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Chipotle Chicken Al Pastor
Chicken thighs marinated in achiote paste, chipotles in adobo, morita pepper, and pineapple juice, then seared until charred.
👥 6 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 2h 30m⏳ Prep: 15 min🔥 Cook: 15 min👤 Stephanie Manley📖 copykat
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- blender
- skillet
- cutting board
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Add chipotles in adobo (plus the tablespoon of sauce), morita chipotle, achiote paste, pineapple juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, oil, and lime juice to a blender. Blend until smooth.
achiote paste (or 2 tsp ground annatto/achiote powder)1 tablespoonminced garlic3 teaspoonscumin1 teaspoondried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)1 teaspoonlime juice2 tablespoonsfresh squeezed lime juice2 tablespoons
2
Coat chicken thighs fully in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least ⏱️ 2 hours, preferably overnight. (Pineapple enzymes begin tenderizing after ⏱️ 8 hours, so don't exceed ⏱️ 24 hours.)
3
Remove chicken from fridge ⏱️ 20 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.
4
Heat a cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken thighs without overcrowding. Cook 5–⏱️ 6 minutes per side until deeply browned and internal temp reaches 165°F.
5
Let it rest on a cutting board for ⏱️ 5 minutes. Then chop into irregular, chunky pieces - not uniform dice.
6
Squeeze fresh lime over the chopped chicken and scatter hand-chopped cilantro on top immediately before serving. Do not add the cilantro during cooking.
Nutrition Facts
calories
199 kcal
fat Content
10 g
serving Size
1 serving
fiber Content
1 g
sugar Content
3 g
sodium Content
501 mg
protein Content
22 g
trans Fat Content
0.04 g
cholesterol Content
108 mg
carbohydrate Content
6 g
saturated Fat Content
2 g
unsaturated Fat Content
7 g
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