How to make Chicken Al Pastor

Al Pastor (meaning “shepherd style” in Spanish) is a popular pork dish in Central America in which pork is marinated in pineapple, chilies, achiote paste, cumin, and oregano, then stacked and vertically roasted on a slowly turning spit with a pineapple on top, which bathes the pork with its juices.
 
The outside edges of the pork become beautifully crisp and caramelized while the inside remains splendidly juicy. The Al Pastor is sliced off the spit into thin slices, accompanied by chunks of pineapple. 

Instead of making this Al Pastor recipe with pork — which is the traditional choice — we’ll be using more accessible, boneless skinless chicken thighs instead!  It creates deliciously juicy chicken with that coveted char.  If you would like to use pork, see this traditional recipe.  

Al Pastor is traditionally made of pork (but in this recipe we’re using chicken) marinated in an adobo sauce made of a mélange of chiles and spices, such as guajillo chili peppers, chipotle peppers, pineapple juice, orange juice, onions, garlic, cumin and oregano. And don’t forget the crowning pineapple that drips over the meat as it rotates on the spit.   

 Al Pastor is a ridiculously flavorful, earthy, tangy-sweet, spicy, smoky Mexican staple.  The meat is rich, succulent, vibrant red-orange, with an enticing complexity of flavor.  It’s smoky, slightly fruity, slightly spicy from the chili peppers, sweet and tangy from the pineapple, earthy, peppery, ever-so-slightly bitter from the signature achiote with subtle nuances of cumin and oregano.

The concept for Al Pastor was brought to Central Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the early 1900s. These immigrants cooked their thin slices of meat, stacked in a cone-like shape on a vertical spit-grill, known as shawarma, much like Greek gyros. As the rotisserie rotates, the outside cooks and thin pieces are continually shaved off.
 
The “pastor” in Al Pastor refers to the Lebanese merchants who brought the concept of shawarma with them. The citizens of Mexico developed their own guajillo chili marinade and applied it to pork instead of lamb or other meats.

Al Pastor is traditionally spit-roasted pork, but for this recipe, we are going to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The chicken is threaded onto skewers, then thinly sliced off the skewers, resulting in a tantalizing charred exterior while the inside remains splendidly juicy and flavorful. Use the chicken in tacos, bowls, salad, etc.  No matter how you serve it, you will love this new Mexican favorite.

Al Pastor and Tacos Al Pastor are almost interchangeable terms.  Tacos Al Pastor traditionally begin with a corn tortilla and are piled with charred, thin shavings of marinated, roasted pork or chicken, pineapple, pico de gallo, cilantro, and lime juice.  Other optional toppings include guacamole (highly recommend) salsa verde, salsa, sour cream, or chipotle sauce. 

I highly recommend warming your tortillas for the best Tacos Al Pastor. Warm tortillas are softer, more flavorful, and less likely to crack — especially lower-quality corn tortillas.

Warm in seconds using any of these methods, then keep stacked and covered with a damp paper towel or in a tortilla warmer to stay soft and pliable.

•Open Flame (gas stove or grill): Place directly over the flame and flip with tongs until lightly charred. Don’t over-char or they’ll become brittle.
•Skillet: Heat a dry skillet over medium-high. Warm each side about 20 seconds until soft (no char needed).
•Microwave: Stack 5–7 tortillas, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 20 seconds, then add 10-second bursts as needed.
•Oven: Wrap stacks of 5 in foil and bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes until heated through.