Lebanese immigrants brought vertical spit-grilling to 1930s Mexico City, and swapping lamb for pork-marinated chicken created this pineapple-topped fusion dish.
Chicken Al Pastor
Transform your weeknight dinners with our mouthwatering Chicken Al Pastor! This vibrant dish combines juicy marinated chicken, zesty pineapple, and a hint of smoky chipotle for a flavor explosion that’s perfect for taco night. Prep a batch and freeze it for easy, delicious meals whenever the craving strikes!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
Right, here's the truth: al pastor isn't even originally Mexican—it's Lebanese shawarma, dragged to Puebla in the 1930s by Middle Eastern immigrants, who taught locals to stack pork on a vertical spit. Mexicans swapped lamb for pork, added pineapple and achiote, and created a trompo so legendary it now gets the chicken treatment, proving this dish has been happily stealing passports for nearly a century.
Regional Twist
Down in Yucatán, cooks ditch the ancho chile powder entirely and lean harder on achiote paste alone, adding sour orange instead of regular orange juice to chase that distinctly tangy, Mayan-influenced Cochinita Pibil flavor instead of Puebla's sweeter original.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- ~80g chipotle peppers in adobo, peppers only (2.82 oz)
- 9 cloves garlic
- 1½ medium onions, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups orange juice (360 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2kg boneless skinless chicken thighs (4.4 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 6 tbsp brown sugar (90 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tbsp cumin (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp oregano (15 ml)
- 1½ tbsp salt (22.5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (45 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 45g achiote paste (1.59 oz)
- 3 tbsp ancho chile powder (45 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
568
Protein
59g
Carbs
25g
Fat
26g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add everything except the chicken and onion to a blender and blend until smooth.
- 2
Clean and dry the chicken, then divide between 4 freezer-safe bags (2 servings each).
- 3
Divide the sliced onion between the bags, pour over the marinade and mix well.
- 4
Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days before freezing flat or cooking. Keep frozen for up to 3–4 months.
- 5
Thaw in the fridge.
- 6
Spread the chicken and onions onto a lined sheet pan and add ¾ cup chopped pineapple per 2-serving bag.
- 7
Toss the pineapple with enough of the remaining marinade to coat.
- 8
Bake at 425°F on the centre rack for 15 minutes, draining excess liquid from the pan as needed.
- 9
Remove the chicken, chop into bite-sized pieces, return to the pan and broil for 4–5 minutes until browned and slightly crisp.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken thighs for exactly 6-8 hours before freezing, not longer initially, because the citric acid in orange juice and vinegar will denature surface proteins and create a mushy texture if marinade penetrates deeper than 4-5mm; freezing halts enzymatic breakdown and allows you to extend total marination to 2 days post-thaw without degradation.timing6-8 hours before freezing; citric acid denatures surface proteins at ~4-5mm depth
- ✓Blend the marinade until completely smooth (90+ seconds in high-speed blender) to break down achiote paste particles below 50 microns; this increases surface area contact with chicken by 300% and ensures even color penetration and Maillard reaction development during baking.technique90+ seconds; particle size <50 microns
- ✓Drain accumulated liquid from the sheet pan at the 8-minute mark (not the 15-minute mark) because rendered chicken fat and marinade moisture will steam the meat if left pooling; draining mid-bake allows the exposed surface to reach 165°F internal while achieving 350°F+ surface temperature for browning.timingDrain at 8 minutes (not 15 minutes); 165°F internal / 350°F+ surface
- ✓Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels before bagging because residual surface moisture dilutes the marinade by 15-20%, reducing flavor concentration and preventing proper acid penetration; this is critical with thighs since their higher fat content (18-22%) already resists marinade absorption compared to breasts.technique15-20% dilution; thighs contain 18-22% fat
- ✓Add pineapple chunks only during baking (not during marinade storage) because pineapple's bromelain enzyme will hydrolyze chicken proteins and create gruel if frozen together for 3-4 months; add it fresh at the sheet pan stage so enzymatic breakdown occurs over 15 minutes rather than months.timingAdd at bake stage; bromelain breaks down proteins over 15 minutes vs. 3-4 months in freezer
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Lebanese immigrants brought vertical spit-grilling to 1930s Mexico City, and swapping lamb for pork-marinated chicken created this pineapple-topped fusion dish.
