The Easiest Al Pastor Marinade – Made Right at Home!
If al pastor is new to you, you’re in for such a treat! Traditionally, al pastor is made by marinating pork in an earthy chile marinade and cooking it on a vertical spit. The pork, which takes on gloriously charred edges as the spit rotates, is carved from the spit and served in a tortilla.
Since I dream about them on a near daily basis, I wanted to try to recreate the signature flavors and textures of my favorite taco dinner, using the ingredients and equipment that I have at home.
The first step? A really solid Al Pastor Marinade. That’s exactly how this easy al pastor marinade recipe came to be.
Made with chiles, orange juice, and achiote paste, this homemade marinade comes together in just 10 minutes or less in a blender, making it so quick and simple!
It pairs beautifully with many different cuts of pork and chicken, imparting earthy, smoky, citrusy flavor to whatever you use it with, and is perfect for grilling or broiling. Use it to make homemade al pastor meat for tacos, burrito bowls, and so much more, no special equipment required!
Easy homemade Al Pastor? Taco Tuesday will never be the same.
Want more marinades for grilling season? Got you covered! Check out PWWB’s 15 Go-To Grilling Marinades.
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Step-by-step tutorials (like how to light the grill without burning your eyebrows off) & obsessively-tested tips (for juicy, charred results). Designed for meat lovers & vegetarians alike!
Key Ingredients
All al pastor starts with a great marinade, which lends the signature flavor and brilliant color of traditional al pastor. This easy marinade recipe is made with just 10 simple ingredients.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Aromatics – Namely fresh garlic, smoky chipotle peppers, ancho chili powder, cumin, and dried oregano.
- Achiote paste – The key ingredient that gives al pastor its signature earthy flavor and bright red color. More about achiote below!
- Orange juice and brown sugar – For subtle sweetness that helps create crispy, caramelly edges as the al pastor cooks.
- Apple cider vinegar – Just a splash, which helps offset the sweetness of the OJ and brown sugar.
What is achiote paste? ⇢ Achiote is a seasoning made with ground annatto seeds. It is commonly used in Mexican and Central American cuisine. Achiote is earthy and bitter in flavor, giving traditional al pastor (in my experience) its signature flavor and color. You’ll most commonly find achiote available as a ground seasoning or as a paste, both of which you can easily find at your local Mexican market or online. I use achiote paste for this al pastor marinade recipe. See the Recipe Notes below for some more details!
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Buy Now → How to Make Homemade Al Pastor Marinade
Building off the simplicity of the ingredients list, it’s seriously easy to make this homemade al pastor marinade recipe – it comes together in less than a minute thanks to a blender!
To make this easy al pastor marinade, simply add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth – simple as that!
It’s most traditional to use this easy al pastor marinade on pork – I suggest using pork chops or pork butt steaks. That said, chicken al pastor is also fabulous – use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts.
Suggested Marinating Time: Marinating time will vary based on the type of protein you use.
- Resilient proteins (chicken, pork, beef) should soak in the al pastor marinade for at least 6 hours and no more than 3 days.
- Delicate proteins (seafood) have a shorter marinade time – aim for at least 2 hours and no more than 12 hours.
Meal Prep
Despite the suggested marinating times for this al pastor marinade, you can still get ahead on your dinner by prepping the marinade in advance. Prep the marinade and store it in a jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to start marinating, simply pour the marinade over whatever meat or veggies you’re using it on – easy!
Serving Suggestions
I suggest cooking your al pastor marinated proteins on the grill or in a grill pan to create similar smoky, crispy, caramelization of traditional al pastor that’s cooked on a vertical spit.
If you do not have access to a grill, you can create a similar effect by baking in the oven and finishing under the broiler.
Once cooked, use your homemade al pastor to create any of your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes at home – al pastor tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, taco salads, nachos, tostadas…you name it! The possibilities are truly endless!
I cannot wait for you to try this Al Pastor Marinade! It’s uniquely spicy, citrusy, and earthy, and it’s perfect for whenever a Mexican food craving strikes!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! Happy grilling! ♡
Print Easy 10-Minute Al Pastor Marinade
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauces & Condiments
- Method: No-Cook, Blender
- Cuisine: Mexican & Tex-Mex
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This easy homemade Al Pastor Marinade recipe hits all the right notes – it’s earthy, citrusy, and subtly sweet thanks to flavor-forward ingredients, like orange juice, smoky chiles, and achiote. Prepped in a blender in 10 minutes or less, homemade al pastor has never been so easy – use it to make tacos al pastor and more!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds meat or veggies of choice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2–3 chipotle peppers, from a can packed in adobo sauce
- ½ 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
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Blend the al pastor marinade: Add all listed marinade ingredients to a blender. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Blend until combined; the marinade should be thick and smooth. Use immediately, or transfer to a jar or airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Marinate: Pour the marinade over your meat or veggies of choice. Marinate for at least 8 hours & up to 3 days.
- Grill as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- What is Achiote paste? Achiote is a seasoning commonly used in Mexican and Central American cuisine. Achiote is made with ground annatto seed, which is earthy and bitter in flavor and gives traditional al pastor (in my experience) its signature flavor and color. You’ll most commonly find achiote available as a ground seasoning or as a paste, both of which you can easily find at your local Mexican market. It’s also readily available online. If you’re in a pinch, you can easily make a quick achiote substitute using pantry ingredients, but if you’re serious about replicating the signature flavor of al pastor, I highly suggest stocking up on some achiote.
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: If you’d like to marinate something later in the week, I suggest making the marinade in advance, whenever you’re meal prepping for the week. Store it in a jar or an airtight container for up to 5 days – the flavors meld together even more as the marinade sits. At least 8 hours before you’re ready to hit the grill, simply pour the marinade over whatever meat or veggies you’re using it on – easy!
- Note: This recipe has been updated since its original publish in May 2019. If you are looking for the original recipe, with slightly different ingredients and flavor profile, click here to download a printable version!
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Eat Love Eat
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What do you think of dumping the chicken, marinade and all, into the slow cooker, and then cooking and shredding it from there?
Hi Rigo, this would definitely work, and the flavor would be really good! But we definitely prefer grilling this chicken (or baking, then finishing under the broiler) to get the smoky taste and caramelized edges that make Al Pastor SO delicious! Hope that helps!
Thanks for the response. I’ve been looking at flavorful sauces to use for bulk prepping proteins for use with salads or burrito bowls.
While I agree that the high heat of the grill or a grill pan, or the oven (or maybe even the air fryer) would be optimal, the heatwave has me looking for options other than those too!
Al Pastor without pineapple? Pass.
Hi Ray, we love making Al Pastor Tacos with pineapple! You can always swap out the orange juice in the marinade with canned pineapple juice, too, if you prefer!
Can I use pineapple juice if I don’t have e orange juice?
Hi Dave! We like the natural sweetness in orange juice and have never tested pineapple juice but it should work. Please be sure to use canned pineapple juice as fresh pineapple juice has enzymes that will break down protein like chicken & will not be suitable for the marinade time required for the recipe. Hope that helps & let us know if you give it a try!
Hi , can you please tell me if it would be ok to use chipotle paste in this marinade instead of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce?
I live in U.K. so maybe a problem finding them . Love you marinades and recipes just fantastic so many thanks .
Jules
Hi Jules! While we haven’t yet tested & found a go-to substitute for this ingredient all of the options found in this resource linked here could be great options depending on what is most available to you!
If you do give any a try let us know how it goes! 🙂
I made this today with no modifications and it was amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Daryl! So happy to hear that you loved it!