These fantastic Keto Pork Chops al Pastor are the perfect addition to your summer grilling menu! Richly flavored marinated pork chops are flame grilled and topped with an “al Pastor” butter that is loaded with fresh herbs, red onion, and a smidge of chopped pineapple for authenticity!
Before you start freaking out or hit send on that email informing me that pineapple “isn’t keto” and how dare I call this recipe keto friendly when there is fruit in it, please bear in mind that the small amount of pineapple in this recipe will contribute only a single gram of carbs per serving, aaaaand it’s totally worth it.
Despite what you may have heard, no list of “non-keto” foods will automatically kick you out of ketosis, unless you eat too much of them and go over your 20g net carb budget per day. And the flip side is, there are very few “free” keto foods either – even foods labelled “keto friendly” will derail you if you eat more than 20g net carbs per day. As long as you’re tracking and counting all of the carbs you’re eating, and you keep them under 20g net, you’ll do just fine unless you have some severe metabolic issues.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, read on about how amazing these Keto Pork Chops al Pastor are and I guarantee you’ll want to make them ASAP!
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First let me explain the recipe name, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the term “al Pastor.” When we were living in Belize there was a taco truck near our house and they had the most amazing Tacos al Pastor! Mexican in origin, the term “al Pastor” refers to a dish containing pork that has been marinated in a spicy paste of chilis, pineapple, onions, herbs, and lime juice among other things.
The meat is then grilled on a spit along with some pineapple and onion, then it’s shaved or chopped and served in a corn tortilla, usually with a squeeze of lime, and some chopped onion, pineapple, and cilantro for garnish. They are, UH-MAZING.
I wanted to make a low carb friendly version of the pork in the al pastor style that could be recreated at home, and I think this Keto Pork Chops al Pastor recipe is a scrumptious ode to the original!
My version starts with an easy spicy marinade on the pork chops that can be left on for just a couple of hours, or overnight to get the most intense flavor.
Then you grill (or pan fry if you don’t have a grill) your pork chops over direct heat. Be sure to get a nice sear on them, and don’t overcook them – you want your pork chops tender and juicy!
These Keto Pork Chops al Pastor are delicious and loaded with flavor even without the finishing butter…
BUT.
That “al Pastor” butter is really where the magic happens! It’s tangy and slightly sweet, with a punch of freshness from the cilantro and red onion – and it tastes incredible on not just these pork chops, but also chicken, fish, or shrimp!
Pretty much ERRY-THANG will taste amazing with this stuff on it. Make extra to keep some handy in the fridge, and my friends your summer BBQ game just got taken to the next level. Welcome to the big leagues.
That velvety cloak of butter melts into the chops, revealing little jewels of purple onion, fresh green cilantro, and bright yellow pineapple on top. It’s a feast for your taste buds, but also your eyes!
These Keto Pork Chops al Pastor are soooo easy to make, but have a gorgeous presentation that will absolutely wow your friends at your next summer party! Be prepared for all of your guests to oooh and ahhh and say things like “This is keto?” to which you can reply “I know, right? Sigh… Dieting is hard.”
If you’re planning on having some friends over this weekend to show off your mad grilling skills, these Keto Pork Chops al Pastor would go perfectly with my Easy Keto Broccoli Slaw, Keto Strawberry Jello Salad, and a butter-slathered Keto Cheesy Herb Muffin! 🙌
Keto Pork Chops al Pastor – Low Carb
Keto Pork Chops al Pastor – featuring rich and smoky grilled pork chops finished with a beautiful and delicious compound butter studded with pineapple, red onion, cilantro and lime zest!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the pork chops:
- 4 pork chops (about 6 ounces each)
- 2 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the butter:
- 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick), softened
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon granulated erythritol sweetener (optional)
Instructions
For the pork chops:
- Combine the chipotle peppers, cumin, cloves, oregano, salt, vinegar and oil in a small blender cup and blend until smooth.
