These al pastor grilled kabobs brings your favorite flavorful taqueria  meat, into your own home! This al pastor marinade recipe with guajillo and ancho chiles, achiote, pineapple, and delicious spices, gives you the most flavorful and tender pork. Grilled and charred to perfection, these al pastor grilled skewers will be on repeat all summer long!

What is al pastor?

Al pastor (better known as Al pastor tacos) is a dish from central Mexico, where marinated pork is grilled/roasted on a rotating ‘trompo’ (round spinning top). This style of rotating spit-grilling came from the Lebanese and immigrants brought it to Mexico.

What kind of meat to use in Al pastor

Traditional Al pastor utilizes marinated boneless pork shoulder and once it is roasted, it is thinly sliced right off the trompo onto tortillas. If you can only find bone-in pork shoulder, kindly ask your butcher to remove the bone for you. You can also cut it out yourself at home.

Since most of us do not have rotating trompo’s at home, I put a spin on the traditional al pastor and made it into delicious grilled skewers. Cut the pork shoulder into 1 ½ inch cubes and set into a large bowl.

Al pastor Marinade ingredients

• Boneless pork shoulder
• Dried guajillo chiles
• Dried ancho chiles
• Achiote seasoning or paste
• Dried oregano
• Ground cumin
• Chicken broth
• Pineapple juice
• White vinegar
• Garlic
• Chipotles in adobo
• Kosher salt

What chilies to use for al pastor

The traditional chiles used in al pastor are ancho, guajillo, and Chile de arbol. I found dried chiles at Aldi, you can also check your local grocery store a Mexican grocery, or get them online. I had trouble finding Chile de arbol, so for this recipe I just used guajillo and ancho chiles. 

Dried chiles are fresh peppers that have had the moisture removed from them. You can rehydrate them to use in sauces/salsas or even grind them up while dry to use as a seasoning.

What is achiote

Achiote, also known as annatto, is an orange-red condiment with a sweet, nutty, and peppery taste. Achiote comes in different forms, most common being powder and paste. For this recipe I used the powder form, but you can also use the paste as a substitute.

I also found this achiote powder at my local grocery store in the Mexican section, which also had some coriander in it. It may be labeled “annatto” when looking at your local store.

How-to rehydrate chiles

• Bring a saucepan of 2 cups of water (or microwave) to a boil.
• Cut stem off chiles and remove seeds
• In a pyrex or heat safe container, carefully pour the boiling water over the dried chiles. Allow them to rehydrate for 15 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the marinade.

How to make al pastor marinade

• Blend marinade: In a blender add all of the al pastor marinade ingredients: guajillo and ancho chiles, achiote, oregano, cumin, chicken broth, pineapple juice, white vinegar, garlic, chipotles in adobo, and kosher salt. Blend on high until smooth.
• Pour marinade over the pork in the bowl and use your hands to mix and ensure all of the pork is fully coated in al pastor marinade.
• Marinate overnight: pork can be tough and benefits from an overnight marinade. The vinegar and pineapple juice enzymes help break down the pork making it very tender once cooked.

How to grill al pastor kabobs

• If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes. This will keep them from splitting and burning. Place marinated al pastor pork on each skewer.
• Preheat grill to medium/high heat (400F). Ensure your grill grates are clean/oiled.
• Once grill is to temperature, place al pastor kebabs over direct heat.
• Grill turning every few minutes until the internal temperature is 170F (will take about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the meat pieces). Use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. 

How to eat al pastor kabobs

Al pastor is traditionally shaved onto a tortilla for a taco. The great thing about these al pastor skewers is you can enjoy them any way you would like. Chop them up for tacos, enjoy them with a side of rice, the world is your oyster. One this is for sure, this al pastor marinated kabob recipe is going to be a grilling favorite!

Storing

• Storing cooked al pastor: to store the cooked al pastor kabobs, remove the meat from the skewer and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• Storing marinade: you can make the marinade in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, re-blend before using. You can also freeze the marinade.

More kabob recipes

• Jerk chicken skewers
• Steak skewers with chimichurri
• Marinated chicken kabobs
• Grilled shrimp and chorizo skewers

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