https://playswellwithbutter.com/chicken-al-pastor/

• Author: Jess Larson
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Wait Time (marinading): 6 hours - 3 days
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: Tacos, Burritos & Enchiladas Recipes, Main Dishes
• Method: Sheet Pan, Baked
• Cuisine: Mexican & Tex-Mex
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Main Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• al pastor marinade, below
• 2 cups finely diced pineapple

for the al pastor marinade:

• 3 cloves garlic
• 2–3 chipotle peppers, from a can packed in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey, or agave)
• 1 tablespoon achiote paste (see Ingredient Sourcing/Achiote Paste, recipe, substitute)
• 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder (see Ingredient Sourcing/Ancho Chili Powder)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

for serving, as desired:

• charred corn tortillas,
• cilantro lime rice,
• black beans,
• Mexican crema or cashew crema,
• pickled red onions,
• freshly chopped cilantro,
• queso fresco or cheese of choice,
• salsa of choice,
• lime wedges,
• etc.

Instructions

1. Prep the al pastor marinade & marinate the chicken: Add all listed marinade ingredients to a blender. Blend until combined. Add the chicken thighs & thinly sliced yellow onion to a large bowl. Pour the al pastor marinade over top & toss to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.
   

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, arranging the oven racks such that one is in the center of the oven & one is 6-8 inches under the broil. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean up, as desired, and set aside.

3. Bake the chicken: Transfer the marinated chicken & onions to the prepared baking sheet, draining & any excess marinade. Add the diced pineapple to the baking sheet. Toss to combine with the chicken & onions, spooning a little extra al pastor marinade into the mix as necessary to coat the pineapple with the sauce. Bake on the center rack for 15 minutes. The chicken should be nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven to chop, and meanwhile preheat the broiler.
   

4. Dice the chicken al pastor: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board & carefully chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped chicken pastor back on the baking sheet.

5. Broil for crispy chicken al pastor_:_ Place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil 4-5 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the al pastor chicken are browned & slightly crisp.
   

6. Serve: Place the crispy chicken pastor in tortillas for tacos or a bowl with rice & beans for burrito bowls, finishing with your favorite taco night toppings of choice: sour cream/Mexican crema, pickled red onions, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!
   

3X Ingredients Version

main ingredients:_

• 4 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
• 1 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• al pastor marinade, below
• 6 cup finely diced pineapple

for the al pastor marinade:

• 9 cloves garlic
• 6–9 chipotle peppers, from a can packed in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 6 tablespoon brown sugar (or honey, or agave)
• 3 tablespoon achiote paste (see Ingredient Sourcing/Achiote Paste, recipe, substitute)
• 3 tablespoon ancho chili powder (see Ingredient Sourcing/Ancho Chili Powder)
• 3 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

for serving, as desired:

• charred corn tortillas,
• cilantro lime rice,
• black beans,
• Mexican crema or cashew crema,
• pickled red onions,
• freshly chopped cilantro,
• queso fresco or cheese of choice,
• salsa of choice,
• lime wedges, etc.

Appendix

Achiote Paste Recipe

from: https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-achiote-paste-2342971

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup annatto seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup bitter orange juice (or 1/4 cup orange juice plus 1/4 cup Mexican lime juice or 1/3 cup white vinegar)

Instructions

1. Grind the annatto, coriander seeds, oregano, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle.
2. Place the ground spices with the salt, garlic, and bitter orange juice in a blender and process until it is smooth.
3. Store in an airtight container

Achiote Paste Substitute

from: https://carlsbadcravings.com/al-pastor/
This will NOT provide the deep red color that's signature of al pastor, but it will provide roughly the same earthy, fruity flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves

Instructions

• Add these seasonings in ADDITION to the ones listed in the recipe if you are not using achiote paste.

Alternative Marinade Recipe

From https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-tacos-al-pastor-recipe

adobo rojo de chiles sauce:

• 30g chile cascabel, destemmed and seeded
• 12g chile ancho, destemmed and seeded
• 9g chile guajillo, destemmed and seeded
• 9g chile pasilla, destemmed and seeded
• 1g chile de árbol, destemmed and seeded
• 450g roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 70g white onion, roughly chopped
• 12g garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3g achiote paste
• 12g freshly squeezed orange juice
• 36g grapeseed oil
• Pinch of cumin
• Pinch of oregano
• 18g sea salt, plus more for seasoning

Instructions

1. Make the adobo rojo de chiles sauce. If possible, turn on the exhaust fan above your stove or open a window before toasting your chiles.
2. Heat a large nonstick pan or clay comal over medium-high heat. Cook the chiles in the dry pan or on the dry comal, flipping once, until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Put the toasted chiles in a blender. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
4. Place the achiote paste in a small bowl. Slice the orange in half and squeeze one half into the achiote paste. Stir to combine. Add the mixture to the blender, along with the juice from the other half of the orange.
5. Add the grapeseed oil, cumin, and oregano. Blend on high until the sauce is thick but smooth, about 1 minute.
6. Add salt to taste.

Ingredient Sourcing

Achiote Paste

achiote paste is made from

• *annatto seeds
• oregano
• cumin
• cloves
• cinnamon
• black pepper
• garlic
• salt.

Mexican Grocers in the Seattle Area

• La Esperanza Mercado y Carniceria (in North Beacon Hill)
  2500 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
  
• La Superior - Redmond Mart (in Redmond)
  17026 Avondale Way, Redmond, WA 98052
  

Common Brands

It's a cheap, mass produced product. However, in the United States it's found almost exclusively in Mexican Grocery stores.

• El Yucateco Achiote Annatto
  

• El Mexicano Achiote Rojo
  

• Sazón with Coriander & Annatto can be used as a fair substitute. It's more coriander and less annatto.
  

Ancho Chili Powder

Ancho is the term for dried Poblano peppers.

Poblano:

Ancho:

Ancho Chile's can be turned into a powder ingredient by de-stemming, de-seeding, then cutting into pieces, and grinding via an electric (coffee) grinder or small food processor.
from: https://www.culinaryhill.com/homemade-ancho-chile-powder/

Common Brands

One can find whole peppers at Mexican, Asian (Thai, Japanese, Korean) grocers, and sometimes at a regular U.S. grocery.

Whole Ancho Chile

• Ole Rico Dried Ancho Chiles
  

• QFC carries Los Chileros Chile Ancho Whole
  

Ancho Chile Powder

• QFC carriesSimple Truth Ancho Chile Powder