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Al Pastor Kabobs
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!
-6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt (cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
- 4 dried guajillo chiles (seeds and stem removed)
- 2 dried ancho chiles (seeds and stem removed)
- 1 tablespoon achiote seasoning, annato or paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 chipotles in adobo + 1 tablespoon sauce from can
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
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Instructions
- 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.
- Cut pork shoulder into 1 1/2 inch cubes and place in a large bowl.
- 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. Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator, and marinate overnight.
- 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.
- 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. Enjoy!
Notes
Pork
- 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.
- P 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.
Dried chiles
- 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.
Achiote
- For this recipe I used the powder form of achiote, 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. It may be labeled “annatto” when looking at your local store.
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.
*See in-post for step by step photos and more information on recipe*
Nutrition Information
Calories: 554kcal (28%), Carbohydrates: 26g (9%), Protein: 80g (160%), Fat: 13g (20%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 205mg (68%), Sodium: 1038mg (45%), Potassium: 1829mg (52%), Fiber: 8g (33%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Vitamin A: 6175IU (124%), Vitamin C: 13mg (16%), Calcium: 67mg (7%), Iron: 6mg (33%)