- Coat the pork chops in the marinade.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the pork chops from the refrigerator 30 minutes before ready to grill.
- Prepare and preheat the grill to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grill the pork chops over direct heat for about 3 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145 degrees.
- Remove to a clean platter and top each pork chop with 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture.
- Serve warm.
For the butter:
- Combine all of the butter ingredients in a medium bowl and blend with a fork or spatula until fully mixed.
- Store leftover butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- If frozen, thaw for 30 minutes before using.
Notes
The recipe makes extra al pastor butter, store in the refrigerator or freezer as directed until ready to use.
Total Net Carbs per serving = 1g.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pork chop, 2 tbsp butter
- Calories: 495
- Fat: 47g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 25g
Keywords: pork, grilling, keto, atkins, low carb
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Absolutely delicious! Just the right amount of spice to not be overpowering but give nice flavour. I did have to do some subs in the butter topping because I’m allergic to pineapple. I used an equal amount of granny smith apple instead. Maybe not as juicy as pineapple would have been, but still delicious and worth every carb. Also subbed fresh parsley for the cilantro because it’s what I had on hand. Thanks for a new go-to for my recipe box.
★★★★★
Really delicious! Even my picky 5 year old liked the meat (she didn’t try the butter)! We will add this to our regular rotation!
★★★★★
Pineapple is a no-no on keto diet😩. May be ok for low carb but too much sugar for keto
These were sooo good! The butter is a must. I will be adding this to my weekly menu.
★★★★★
How do you measure the Chipotle peppers in adobo? When I have bought them they are canned whole peppers. Are you chopping them up and then measuring?
Can I bake instead of grilling?
★★★★★
Another excellent recipe that we will use again. **I had to double the chipotle marinade to help my blender but that was the only modification I had to make.
★★★★★
These look heavenly! I’m pinning it for later. Thanks!
My favorite recipe!
★★★★★
Looks so good!
Made this tonight…it was soooooo good!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
I can’t wait to try this, but what keto side dish would you recommend?
Looking for a new pork chop recipe…just found it. Can’t wait until tomorrow so I can try it.
Great recipe for a refreshing summer dinner! Everything fits together lovely!
this looks amazing! I love tacos al pastor, and can’t wait to add this to the rotation to get that craving fix in. thank you!
★★★★★
Every time I do a web search for a lowcarb/ketorecipe for a food I want, a IBIH one is always at the top of my search~
I cannot wait to try this recipe- looks phenomenal!
This is easy, delicious, and has been added to our weekly rotation!!
I love the cream cheese pancakes. These are a lifesaving alternative to eggs
https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/cream-cheese-pancakes/
Made this, and it was wonderful AND easy! Thank you! :)
★★★★★
don’t know why but the ad printed on the recipe when I printed. Only on the pork chop recipe…never happened before. Love your site and have tried plenty of your recipes and have a few of your cookbooks…keep up the good work!
Good to know! I’m glad I kept reading, the recipe looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it.
I am one of those people who cannot tolerate cilantro, tastes like soap. Is it essential to this recipe?
No you can switch in parsley instead Jo-Ann! Enjoy!
Oh Melissa! This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try making this! I have 2 questions though.
1)How can it be one carb when the pineapple alone works out to roughly 1 carb per serving? (Math is not my strong suit, so feel free to correct me!)
2)Is it possible to get canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a mild form? I can’t even handle a tip of a spoon without finding it too hot. :) I am trying to get my heat palette to learn to take hotter food, but it is a long, slow process.
Thank you for such wonderful recipes!
Pretty much all of that carb is from the pineapple and since there are 8 servings of butter it works out to less than one gram on the chops, but with the minute amounts of other carbs from onion and chipotle it was around 1.3 per serving so I rounded down to 1 since a lot of the marinade burns off on the grill anyway. If you want it less hot just use less of the chipotle in the marinade. It’s not super spicy overall, especially if you only marinate it for a couple of hours! Enjoy!