Description
Chicken al Pastor brings zesty Mexican street flavors straight to your kitchen table with tender marinated meat and tangy pineapple. Spice up your dinner routine with this classic taco filling that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half
Flavor Base:
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste
- 6 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 (7 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, drained
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Liquid and Aromatics:
- 1 ⅓ cups finely chopped onion, divided
- ⅔ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large fresh pineapple peeled, cored, and sliced
- 20 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 8 (12-inch) jumbo wooden skewers
Instructions
- Toast 4 dried guajillo chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, creating a smoky aroma without burning.
- Combine toasted chiles with 2 tablespoons achiote paste, 6 peeled garlic cloves, 1 can drained chipotle peppers, 1 cup chopped onion, ⅔ cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender. Pulse until achieving a smooth, vibrant red marinade.
- Pour marinade over 3 pounds chicken thighs cut in half. Massage marinade thoroughly into meat, ensuring complete coverage. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, allowing flavors to penetrate deeply.
- Soak 8 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning during grilling.
- Preheat grill to 400°F with two heat zones: direct and indirect.
- Alternate threading marinated chicken and fresh pineapple slices onto prepared skewers, leaving small spaces between pieces.
- Grill skewers over direct heat for 5-6 minutes per side, rotating to achieve beautiful char marks and internal chicken temperature of 165°F.
- Transfer grilled skewers to a platter. Let rest for 5 minutes to redistribute juices.
- Warm corn tortillas on grill for 15-20 seconds per side.
- Slice chicken and pineapple off skewers directly onto tortillas. Garnish with remaining ⅓ cup chopped onion and ¼ cup fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Always soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before grilling to prevent burning and potential flare-ups.
- Slice chicken thin and evenly to ensure consistent marination and faster, more uniform cooking on the grill.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular vinegar for apple cider vinegar and double-check achiote paste ingredients.
- Fresh pineapple adds authentic flavor, but canned works perfectly fine if fresh isn’t available, so don’t stress about getting exotic ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 335 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg