Smoked Chicken Al Pastor

Ready to up your pellet smoking game? This Smoked Al Pastor Chicken is brimming with flavor, and the marinated chicken and pineapple go together so darn well on the smoker. This easy and show-stopping dish is all about infusing maximum flavor into every bite – serve it in tacos, on nachos, or just on a plate with your favorite sides!

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What Is Smoked Chicken Al Pastor?

Smoked Chicken Al Pastor, my friends, is magical meaty goodness. With juicy pineapple at the top, in the middle, and on the bottom, this slow-smoked wonder is infused with flavor even as it cooks. The real secret, however, is in the marinade. Packed with chili, garlic, and onion flavors, it is rich and savory without being spicy.

This dish is insanely good – did I say that already? Sure, you can do this dish in the oven or on the grill, but in the smoker? Wowers, you get all that lovely smoke flavor in addition to the rich and amazing spices and fruity pineapple. The meat does need to marinate overnight, and the smoke will take a couple of hours, so leave yourself plenty of time when making this dish.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs – Boneless and skinless; about 3 pounds.
• Dried guajillo chilies – About 4 of them.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves.
• Onion – Yellow onion.
• Pineapple juice
• Orange juice
• Cider vinegar
• Achiote paste – You can’t make traditional al pastor without it. It really is worth finding it.
• Ground cumin
• Brown sugar
• Chipotle powder
• Dried oregano – Mexican oregano if you have it.
• Salt
• Whole pineapple

You’ll Also Need

• Blender – Or food processor.
• Vertical skewer – Look for a heavy-duty skewer. This 10-inch one fit (though just barely) in my Traeger. I like the ones with the plate on the bottom, so I reduce the mess in my smoker.

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How To Make The Best Smoked Chicken Al Pastor

1. Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles and place the guajillo chiles in a dry skillet and toast them over medium-high for 2-3 minutes per side. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the skillet and simmer the chilies for 3-4 minutes until they are softened. Add the hydrated chiles to the blender.
2. Add half a yellow onion, garlic cloves, pineapple and orange juice, cider vinegar, achiote paste, ground cumin, brown sugar, chipotle powder, dried oregano and salt to the blender and blend until thick and smooth.
3. Place the chicken thighs in a zipper-top plastic bag or non-reactive (like glass) dish and cover with the marinade from the blender and toss to coat well.
4. Marinate the chicken for 8 hours but not more than about 14 hours, or the acidity in the pineapple juice will change the texture of the chicken.
5. Fire up your Traeger smoker or another smoker. Set it to 180-F.
6. Remove the top of the pineapple and set it aside to use as a garnish or decoration when serving.
7. Remove the outer layer of the pineapple and cut three 1.5-inch thick slices of pineapple. Reserve the rest of the pineapple for nibbling on later.
8. Add one slice of pineapple to the bottom of the vertical skewer, then load on half the chicken thighs, alternating the direction of them so that they aren’t evenly overlapping each other. This is what gives you such tasty caramelized outer bits.
9. Top the chicken with another slice of pineapple, add the rest of the chicken, and finish with the final slice of pineapple.
10. Smoke the chicken at 180-F for about an hour to give it a good dose of smoke.
11. Turn the smoker up to 300-F and finish cooking the al pastor until it reaches 165-F with a digital meat thermometer. It should take about 2 hours, but the actual cooking time will depend.
12. Slice the meat right off the skewer and add it to your tacos, nachos, burritos and more. Or, just eat it like it is!

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Don’t over-marinate the meat, or the acidity in the pineapple juice will change the texture of the chicken to mush. 8-14 hours is plenty.
• Like it spicier? Add another teaspoon of chipotle powder OR add 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce to the blender instead of the powder.
• Actual cooking time will vary based on your smoker and how cold the chicken was when it went into the smoker. Also, how tightly packed it is on the skewer will also affect cooking time.

Recommendations

Make it a Meal

Storage

Store your leftover Smoked Al Pastor chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Step By Step Process

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