Make super tasty chicken tacos in 1 hour – right in the oven! This Sheet Pan Chicken Al Pastor Tacos recipe is easy and fast to make with chicken breast. It’s a family favorite taco night dish. Let’s cook…
Why chicken al pastor tacos are the best…
- The chicken turns out juicy and tender.
- Medium heat. Adjust the seasonings and chipotle to make it more / less spicy.
- Learn my super easy method for baking sheet tray chicken tacos in under 30 minutes.
- They’re quick and easy to make for weeknights or game day parties.
- Serve them effortlessly – setting out a casual family style meal is my favorite way to serve these chicken tacos so everyone can choose their favorite taco toppings and eat as many as they please.
- Leftovers make a delicious chicken al pastor burrito bowl the next day for lunch.
What is al pastor chicken?
Maybe you’ve heard of tacos al pastor with pork. They’re made of marinated meat and typically cooked slowly over a long period of time. It all makes sense when I share with you this quick food history lesson: this dish is traced back to Lebanese immigrants to Mexico.
They brought a traditional way of slow cooking meat (think: gyros cooked on a vertical spit) and added in new spice flavors found in Mexico. So this recipe with al pastor seasoning and chicken is a play on that traditional Lebanese-Mexican dish.
See how to make a steak salsa marinade…
Ingredients
Let’s quickly look at the ingredients you need for this chicken al pastor recipe.
Al pastor chicken marinade
- Chicken breast, boneless and skinless (see note below on substituting dark meat chicken thighs)
- Yellow onion (or red onions)
- Pineapple juice (substitute lime juice, orange juice, or use crushed pineapple for a more authentic chicken al pastor recipe)
- Seasonings: garlic, chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce can from the grocery store), ancho chile powder (or any chili powder), cumin, oregano, salt
- Vinegar (apple cider or red wine)
- Honey (substitute brown sugar)
- Oil (vegetable or olive oil)
Note: You can also use dark meat chicken thighs for al pastor tacos, but chicken thighs on the bone take longer to cook, so make sure to use a meat thermometer if using other cuts of chicken. See my chicken temperature guide for more.
Have a pellet grill? See how to make smoked chicken thighs.
Taco sides and toppings (choose your favorites)
Pick a few of your favorite taco sides. Check the recipe at the bottom of this page for my serving size suggestions for each one.
- Tortillas (corn or flour) = 2 tacos for 4 people
- Cotija cheese (or queso fresco)
- Corn
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Salsa
- Rice
- Black beans (or refried beans)
- Pineapple chunks
- Sour cream
- A drizzle of jalapeno ranch dressing
- Pickled red onion
How to make al pastor chicken marinade
- Pat dry with paper towels and cube chicken breast to 2” chunks. Add chicken and yellow onion to a large bowl. Set aside.
- To a blender, add the rest of the marinade ingredients (pineapple juice, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from a can, vinegar, honey, ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, oil). Blend ~20 seconds until the marinade forms.
- Add al pastor marinade to chicken and onions. Toss to coat evenly and refrigerate (if you have the time) for at least 30 minutes, up to a day in advance of baking chicken for tacos on a sheet tray.
How to bake sheet tray chicken taco meat
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer marinated chicken and onions (leaving any excess liquid marinade behind) to a parchment paper lined large rimmed sheet tray.
- Bake al pastor marinaded chicken breast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Flip chicken and bake 5-10 minutes more, until chicken breast cooks through, as measured with a meat thermometer, to 165 degrees F.
How to warm corn tortillas for tacos
- Prepare tortillas immediately before serving. I usually do this step after the chicken cubes have finished cooking. First, heat a large pan on the stove to medium heat and add ½ tbsp butter.
- Add 1-2 corn tortillas to the pan at a time (so they don’t touch), flipping them once they’re soft and flexible, but before they get crispy or start to burn. Cover with tin foil to keep them warm for serving. Repeat for the rest of the batch of tortilla shells, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
How to serve family style tacos
Serve tacos family style on a platter or on the sheet tray with chicken al pastor taco toppings and condiments around the outside and slices of lime and a sprinkle of cheese throughout the meat.