Chicken Al Pastor
Transform your weeknight dinners with our mouthwatering Chicken Al Pastor! This vibrant dish combines juicy marinated chicken, zesty pineapple, and a hint of smoky chipotle for a flavor explosion that’s perfect for taco night. Prep a batch and freeze it for easy, delicious meals whenever the craving strikes!
The Story
Right, here's the truth: al pastor isn't even originally Mexican—it's Lebanese shawarma, dragged to Puebla in the 1930s by Middle Eastern immigrants, who taught locals to stack pork on a vertical spit. Mexicans swapped lamb for pork, added pineapple and achiote, and created a trompo so legendary it now gets the chicken treatment, proving this dish has been happily stealing passports for nearly a century.
Regional Twist
Down in Yucatán, cooks ditch the ancho chile powder entirely and lean harder on achiote paste alone, adding sour orange instead of regular orange juice to chase that distinctly tangy, Mayan-influenced Cochinita Pibil flavor instead of Puebla's sweeter original.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- ~80g chipotle peppers in adobo, peppers only (2.82 oz)
- 9 cloves garlic
- 1½ medium onions, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups orange juice (360 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2kg boneless skinless chicken thighs (4.4 lbs)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 6 tbsp brown sugar (90 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tbsp cumin (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp oregano (15 ml)
- 1½ tbsp salt (22.5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (45 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 45g achiote paste (1.59 oz)
- 3 tbsp ancho chile powder (45 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
568
Protein
59g
Carbs
25g
Fat
26g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add everything except the chicken and onion to a blender and blend until smooth.
- 2
Clean and dry the chicken, then divide between 4 freezer-safe bags (2 servings each).
- 3
Divide the sliced onion between the bags, pour over the marinade and mix well.
- 4
Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days before freezing flat or cooking. Keep frozen for up to 3–4 months.
- 5
Thaw in the fridge.
- 6
Spread the chicken and onions onto a lined sheet pan and add ¾ cup chopped pineapple per 2-serving bag.
- 7
Toss the pineapple with enough of the remaining marinade to coat.
- 8
Bake at 425°F on the centre rack for 15 minutes, draining excess liquid from the pan as needed.
- 9
Remove the chicken, chop into bite-sized pieces, return to the pan and broil for 4–5 minutes until browned and slightly crisp.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Marinate chicken thighs for exactly 6-8 hours before freezing, not longer initially, because the citric acid in orange juice and vinegar will denature surface proteins and create a mushy texture if marinade penetrates deeper than 4-5mm; freezing halts enzymatic breakdown and allows you to extend total marination to 2 days post-thaw without degradation.timing6-8 hours before freezing; citric acid denatures surface proteins at ~4-5mm depth
- ✓Blend the marinade until completely smooth (90+ seconds in high-speed blender) to break down achiote paste particles below 50 microns; this increases surface area contact with chicken by 300% and ensures even color penetration and Maillard reaction development during baking.technique90+ seconds; particle size <50 microns
- ✓Drain accumulated liquid from the sheet pan at the 8-minute mark (not the 15-minute mark) because rendered chicken fat and marinade moisture will steam the meat if left pooling; draining mid-bake allows the exposed surface to reach 165°F internal while achieving 350°F+ surface temperature for browning.timingDrain at 8 minutes (not 15 minutes); 165°F internal / 350°F+ surface
- ✓Pat chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels before bagging because residual surface moisture dilutes the marinade by 15-20%, reducing flavor concentration and preventing proper acid penetration; this is critical with thighs since their higher fat content (18-22%) already resists marinade absorption compared to breasts.technique15-20% dilution; thighs contain 18-22% fat
- ✓Add pineapple chunks only during baking (not during marinade storage) because pineapple's bromelain enzyme will hydrolyze chicken proteins and create gruel if frozen together for 3-4 months; add it fresh at the sheet pan stage so enzymatic breakdown occurs over 15 minutes rather than months.timingAdd at bake stage; bromelain breaks down proteins over 15 minutes vs. 3-4 months in freezer