These Crock Pot Chicken Al Pastor Tacos are sweet, smoky, and incredibly flavorful! An easy slow cooker dinner made with juicy shredded chicken, fresh pineapple, chipotle peppers, and warm spices for a healthy, protein-packed dinner.
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These Crockpot Chicken Al Pastor Tacos are everything you love about classic al pastor, but made effortlessly in the slow cooker with chicken instead of pork! Sweet pineapple, smoky chipotle peppers, warm spices, and juicy, tender meat all simmered low and slow in a vibrant homemade al pastor sauce until it’s fall-apart tender. Finished with fresh pineapple, crunchy onion, creamy avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime, these tacos are bursting with bold Mexican-inspired flavors in every bite! Perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, Taco Tuesday, or feeding a crowd!
Why You’ll Love These
Easy slow cooker recipe – simply blend the sauce, pour it over the chicken, and let your crockpot do all the work!
Flavor-packed – pineapple, chipotle peppers, garlic, vinegar, and warm spices create the sweet, smoky, tangy flavor that makes these chicken tacos al pastor so irresistible.
Great for meal prep – make a batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy tacos, burrito bowls, salads, quesadillas, or wraps for several meals.
Perfect for entertaining – set out all your favorite toppings and let everyone build their own tacos for an easy taco bar.
Ingredients You’ll Need
chicken – boneless, skinless chicken breasts become incredibly tender as they slowly cook in the flavorful sauce. You can also substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for even juicier meat.
pineapple – fresh pineapple gives the sauce its signature sweetness while helping tenderize the chicken naturally. Don’t skip the pineapple juice, it helps create the perfect consistency for blending.
chipotle peppers + adobo sauce – these smoky peppers are the star of the sauce that add rich smoky flavor with just the right amount of heat. The sauce intensifies the smoky flavor while adding richness to the marinade.
garlic – adds depth and a punch of flavor that balances the sweetness of the pineapple.
apple cider vinegar – adds brightness and tanginess while helping recreate the signature flavor profile of traditional al pastor. White vinegar would work great too.
tomato paste – adds richness, color, and concentrates the flavors of the al pastor marinade.
honey – balances the smoky chipotle peppers without making the sauce overly sweet. You could also use maple syrup or other natural sweetener.
spices – a combination of chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, kosher salt and black pepper.
tortillas – I like to use street-size flour tortillas, but you could also use corn tortillas if you prefer.
toppings – fresh diced pineapple, finely diced white onion or red onion, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, crumbled cotija cheese and a fresh squeeze of lime. You could also top with sour cream, queso fresco, tomatillo salsa, radish slices, or jalapeño slices.
How to Make Chicken Al Pastor Tacos
Blend the sauce. In a high-powered blender, combine the pineapple chunks, pineapple juice, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, garlic, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, honey, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth.
Add everything to the slow cooker. Place the chicken breasts into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the blended al pastor sauce over the chicken, making sure each piece is well coated.
Slow cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and easily shreds with two forks.
Shred the chicken. Transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board or large bowl and shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the crockpot and stir it into the flavorful sauce so every bite is coated.
Broil in the oven. For the best texture, spread the shredded chicken onto a large baking sheet in an even layer. Broil for 3–5 minutes until the edges become slightly caramelized and lightly crispy. This extra step mimics the crispy edges of traditional al pastor cooked on a vertical spit or open flame.
Assemble the tacos. Warm the tortillas and fill each one with the shredded chicken. Top with fresh pineapple, diced onion, avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Tips for the Best Chicken Al Pastor Tacos
Don’t skip blending the sauce – blending the pineapple, chipotle peppers, garlic, and spices into a smooth sauce ensures every bite of chicken is evenly coated with flavor.
Use fresh pineapple – fresh pineapple adds a naturally bright sweetness that balances the smoky chipotle peppers. It also contains natural enzymes that help tenderize the chicken while it cooks. If fresh pineapple isn’t available, canned pineapple packed in 100% juice is a great substitute.
Cook low and slow – cooking the chicken on low produces the most tender, juicy results. While the high setting works when you’re short on time, the lower temperature allows the flavors to develop more fully and helps prevent the chicken from drying out.
Shred the chicken while warm – as soon as the chicken is finished cooking, transfer it to a cutting board and shred it while it’s still hot. Warm chicken shreds much more easily, and returning it to the crockpot allows it to soak up every bit of the flavorful al pastor sauce.
Let the chicken soak up the sauce – after shredding, stir the chicken back into the sauce and let it sit in the slow cooker for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This extra time allows the meat to absorb even more flavor, making every bite extra juicy and delicious.
Don’t skip broiling the chicken – this is the secret to creating those delicious crispy edges! Spread the shredded chicken onto a large rimmed baking sheet and let the oven’s broiler work its magic until the edges become lightly caramelized and crispy.
Warm the tortillas – never skip warming your tortillas. Heat them in a dry skillet, directly over a gas flame, or wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven. Warm tortillas are softer, more pliable, and much less likely to tear when filled.
Make it ahead for even more flavor – like many slow cooker recipes, this chicken al pastor tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. An excellent meal prep recipe for lunches, easy dinners, taco salads, burrito bowls, or quesadillas throughout the week.
What to Serve with Chicken Al Pastor Tacos
Cilantro lime cauliflower rice
Tortilla chips and fresh salsa
Refried or black beans
Watermelon, cucumber and feta salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The chicken actually tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to develop.
Yes! Let the chicken cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe bags or containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
It has a mild to moderate smoky heat from the chipotle peppers. To make it milder, simply reduce the number of peppers or remove some of the seeds before blending.
For food safety, it’s best to thaw the chicken completely before placing it in the slow cooker.
Yes! Cook on High Pressure for about 10–12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts), followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release. Shred the chicken, stir it back into the sauce, and broil for crispy edges if desired.
Broiling caramelizes the sugars in the pineapple and creates crispy edges that mimic the texture of traditional al pastor cooked on a vertical spit.
The al pastor tacos themselves are naturally dairy-free, but simply omit the cotija cheese topping or substitute your favorite dairy-free cheese.
Sure! Serve the shredded chicken in lettuce wraps, taco salad bowls, or over cauliflower rice for a lower carb option.
Prepping and Storage
To Prep – Blend the al pastor sauce up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate it until ready to cook. You can also combine the sauce and chicken in a freezer bag and freeze it together for an easy dump-and-go slow cooker meal.
To Store – Store leftover chicken al pastor in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4–5 days. When ready to reheat, warm the chicken in a skillet over medium heat or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through. Add a splash of pineapple juice, orange juice or chicken broth if needed to keep the meat moist.
To Freeze – Freeze cooked chicken in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Favorite Mexican-Inspired Dishes
Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
More Taco Recipes
Fish Tacos with Peach Mango Salsa
Hope you all enjoy these Chicken Al Pastor Recipe! If you love these as much as we do, please leave a star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!
Crock Pot Chicken Al Pastor Tacos
Ingredients
For Serving:
12 small flour tortillas (street taco size)Finely diced pineappleFinely diced white onionSmall diced avocadoFresh cilantro finely choppedLime wedgesCrumbled cotija cheese