Description
Sheet Pan Chicken al Pastor! Made with an earthy, citrusy and sweet al pastor marinade and baked on a sheet pan with pineapple until completely juicy and tender. Finish under the broiler for a craveable crisp and caramelly finish. Great for chicken al pastor tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, and more. Easy, fast, flavorful and versatile!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ 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.
for the al pastor marinade:
- 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
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep the al pastor marinade and marinate the chicken: Add all listed marinade ingredients to a blender. Blend until combined. Add the chicken thighs and thinly sliced yellow onion to a large bowl. Pour the al pastor marinade over top and toss to combine. Marinate in the refrigerator (covered) for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, arranging the oven racks such that one is in the center of the oven and 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.
- Bake the chicken: Transfer the marinated chicken and onions to the prepared baking sheet, draining and any excess marinade. Add the diced pineapple to the baking sheet. Toss to combine with the chicken and onions, spooning a little extra al pastor marinade into the mix as necessary to coat the pineapple with the sauce. Bake on the center rack for 15 minutes. The chicken should be nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven to chop, and meanwhile preheat the broiler.
- Dice the chicken al pastor: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and carefully chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped chicken pastor back on the baking sheet.
- Broil for crispy chicken al pastor: Place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil 4-5 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the al pastor chicken are browned and slightly crisp.
- Serve: Place the crispy chicken pastor in tortillas for tacos or a bowl with rice and beans for burrito bowls, finishing with your favorite taco night toppings of choice: sour cream/Mexican crema, pickled red onions, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead? Yes. I prefer using chicken thighs in this recipe since they’re flavorful and stay really nice and juicy through roasting + broiling, but you can swap them out with breasts if you prefer. Either pound the breasts out flat or cut them in half lengthwise (butterflied) to ensure they roast up evenly. Skip broiling (Step 5), as the breast meat will dry out.
- 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.
- Storage and freezing: Leftover chicken al pastor will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. It’s also a wonderful freezer staple since you can easily thaw it out and use it on tacos, nachos, taco salads, burrito bowls, etc. for an easy dinner down the road. To freeze, transfer cooled chicken al pastor to a freezer bag or container. (These are my absolute favorite!) Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost by placing in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, or by submerging the freezer bag/container in room temp water for 20-25 minutes.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this sheet pan chicken comes from prepping the marinade and chopping the onion/pineapple. Get it all done in advance to get a head start on your chicken al pastor – it’ll take 15 minutes, tops:
- Thinly slice 1/2 yellow onion, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Peel, core and finely dice 1 pineapple, storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You’ll need 2 cups diced for your chicken al pastor. You can use the rest in other dishes or for snacking throughout the week, or freeze for later.
- Prep the marinade according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Marinate the chicken and onion for at least 6 hours prior to cooking or up to 3 days.
