Mexican Name Finder
AntojitoSpanishMexico City

Tacos al pastor

"shepherd-style tacos"

Say it

TAHΒ·kos al pasΒ·TOR

Where it comes from

Spanish taco + al pastor (in the shepherd's manner)

What Tacos al pastor means

Tacos al pastor is a Mexican antojito name of Spanish origin meaning "shepherd-style tacos". It comes from Spanish taco + al pastor (in the shepherd's manner). It is pronounced TAH-kos al pas-TOR, and it is most associated with Mexico City.

The vertical spit arrived with Lebanese immigrants in Puebla. Al pastor points to spit-roasted lamb, the shepherd's meat, even though the meat is now pork.

This is a site about what Mexican words mean, so there is no recipe here. For the name itself: Antojito means "little craving". These are the masa-based street foods named for their shape more often than their filling: a sope is a small mound, a huarache is a sandal, a gordita is a fat little one, a tlacoyo is an oval patty.

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Tacos al pastor means shepherd-style tacos

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