Taco Al Pastor-Style Pork Chili Recipe

When we think of chili, we tend to think of crumbled beef, kidney beans, and lots of diced tomatoes. Unlike a soup, chili is thick, with more meat and beans than broth. And while chili is technically a stew, it falls into its own category, typically made up of diced vegetables and beans rather than large chunks of meat and potato. If you are partial to white chicken chilis with long shreds of flavorful chicken and creamy broth, then this pork chili is perfect for you. 

Unlike ground beef and turkey varieties, this chili features juicy pulled pork and a thick and creamy broth made with guajillo chiles and masa. It's not your typical chili, and we consider that a good thing. The best part? It has all the flavor of a taco al pastor, cooked in bright pineapple juice, flavorful Sazón, and smoky guajillo chiles. This recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn is easy to put together and brings something different to your collection of winter chilis — or taco night, depending on how you look at it.

You'll need a pork shoulder to start. A smaller 3-pound roast will be enough for 4 large servings. To season the pork, you'll need salt, pepper, flour, and olive oil. The flour thickens the chili, but if you want to make this gluten-free, omit the flour and use more masa instead.

You'll also need guajillo chiles and beef broth to make the sauce, as well as garlic, cumin, oregano, and Sazón. For the chili, you'll need yellow onion, pinto beans, pineapple juice, and dried pineapple. To thicken the chili, look for masa harina or masarepa, which will thicken the chili and add a faint nutty flavor. To add the masa, you'll just need a little bit of water to make a thick slurry first.

Cover the guajillo chiles with broth in a saucepan.

Bring to a simmer and cook until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool while preparing the pork.

Coat the pork butt with salt, pepper, and flour until well coated.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Once hot, add the pork shoulder and sear until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side.

Add the chiles, broth, garlic, cumin, Sazón, and oregano to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the guajillo sauce over the pork shoulder in the slow cooker.

Add the diced onion, pineapple juice, pineapple pieces, and pinto beans.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Once cooked, shred the pork using two forks. Remove the dried pineapple.

Combine masa and water in a bowl.

Add the masa to the chili and stir until thickened. For thicker chili, add masa without water.

Allow to cool and thicken for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with diced onion, cilantro, tortilla strips, and pineapple.

Pastor-style pork chili is easy to make on the stovetop and is a good option if you have less time and don't mind running the stove for a few hours. Start the recipe as written, searing the pork in a Dutch oven instead of a skillet. Instead of transferring the pork to a slow cooker, keep the pork in the pot, scraping any browned bits from the bottom to avoid burning. Add the blended guajillo sauce, chili ingredients, and an extra cup of broth to the pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until pork is pull-apart tender, about 3 hours. 

You can also transfer the pot to the oven and cook at 325 F for 2 to 3 hours. For either method, check the pork often, adding more liquid if needed. Because stovetop heat is hotter than a slow cooker, the liquid evaporates and may need replenishing. To thicken the chili once cooked, continue with the recipe as written, adding the masa to thicken.

Typical chilis get their thickness from diced tomatoes and tomato paste, which thicken over the course of the cooking time. White chicken chilis, on the other hand, get their thickness from cream cheese and flour, which make the broth creamy. Because neither tomatoes nor cream cheese complement taco al pastor very well, we thicken this chili using masa. 

Masa is a flour made from nixtamalized corn and differs from cornmeal because it is more savory in flavor. Typically used to make tortillas, tamales, and tostadas, masa harina thickens with the addition of water and heat, making it a perfect ingredient for thickening chili. Masarepa works the same way and can be swapped in a pinch. If you don't have masa, you can try cornmeal, which will have a less nutty and savory flavor. You can also use cornstarch, but the chili will be more brothy. To use masa harina, masarepa, or cornstarch, dissolve it in water first to avoid clumping, then add the thickened slurry to the chili. Allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before adding more, as the masa thickens as it cools.