Next, try a taco-inspired ground beef pizza.
FAQs
Here’s my confession: I use leftovers all the time! This dish is especially with leftover sous vide chicken, but leftovers from any chicken dinner will work as well.
Adding chunks of pineapple to al pastor chicken tacos is a great idea. You can use fresh or canned pineapple. Either works, but if you have the luxury of choice, fresh pineapple will make this delicious dish extra-nutritious! Nothing can beat the convenience of having good canned ingredients in your pantry, though. I usually have pineapple in mine to make Hawaiian pineapple BBQ meatballs.
No, it’s not a reference to your pastor’s favorite taco – in traditional Mexican cuisine, al pastor just means a marinade made with red pepper, pineapple, vinegar, and spices. It’s delicious! Though this recipe is for chicken tacos, the original al pastor tacos were made with pork that had been cooked slowly over an open fire. Now they’re a staple for taco Tuesday.
Sheet pan chicken al pastor tacos give you a well balanced meal in one dish, but to get even more veggies in I like to serve it with peach salad, avocado salad or a blue cheese coleslaw.
See how to make 5 minute grilled pineapple slices and learn how to make smoked pineapple…
See these tasty taco night smoker recipes…
See recipes for fajita side dishes…
See how to freeze refried beans…
Try these easy griddle recipes…
See all griddle recipes…
Pro tip: One of my go-to tricks for perfectly cooked food every time is using the right BBQ meat thermometers.
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Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chefs, if you like tacos, check out my smokey sous vide pork tacos, BBQ chicken tacos, and breakfast tacos. You’ll also love this chicken breast simmered in enchilada sauce recipe.
See how to make a smoked margarita…
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Sheet Pan Chicken Al Pastor Tacos Recipe | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
Al pastor chicken marinade
- 1.5 lb chicken breast boneless and skinless (substitute dark meat chicken thighs)
- ½ onion yellow, diced
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can
- 1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or red wine)
- 1 tbsp honey (substitute brown sugar)
- 1 tsp ancho chile powder
- ½ tsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp salt kosher
- 2 tbsp oil vegetable or olive oil
Taco sides and toppings for serving (choose your favorites)
- 8 tortillas small corn or flour
- ¼ cup cotija cheese or queso fresca
- 1.5 cups corn cooked from frozen
- 1 tbsp cilantro fresh chopped
- 1 avocado mashed
- 1 medium lime cut in wedges
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup black beans or refried beans
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
How to make al pastor chicken marinade
- Pat dry with paper towels and cube chicken breast to 2” chunks. Add chicken and yellow onion to a large bowl. Set aside.
- To a blender, add the rest of the marinade ingredients (pineapple juice, minced garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from a can, vinegar, honey, ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, oil). Blend ~20 seconds until the marinade forms.
- Add al pastor marinade to chicken and onions. Toss to coat evenly and refrigerate (if you have the time) for at least 30 minutes, up to a day in advance of baking chicken on a sheet tray.
How to bake sheet tray chicken taco meat
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer marinated chicken and onions (leaving any excess liquid marinade behind) to a parchment paper lined large rimmed sheet tray.
- Bake al pastor marinaded chicken breast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Flip chicken and bake 5-10 minutes more, until chicken breast cooks through, as measured with a meat thermometer, to 165 degrees F.
How to warm corn tortillas for tacos
- Prepare tortillas immediately before serving. I usually do this step after the chicken cubes have finished cooking. First, heat a large pan on the stove to medium heat and add ½ tbsp butter.
- Add 1-2 corn tortillas to the pan at a time (so they don’t touch), flipping them once they’re soft and flexible, but before they get crispy or start to burn. Cover with tin foil to keep them warm for serving. Repeat for the rest of the batch of tortilla shells, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
Assemble chicken al pastor tacos and toppings for serving
- Serve tacos family style on a platter or on the sheet tray with chicken al pastor taco toppings and condiments around the outside and slices of lime and a sprinkle of cheese throughout the meat.
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