Best Easy Al Pastor Chicken Tacos Recipes

CHICKEN AL PASTOR

Chicken al Pastor image

Sheet Pan Chicken al Pastor! Made with an earthy, citrusy & sweet al pastor marinade & baked on a sheet pan with pineapple until completely juicy & tender. Finish under the broiler for a craveable crisp & caramelly finish. Great for chicken al pastor tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, & more. Easy, fast, flavorful & versatile!

Provided by Jess Larson

Categories Tacos

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 15

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 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.
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 Recipe Notes)
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps:

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 189 calories, Sugar 17.8 g, Sodium 725.4 mg, Fat 3.5 g, SaturatedFat 0.8 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 25.7 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 13 g, Cholesterol 53.2 mg

TACOS AL PASTOR

Tacos Al Pastor image

Do you love enjoying Tacos Al Pastor in your favorite Mexican Restaurant? Imagine serving same fire-pit style juicy charred Chicken Al Pastor tacos at home, made from scratch with lots of pineapples and chilies. Only 15 minutes prep and easy to find ingredients. I'm certain, this easy recipe will make your next taco night extra special! This recipe is also summer approved because I'm sharing instructions (and tips) to grill chicken al pastor outdoor. (Oven roasted version is bonus for weeknights. Check directions for both)Traditional Al Pastor, or Tacos Al Pastor, is prepared Greek Shawarma-style or Dönar Kabob style on an iron rod which revolves around fire-pit to roast the meat as it rotates. Resulting meat is juicy, and has smokey fire-roast flavor. Meat ( chicken or pork) is layered with rings of pineapple. Pineapple grills with meat, juice of grilling pineapple add sweetness to roasting meat. Overall, a lot of deliciousness goes into this humble shepherd-style chicken roast famous by name Al Pastor.One thing to note is there is no Al Pastor without Pineapple. Every time I have had Al Pastor Tacos, pineapple is the star flavor. So, please don't skimp or skip pineapple from this recipe.How to make Tacos Al Pastor At Home:My goal was to share Al Pastor recipe which highlights Al Pastor fire-roast flavor, pineapple flavor but is easily prepared at home.Al Pastor Marinade:First step to delicious Al Pastor Tacos is Al Pastor marinade. The base marinade ingredients are garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, and oregano. Two key ingredients which make this marinade special are: Guajillo Chilies and Pineapple. I toast and soak dried chilies in hot water. When chilies are soft, I puree these with pineapple, pineapple juice, garlic, lemon juice, oil, tomato paste, oregano and cilantro. The resulting marinade has bright citrus and pineapple forward flavor with very subtle heat of chilies. It tastes so good, I even use it as enchilada sauce.Cooked vs Fresh Pineapple: One of the key ingredient in Al Pastor marinade is pineapple. I have tried this recipe with both fresh and canned pineapple. My vote goes to canned pineapple packed in pineapple juice. I like it because it gave me consistent flavor of pineapple every time I tried. (I use both juice and pineapple in marinade.)I would only use fresh pineapple if and only pineapple is fully ripe and juicy. When using fresh, I recommend juicing few slices of pineapple or bring a can of pineapple juice to add punch of flavor in the marinade.Note: Even though it is a chilies based marinade, it is not very high in heat.Cooking Al Pastor:To get that charred, fire-roasted Al Pastor flavor at home, grill or oven broiler is the way to go. This is why I love grilling Al Pastor like Greek Kabobs skewed on iron skewers. The open flame caramelize the sweetness of pineapple in marinade bringing close-to-original flavor in homemade easy el Pastor tacos recipe.For juicy caramelized chicken kabobs, I brush chicken with more pineapple juice while grilling. This also mimics the fire-pit flavor of roasted pineapple dripping on chicken.You can also skew additional pieces of pineapple along with chicken for more grille pineapple flavor. I love keeping meat-only skewers so that I can grill'em perfectly without worrying for fruit over-grilled or falling apart.Tip: Cook pineapple separately on grill for serving or making salsa.Serving Suggestion: You can also serve Al Pastor like a Mexican Platter with side of pineapple, salsa verde, and soft tortillas to make-your-own tacos for Tacos Tuesday or Sunday Grilled Dinner.Al Pastor Tacos:No wonder Tacos Al Pastor is second name for Al Pastor because THE best way to enjoy charred, juicy, sweet and spicy Al Pastor meat is to wrap it in soft tortillas with some zesty salsa, more pineapple and red onion. These simple ingredients bring out the flavor of gajjillo chili marinade, pineapple and make a delicious taco experience.My favorite Al Pastor Tacos Toppings:1. A zesty, citrus-y salsa such as Salsa Verde2. Grilled or fresh pineapple, or lime-pineapple salsa. 3. Red Onion4. Pickled Radish5. Sour Cream6. Lime wedges for extra splashSimple, isn't it? Idea is to let Al Pastor meat shine on tacos. I can tell you, that is the key to serving good, delicious Tacos Al Pastor! I hope you will enjoy'em as much as we do.From my grill to yours, another Mexican favorite, The Tacos Al Pastor recipe. (check!)Have a wonderful day! - Savita

