Vegan al Pastor Tacos

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated October 29, 2025

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Ready In
35 min
Rating
5(53)
Comments
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Inspired by tacos al pastor, this peppy vegan version gives a firm nod to the smoky, savory and sweet flavors of the famed Mexican street food. The shortcut adobo (marinade) forgoes dried Mexican chiles and instead uses canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus fresh pineapple and additional spices. While the addition of soy sauce may be unconventional in al pastor, tempeh has a mild flavor that appreciates aggressive seasoning and the extra injection of umami. Pineapple, a signature ingredient of al pastor, is used two ways, adding sweetness to both the marinade and the bold salsa topping.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

 For the Marinade

  • 2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (to your liking)

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  • 2 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into ½-inch chunks (about ⅓ cup)

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

For the Tacos

  • 2 (8-ounce) blocks tempeh, crumbled

  • Salt and pepper

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed 

  • 8 to 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

  • 1 lime, cut into quarters 

For the Pineapple and Jalapeño Salsa

  • 6 ounces fresh pineapple, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

  • ½ to 1 jalapeño (to your liking), finely chopped

  • ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • Juice of ½ to 1 lime, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

51 grams carbs; 561 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 31 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1016 milligrams sodium; 29 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Make the marinade

    1. Step 1

      Place the chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, cumin, paprika, garlic, pineapple, olive oil and soy sauce in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth. 

  2. Prepare the tacos

    1. Step 2

      Transfer the marinade to a large bowl and add the tempeh; season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

    2. Step 3

      Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. When hot, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the tempeh mixture and flatten into a single layer, so as much of the tempeh is in contact with the hot surface of the pan as possible. Leave to cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss the tempeh and cook undisturbed again for another 2 minutes. Repeat this one more time, until the tempeh is nicely charred in most parts. If at any time, the tempeh seems dry, add some more olive oil.  When it is ready, taste again to make sure you are happy with the seasoning, adding more salt, if needed.

  3. Meanwhile, make the salsa

    1. Step 4

      In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. 

    2. Step 5

      To serve, top each tortilla with the tempeh and some salsa, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
53 user ratings
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Comments

Shansen

My can of chipotle chilis in adobo contains chicken stock. Check the label when you purchase if you are vegan/vegetarian.

Lisa M

I'm thinking of using Trader Joe's Beef-less Beef instead of tempeh. If I do, I'll post here with results.

Chaz.

@Pat McAuley I think you are referring to fish sauce, which is from aged anchovies. As far as I know, soy sauce is vegan, but it does usually contain some alcohol and sometimes wheat.

Braylee

I did this with soy curls instead and it was amazing!!! 4 Oz dry

Erin

Loved this! MORE TEMPEH RECIPES PLEEEEEASE!!! I have a 7 year old and don’t live super spicy stuff myself, so I only used two chipotles and I scraped out the ribs and seeds, and I also used some pickled jalapeno instead of fresh in the salsa. Served it with a side of roasted new potatoes, poblano and red onion (because I had them all on hand).

Lydia

Can you make it with tofu instead of tempeh???

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