mr. Antar used pork in his recipe because that's what the locals preferred to cook with.

He marinated the pork in chipotle peppers and lime juice and seasoned the meat with Middle Eastern spices similar to the way shawarma is prepared. He cooked the meat on a rotating vertical spit, similar to how Greek Gyros is prepared.

In Spanish, this method of cooking is called "Trompo," which translates to "spinning top." This is because the stacked meat resembles the shape of a top.

His Tacos were a big hit with the locals. Some sources say that he served them in Pita Bread instead of tortillas. The locals referred to them as Al Pastor tacos. Al Pastor translates to Shepherd-Style. These days they are also referred to as Arab Tacos.

Adobada Tacos are a spinoff from Mr. Antar's Al Pastor tacos. Instead of using a spit to cook the pork, Adobada meat is cooked in a pan or grill. I mean, really, who has a spit in their house?

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What Chiles Should You Use in Adobada Sauce?

My red chile sauce recipe calls for a variety of dried chiles. Some are mild while others are very hot. This results in a pretty spicy sauce that our family loves. Some, however, might find it too spicy.

For a milder sauce, consider using mild dried chiles like New Mexico or Ancho chiles. Below is a list based on the Scoville heat scale, or SHU or Scoville Heat Unit.

• California or New Mexico Chiles, Anaheim, (500-2500) Mild
• Ancho Chiles, dried poblanos, (1,000-2000) Mild
• Pasilla or Chile Negro (1000-2000) Mild to Medium
• Guajillo (2,500-5,000) Medium Heat
• Chipotle Peppers, smoked jalapeños, (2,500-8,000) Medium to Hot
• Arbol, similar to cayenne (15,000-30,000) Hot

You can find dried chiles at most grocery stores, ethnic markets, or on Amazon (sponsored link).

Note: SHU measures the concentration of capsaicin in one cup of mashed pepper, and how many cups of sugar water are required to dilute it. For a more detailed explanation of how this works, Check out this informative post.

• Nutrition info is based on 1 corn tortilla with Adobada meat only.
• Dicing meat is easier to do if the meat is semi-frozen.
• Orange juice can be substituted for pineapple juice.
• Try the tacos with pita bread instead of tortillas and see which way you prefer.
• Cheese options include feta cheese, queso fresco, and shredded cheddar cheese.
• Dice the pineapple, avocado, onion, and parsley to make a fruit salsa that can be served on the side. Make sure to add crushed garlic, and lime juice, and season it with a pinch of salt.

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