Provided by Savita

Categories Main Course

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 lbs Chicken, breast, diced into cubes for 6 skewers
8 Oz Pineapple, sliced pineapple, packed in pineapple juice
3 Guajillo Chili, Or 2 Guajillo and 1 Ancho Chili
4-5 Garlic, cloves
2-3 Lemon, 1/4 cup juice and tsp zest
2 tbsp Cilantro, more for serving
1 tsp Oregano
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Bouillon Cube
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt, adjust to taste
Salsa, salsa verde, recipe in notes
Tortillas
Red Onion
Sour Cream
2-3 Lime, or lemon, sliced to wedges
Radish, red radish, pickled, **recipe in notes (optional)

Steps:

Boil 2 cup water . While water boils, heat a skillet. Cut open the chilies and toast on dry skillet for 1-2 minute to awaken the flavors. Add chilies to hot water and leave aside for 20 minutes or until skin softens.
In blender jar, add chilies and 1/4 cup of soaking liquid (discard rest of soaking liquid). Add rest of al pastor marinade ingredients with 2 slice of pineapple and 1/4 cup pineapple juice. Blend to make puree. Taste and adjust salt.
Add marinade with chicken into a container with tight lid. Coat chicken in marinade. Cover with lid. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes (max overnight). When ready to grill, skew chicken on metal skewers. Discard leftover marinade.
When ready to grill, skew chicken on metal skewers. Discard leftover marinade.
Oven - Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Bake at 10-12 minutes or until done and slightly charred at edges. Grill - Preheat grill at medium (375-400). Spray with oil and grill for 10-12 minutes. Baste with reserved pineapple juice 1-2 times in last 4-5 minutes.
Serve on tacos topped with *salsa verde, more chopped pineapple, red onion, **pickled red radish, and drizzle of sour cream. Enjoy!

OVEN-ROASTED CHICKEN AL PASTOR TACOS

Oven-Roasted Chicken al Pastor Tacos image

Provided by Eddie Jackson

Time 4h45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 31

Ingredients

Juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground oregano
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 chipotle chiles in adobo
1 small red onion, chopped
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for drizzling
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
1 ripe pineapple
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt
6 slices pickled jalapenos, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
10 hard taco shells
Diced avocado, for serving
Crumbled queso fresco, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving
Pickled jalapeno slices, for serving
Thinly sliced radishes, for serving
Fire-roasted corn, for serving
Pico de gallo, for serving
Lime juice, for finishing

Steps:

For the chicken al pastor: Put the orange juice, vinegar, chile powder, honey, cumin, oregano, garlic, chipotles, onion and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender. Pulse several times until chunky. Add the oil and pulse to make a smooth marinade. Pour the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag and add the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
Remove all but the bottom oven rack and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the top off the pineapple and reserve. Cut off the peel from the pineapple. Cut a 1-inch slice off the top of the peeled pineapple, chop and reserve for garnish. Slice the remaining pineapple in half. Put the bottom of the pineapple on a rimmed baking sheet and insert a long skewer, pointy side up.
Drain the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Season with salt and drizzle with a little vegetable oil.
Thread the chicken on top of the pineapple, then top with the top half of the pineapple. Transfer to the bottom oven rack and roast until the chicken is tender and caramelized on the edges and the internal temperature measures 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes.
For the spicy cabbage slaw: While the chicken roasts, make the slaw. Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, honey and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Stir in the jalapenos and brine. Whisk in the oil in a slow stream to make a smooth dressing. Add the cabbage, cilantro and red onion and toss well. Refrigerate until the chicken is done.
For the tacos: Heat the taco shells according to the package directions.
Put the reserved pineapple top on the chicken and pineapple stack, pushing it through the skewer. This will allow you to hold the stack steady while you cut the chicken and pineapple.
Use a sharp knife to make thin vertical slices.
Serve the sliced chicken and slaw in the taco shells with toppings of your choice. Finish with a squeeze of lime.