Trader Joe's Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder

Trader Joe's refrigerated meat section has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting for people who want dinner without actually wanting to make dinner.

And honestly, I respect that.

Trader Joe's Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder joins the lineup at $6.49 per pound, with most packages hovering around 1.5 pounds. It's already seasoned, already cut, and basically begging you to grab some tortillas and call it Taco Tuesday.

That's exactly what I did.

Unfortunately, while this made an incredibly easy taco dinner, the flavor didn't quite deliver what I wanted from something labeled al pastor.

It wasn't bad.

It just wasn't particularly memorable either.

Review

The first surprise happened when I opened the package.

Trader Joe's calls this Diced Pork Shoulder, but "diced" isn't quite how I would describe what came out of my package.

This pork is chopped extremely fine. We're approaching minced territory.

Looking through the package, I expected more distinct pieces of pork shoulder. Once it hit the pan and I started breaking everything apart, the texture became much more apparent.

Fortunately, I didn't dislike the texture.

It actually works pretty well inside a taco. The small pieces mean you get pork in every bite, and there's no struggling with a giant chunk of meat while half the contents of your taco fall onto your plate.

We've all been there. But if you're expecting larger, meatier pieces of pork based on the appearance through the packaging, you might be surprised.

When I think of a really good al pastor, I want layers of flavor.

There should be savory seasoning, some sweetness, and a smoky quality that makes you immediately want another taco.

Trader Joe's gets part of the way there.

The savory flavor is definitely present.

There's also a little sweetness in the background.

But the smoky element? That's where I felt like somebody forgot to finish the sentence.

I kept waiting for that deeper smoky flavor to show up and bring everything together.

It never really did. The result isn't unpleasant. It's seasoned pork, and seasoned pork inside a warm tortilla is rarely going to ruin my evening.

But this tastes more like decent pre-seasoned taco meat than something that made me think, "Now THAT'S al pastor."

And when the name on the package creates a certain flavor expectation, decent taco meat isn't quite enough.

Can You Air Fry Trader Joe's Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder?

Personally, I wouldn't make the air fryer my first choice.

Normally, I'm all for throwing Trader Joe's pre-marinated meats into the air fryer and letting it handle dinner.

But because this pork is chopped so finely, I think a skillet gives you much better control.

In the pan, I needed to stir and move the pork around frequently so all those tiny pieces cooked evenly.

With larger pieces of meat, an air fryer makes perfect sense because hot air can circulate around them.

With something approaching a minced texture, I'd be concerned about getting everything spread appropriately and cooked evenly without creating a mess.

Could it potentially work with the right air fryer setup? Probably.

Would I choose that over a skillet?

Nope.

This is one where I'd grab the frying pan.

Serving Suggestions

Tacos are the obvious answer, but you've got options.

• Tacos: Warm some corn or flour tortillas and add the pork with diced onion, cilantro, salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
• Add pineapple: Since I wanted more sweet and smoky contrast, some caramelized or grilled pineapple could help bring another dimension to the pork.
• Burrito bowls: Serve over rice with beans, corn, salsa, avocado, and your favorite toppings.
• Quesadillas: Add the cooked pork to a cheese quesadilla for an extremely easy dinner.
• Nachos: Scatter the cooked pork over tortilla chips with cheese, jalapeños, salsa, and sour cream.
• Breakfast: Leftovers could easily find their way into scrambled eggs or breakfast tacos the next morning.

Because the seasoning isn't especially aggressive, this pork is actually pretty versatile. That's simultaneously one of its strengths and one of its weaknesses.

FAQs about Trader Joe's Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder

The following are commonly asked questions about this product:

Final Thoughts

Trader Joe's Al Pastor Diced Pork Shoulder falls squarely into the category of not bad, not great. The convenience is absolutely there.

For around $10 per package, you can get a taco dinner on the table with almost no preparation. The finely chopped texture works surprisingly well inside tortillas, and the pork cooks quickly in a skillet.

But convenience can't completely make up for flavor. The savory notes were there. There was a little sweetness. But I kept waiting for the smoky depth that would bring everything together and make this taste like something more than seasoned pork.

It never arrived. If your priority is getting taco night onto the table as quickly as possible, I can see the appeal.

If you're looking for an al pastor that knocks it out of the park?

This isn't it. Not bad enough to leave behind with regret. Not good enough to become a regular purchase. For me, this one's sitting firmly in the middle of the Trader Joe's road.