Spicy-sweet chipotle roast chicken with onion and pineapple (Pollo al pastor) from Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico (page 73) by Rick Martinez

  • canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
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  • whole chicken
  • Show all ingredients...
  • Serves : 6-8

  • EYB Comments

    Can substitute this book's "Annatto seed paste flavored with citrus, herbs, and spices (Recado rojo)" for achiote paste, and honey for agave syrup.

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Corn flatbread made from ground corn (Tortillas de maíz); Avocado cream with serrano and jalapeños (Salsa de aguacate); Chiles de árbol simmered with tangy tomatillos (Salsa de chile de árbol)

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    Can substitute this book's "Annatto seed paste flavored with citrus, herbs, and spices (Recado rojo)" for achiote paste, and honey for agave syrup.

  • shannon_uprwb1 on April 08, 2026

    This marinade ROCKS! Went vegetarian and roasted delicata squash and mushrooms in place of the chicken. This made a lot of food. Will be making more of the marinade for the freezer.

  • amy_9scy2c on March 30, 2026

    Really nice flavours that improved with time as we had enough for four meals for the two of us. The first two nights we are it wrapped in homemade corn tortillas with a simple fresh tomato salsa, sour cream and chopped basil and cilantro. The following nights we had it with kale and cheese pikelets from Ottolenghi Plenty More. Next time I will try it with skin-removed chicken thighs rather than a whole chicken.

  • dmdmdmmm on February 18, 2026

    Takes quite a bit of effort (and ingredients) but it was still very good!

  • als102 on June 29, 2025

    These are damn good. I used breasts and thighs instead of a whole chicken to make my life easier and it came together quickly. Also made the fresh tortillas and recommended salsas to go with. I will absolutely keep this on regular rotation in my kitchen.

  • kguddall on August 11, 2024

    Made the Pollo al Pastor with chicken thighs. Cooked them on the grill. Delicious! Will be making this again!

  • jimandtammyfaye on July 11, 2022

    This was ok. It ended up being a lot of mess for an ok dish. I used store bought achiote paste, which could have been part of the problem. Both salsa recipes were delicious. Next time, I would use boneless thighs as suggested by jenburkholder, and I would opt to make Recado Rojo in place of the purchased achiote paste. I would also decrease the salt in Salsa de aguacate and decrease the heat in the Salsa de chile de árbol, even though I already used the suggested amounts for milder heat.

  • jenburkholder on July 04, 2022

    Very good. Could probably also use chicken thighs to make easier - needed a slightly longer bake time than called for. The schmaltzy, flavor-paste infused onions and pineapple were the best part, the chicken chunks were fine but less interesting. Used the books’s annatto seed paste and suggested salsas, plus homemade tortillas for a very nice taco dinner.

  • rmardel on July 04, 2022

    This was excellent. I used the author's recado rojo recipe which added a bright sophistication to the dish. The chicken was excellent alone, with tender flavorful breast meat, and this would also serve well as a simple roast chicken dinner. To do this well, you might finish the chicken in a hotter oven to crisp the skin. You would have to find another use for the flavorful fruit and onions. The chicken was also delicious served in tacos with the pineapple. To my taste there was slightly too much pineapple to chicken. The proportions would have worked well with pork, but the fruit overwhelmed the more delicate chicken. Next time I will use less fruit.

  • bwhip on May 30, 2022

    These were really delicious. Tender, exceptionally flavorful roast chicken in a taco. Both recommended salsas were a perfect accompaniment as well. I used the achiote paste for the chicken, and high quality local store-bought tortillas. Recipe says to roast chicken for 60-70 minutes, but our four pound chicken needed about 40 minutes more than that.

  • leighwhit25 on May 16, 2022

    Made corn tortillas and both salsas that were recommended. Maybe the best tacos I’ve ever made and I have made many.

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