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–+ servings
al pastor chicken wings dipped in sauce.
Kate Ramos

Grilled Al Pastor Chicken Wings with Chipotle Lime Crema

If you've ever wished your favorite taco flavors could show up at your backyard BBQ, these al pastor grilled chicken wings are about to become your new obsession. Smoky, juicy, and kissed with that signature achiote-pineapple marinade, they disappear fast — so make extra.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Marinating Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 2 -3 pounds wings (about 6-8 servings)
Course: chicken
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 110
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Chipotle-lime crema

Equipment

Method
 

  1. To make the crema: Combine all the crema ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste and add more lime or salt as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.
  2. For the chicken wings: Toast the 4 guajillos and 3 ancho chiles on a comal or dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side or until darkened in color and fragrant. Bring a small saucepan of hot water to a boil, remove from heat. Submerge the toasted chiles in the hot water until soft and pliable about 20-30 minutes.
  3. Transfer soaked chiles with kitchen tongs to a blender, discard the water. Blend softened chiles with the 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup vinegar, 4 garlic cloves, tablespoon achiote paste, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and the 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth.
  4. Place wings in a large dish and pour marinade over the wings. Toss to coat wings in marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
  5. Heat a gas or charcoal grill over medium heat (350°-375°F). Cook 10 minutes per side until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer. Serve hot with the chipotle-lime crema.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 932mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4g

Notes

  1. Adjusting the sauce: If you'd like the crema to be spicier, add more minced chipotle or even just a spoonful or two of the adobo sauce from the can.
  2. About the achiote paste. Look for it in the Latin aisle (brands like El Yucateco or Marín come in small brick-shaped packages). It adds that signature brick-red color and subtle earthy-peppery flavor. The cumin + smoked paprika swap works, but you'll lose a bit of that authentic al pastor flavor and color.
  3. Storage. Leftover wings keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven or air fryer for 8-10 minutes to crisp the skin back up (microwaving will make them soggy). The crema keeps up to 5 days refrigerated.
  4. Don't over-marinate. Fresh pineapple juice contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. Four hours to overnight is the sweet spot — much longer than 24 hours and the wings can turn mushy. If you're using 100% pineapple juice from a can or bottle, it's usually pasteurized (which deactivates the enzyme), so you have a little more flexibility.

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