Chicken Al Pastor
Recipe information
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Cooking:
-
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Servings per container:
10
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Source:

Ingredients for - Chicken Al Pastor

1. Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded - 4
2. Achiote paste - 2 tablespoons
3. Garlic, peeled - 6 large cloves
4. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, drained - 1 (7 ounce) can
5. Finely chopped onion, divided - 1 ⅓ cups
6. Orange juice - ⅔ cup
7. Apple cider vinegar - 3 tablespoons
8. Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
9. Ground cumin - 1 tablespoon
10. Light brown sugar - 1 tablespoon
11. Kosher salt - 1 teaspoon
12. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half - 3 pounds
13. 8 (12-inch) jumbo wooden skewers - 3 pounds
14. Fresh pineapple - peeled, cored, and sliced - 1 large
15. Corn tortillas - 20 (6 inch)
16. Roughly chopped fresh cilantro - ¼ cup

How to cook deliciously - Chicken Al Pastor

1. Stage

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add dried chiles; cook, turning occasionally, until toasted and blistered in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water to just cover the chiles, and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

2. Stage

Combine chiles, achiote, garlic, chipotles, 2/3 cup onion, orange juice, vinegar, oil, cumin, brown sugar, and salt in a blender; process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

3. Stage

Place remaining marinade in a shallow dish or large resealable plastic bag, add chicken; toss to evenly coat. Cover chicken with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

4. Stage

Place wooden skewers in a shallow dish; cover with water by 1 inch. Let stand at room temperature while chicken marinates. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

5. Stage

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Position oven rack 8 inches away from heating element. Line a small roasting pan or 13- x 9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil.

6. Stage

Thread 1 pineapple slice onto 2 skewers, being sure to pierce through the center core, (skewers will be about 1 inch apart), leaving a 1 1/2-inch space from end of skewer. Thread 5 to 6 pieces of marinated chicken, stacking on top of pineapple; thread 1 pineapple slice. Repeat process, ending with pineapple slice, until all chicken pieces and pineapple slices are used, making 4 stacks total. Brush with any remaining marinade from chicken. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

7. Stage

Place stacked skewers in the prepared pan, resting skewer ends on edge of pan so that the chicken doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

8. Stage

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Flip skewers over, brush with reserved 1/2 cup marinade. Bake until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (71 degrees C). Increase oven temperature to broil; broil until browned and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip, and broil until browned and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

9. Stage

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Working two at a time, add tortillas; cook, turning once, until heated and browning in some spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

10. Stage

Remove chicken and pineapple from skewers, place on cutting board, roughly chop. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

11. Stage

Divide chicken and pineapple between heated tortillas; top with remaining onion and cilantro. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios