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Chicken Al Pastor

Chicken Al Pastor is a delicious Mexican dish featuring marinated chicken cooked on skewers with pineapple. This recipe combines the flavors of guajillo chiles, achiote paste, and chipotle peppers for a spicy and tangy dish that’s perfect for grilling.

Ingredients

Scale

Marinade:

  • 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 ⅓ cups finely chopped onion, divided
  • ⅔ cup orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in half

Skewers:

  • 8 (12-inch) jumbo wooden skewers
  • 1 large fresh pineapple – peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 20 (6 inch) corn tortillas
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Marinade: Blend guajillo chiles, achiote paste, garlic, chipotle peppers, 1 cup onion, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, sugar, and salt in a blender until smooth.
  2. Marinate the Chicken: Combine marinade with chicken in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  3. Assemble Skewers: Thread marinated chicken and pineapple onto skewers.
  4. Grill: Grill skewers over medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
  5. Serve: Serve chicken al pastor on tortillas with remaining onion and cilantro.

Notes

  • This recipe can also be cooked in the oven or on a stovetop grill pan if grilling is not an option.
  • Adjust the amount of chipotle peppers to control the spiciness of the dish.

Nutrition

Keywords: Mexican recipe, grilled chicken, pineapple skewers