This al pastor marinade is a flavorful chili paste made with guajillo and ancho chilies, crushed pineapple, and a blend of spices, essential for tacos al pastor or chicken al pastor.
Marinade Recipe for al Pastor
If you're a fan of bold, punchy flavor, you're going to love this Al Pastor Marinade.
It’s smoky, spicy, a little sweet, and jam packed with the kind of zing that makes your taste buds dance. We're talking dried chiles, pineapple, achiote, and just the right hit of vinegar to keep everything bright and tangy.
Perfect for pork, but honestly, I’d slather this on just about anything. Let’s fire up some big flavor, my friends!
Let's talk about how to make al pastor marinade, shall we?
Al Pastor Marinade Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ancho Peppers. For a mild, smoky depth. You can also use ancho chili powder.
- Guajillo Peppers. For sweet, tangy flavor. You can also use guajillo chili powder.
- Chiles de Árbol. Optional, for a spicy version.
- Onions and Garlic.
- Crushed Pineapple. Add a touch of sweet and also to help tenderize the meat. Fresh pineapple is best.
- Chipotle Adobo Sauce. For smoky flavor.
- Achiote Paste. For a unique earthy flavor. See my homemade achiote paste recipe.
- Orange Juice. For a touch of sweet and mild acidity.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. A bit of tang.
- Brown Sugar. For sweetness and browning the chicken.
- Spices. Mexican oregano, ground cumin, salt.
How to Make Al Pastor Marinade - the Recipe Method
Prepare the Marinade. Dry toast the dried chilies then soften in hot water.
Drain and transfer to a food processor with the onion, garlic, crushed pineapple, chipotle sauce, achiote paste, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Mexican oregano, cumin, and salt.
Blend until smooth.
Boom! Done! Your al pastor marinade is ready to use. Time to make pork or chicken al pastor. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- The recipe makes enough marinade for 3 pounds of pork, chicken, or other meat.
- It's not only for al pastor! You can use this marinade or chili paste in other dishes as well. Consider it for seafood, or for swirling into soups and stews as a delicious flavor base.
- This is a very scalable recipe, so make a large batch, which can be frozen for months.
Storage
Al Pastor marinade will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this easy al pastor marinade recipe. I'd love to hear what you think! Feel free to leave a comment.
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Ancho-Guajillo Paste. A similar recipe, but used as more of a base.
- Sambal Oelek. The most famous chili paste of all.
- Learn how to make Fresh Chili Paste.
- See all of my Chili Paste Recipes from Around the World.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Al Pastor Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ancho peppers or use 1 tablespoon ancho powder
- 2 guajillo peppers or use 1 tablespoon guajillo powder
- 2 dried chiles de arbol or more as desired (optional, for spicy - or use ½-1 teaspoon chile de arbol powder or cayenne)
- 1 small yellow onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/3 cup crushed pineapple or use pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste
- Juice from 1 large orange about 1/3 cup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Dry toast the dried anchos, guajillos and chiles de arbol a couple minutes per side in a hot pan to release their oils. Cool, then remove stems and seeds. Set into a bowl and cover with hot water to soften for 20 minutes.
- Drain the water and add the rehydrated peppers to a large food processor.
- Add in the onion, garlic, pineapple, chipotle sauce, achiote paste, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt to taste. Process until smooth.
- Use to make al Pastor or store until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Scott Swanbery says
Looking forward to slathering this all over a tri-tip roast before grilling !! Keep up the great work Mike !!!
Mike H. says
Love the plan, Scott. Have a great time!
Todd says
Mike,
Would using Annato be ok instead of achiote?
Mike Hultquist says
Todd, annatto and achiote are the same thing, but if you mean annatto oil, yes, that can be used.