The pilot for United States of Al received a large production commitment from CBS in October 2019, developed by Chuck Lorre, David Goetsch, and Maria Ferrari.

Executive producer Reza Aslan said the goal of the show was to get a Muslim protagonist on network television who could reframe American perceptions of Muslims and people from that region, and that Chuck Lorre could transform heavy topics like immigration and xenophobia into entertaining content without losing their edge.

Dean Norris joined the comedy after his main dramatic role in Breaking Bad, explaining he had met Chuck Lorre while working on six episodes of The Big Bang Theory.

Adhir Kalyan and Parker Young were cast as the leads in December 2019, followed by Dean Norris, Kelli Goss, and Elizabeth Alderfer the next year, with Farrah Mackenzie joining soon after.

Although the series is set in Columbus, Ohio, it was actually filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.

The show's chances of renewal were reportedly tied to the fate of another Chuck Lorre CBS series, B Positive; both shows were ultimately renewed for second seasons together in May 2021.

The series was criticized by many critics for its humor and use of antiquated tropes, as well as for casting Indo-South African actor Adhir Kalyan to play an Afghan lead with what reviewers called an 'inauthentic accent,' though some praised its efforts to diversify television.

The Afghan-American Foundation criticized the casting of the lead role but praised the show for including Afghan-American writers, calling it 'commendable and unprecedented.'