Al pastor is a Mexican dish where pork gets marinated in chiles, spices, and pineapple juice and cooked slowly on a rotisserie spit. It’s one of Dean’s favorite tacos, so I wanted to take those classic flavors and turn it into an easy sheet pan dinner that sneaks in some veggies. To get that same caramelized flavor and texture, we’re baking it in the oven at a high temperature and then finishing it off under the broiler.
The sauce gets made in the blender and used to both coat the chicken and as a drizzle-able or dipp-able sauce for serving. You can turn this into a taco, quesadilla, or enjoy it as a bowl!
Note: you can use the pickled veg from the banh mi bowl (LINK) in place of pickled onions/radish for this recipe. Just make a little extra (add an extra carrot or two).
Ingredient highlight
Cauliflower! Is a great source of vitamin K and vitamin C. Like all of it’s cruciferous family members, cauliflower contains compounds, called glucosinolates, that may help prevent cancer.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (about 10 oz) chopped pineapple (1 small or use frozen), divided*
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 ½-3 cups chopped cauliflower, chopped small (about 10 oz)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
For serving:**
- Tortillas
- Red onion (pickled or finely chopped raw)***
- Thinly sliced radishes***
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced avocado
- Lime wedges
- *If using frozen pineapple (that’s what I used), thaw it in the microwave before blending, otherwise the mixture will be too frozen to blend. Chop ½ cup of the pineapple into smaller pieces.
- **Make it a taco, quesadilla, or bowl (see recipe). These are my suggested toppings.
- ***Whatever you’re making will greatly benefit from something pickled on top or mixed in, if you have the time. You quickly pickle the radish or onion in some lime juice or vinegar and salt and let it sit for at least 10 minutes (or overnight).
- Bulk it up! ~ Add beans or rice. Warm up a can of beans, then season them with salt and some lime or vinegar. Scoop them into your tortilla (or add them to your bowl). Or serve over rice!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F convection or 475F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To a high-speed blender, add 1 cup pineapple, tomato, oil, soy sauce, spices, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer about ½ cup to a medium bowl and set aside.
- To the baking sheet, add the chicken, cauliflower, and the rest of that sauce/marinade (scrape out every last bit). Toss to coat well, then spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon salt evenly over along with some black pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cauli and/or chicken are beginning to char/brown.
- Scatter the remaining ½ cup pineapple all over, then turn the oven to broil on high. Place the baking sheet on the top rack and broil for 2-4 minutes or until everything is a little charred (keep an eye on it).
- To the reserved sauce, stir in the yogurt and lime until combined.
- For tacos: serve the chicken/cauli a warm tortilla with avocado slices, topped with the sauce, onion and/or radish, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
- For bowls: to bulk up your bowl, start with a base of cooked rice or quinoa. Add the chicken/cauli to your bowl. Top with sauce and all the toppings along with some feta cheese and a side of tortilla chips.
- For quesadillas: mix the chicken/cauli with shredded cheese (you can also mix in some cilantro and pickled onion or radish), then scoop it into a tortilla and either pan-fry or bake in the oven until crisp and melted.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop 1 ½ cups pineapple (or just use frozen)
- Make the sauce in the blender
- Cut 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces
- Chop 2 ½-3 cups cauliflower into small pieces
- Prep any toppings that need prepping (pickle an onion or radishes, chop up some cilantro)
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, use a block of torn and pressed tofu in place of the chicken.
- To make vegan, see above + use a vegan yogurt.
- You can skip the cauliflower and just add an extra ½ lb of chicken.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken/cauli: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Sauce: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the chicken/cauli in the microwave or in a skillet until warmed through. Serve it however you’d like (taco, quesadilla, bowl) and serve with all the toppings/sauce.
- Bulk it up by adding a can of beans or grains (see recipe note).
- Make nachos or taquitos!
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