What is pollo asado in English?

Pollo asado means grilled or roasted chicken in Spanish. In Mexican cooking, it usually means chicken marinated in achiote paste, sour orange, garlic, and spices, then grilled al carbon style over charcoal until the edges char.

What cut of chicken is best for pollo asado?

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are my go-to because they stay tender and reheat really well (as you can see by the photos above of previously frozen, thawed, and reheated pollo asado) . This tender cut is ideal for using in different dishes all week. That said, you can also use bone-in thighs, drumsticks, breasts, or even a whole chicken. Cook whichever cut you choose to 165°F.

Can you make pollo asado without a grill?

Yes. Grilling gives you the most char, but the oven and a cast-iron skillet both work well. Roast in a preheated 350°F oven for 40-50 minutes for bone-in pieces, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours for a whole chicken, or sear in a hot skillet, and cook the chicken to 165°F either way. See the cooking times chart above in this post for each type and cut.

How long should you marinate pollo asado?

Anywhere from 4 hours to overnight, but my sweet spot is 12 to 14 hours. While technically you can marinate it for only 1 hour and it'll be good, it won't ever be as good as a properly marinated chicken asado. Because the marinade is acidic from the citrus, do not go much past overnight, or the surface of the meat can turn soft or mushy.

What temperature should chicken be cooked to?

165°F is the safe minimum internal temperature for all chicken, measured in the thickest part away from the bone. Dark meat like thighs is safe at 165°F, though some cooks take it to 175°F. Without a thermometer, you can insert a wooden skewer into the thickest part, and if the juices run clear, the chicken is done.

What do you serve with pollo asado?

Cilantro lime rice, refried beans, a side salad or even a baked potato all make great sides for pollo asado and make it a full Mexican dinner. But you can use it in tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, and nachos (even as a pollo asado salad topper) with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and pico de gallo.

Pollo Asado (Mexican Grilled Chicken)

Name: Pollo Asado Recipe (Mexican Grilled Chicken al Carbon)
Prep time: 12 h 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 12 h 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2/3 cup fresh orange juice (155g); 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (70g); 1/4 cup achiote paste (60g); 1 tablespoon soy sauce (15g); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (15g); 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (7g); A few sprigs fresh cilantro (3g); 8 garlic cloves; 2 to 3 jalapeños (or serranos), optional; 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (10g); 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or a whole 3 to 4 lb chicken, or mixed pieces); 1 tablespoon olive oil (14g), to brush; 2 teaspoons olive oil (9g), optional, for cooking the leftover marinade to reduce it to use as a sauce

Description

This pollo asado recipe turns any cut of chicken into tender, charred grilled Mexican chicken in a bright achiote and citrus marinade. Make it on the grill, in the oven, or on the stovetop. It's perfect for any Mexican-themed meal!

Ingredients

Units

For the marinade

2/3 cup fresh orange juice (155g)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (70g)
1/4 cup achiote paste (60g)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (15g)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (15g)
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (7g)
A few sprigs fresh cilantro (3g)
8 garlic cloves
2 to 3 jalapeños (or serranos), optional
1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (10g)

For the chicken

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or a whole 3 to 4 lb chicken, or mixed pieces)
1 tablespoon olive oil (14g), to brush
2 teaspoons olive oil (9g), optional, for cooking the leftover marinade to reduce it to use as a sauce

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Instructions

Make the marinade. Add all marinade ingredients to a blender and puree until completely smooth and the peppercorns have broken down.
Divide it. Pour off 1 cup (230g) of the marinade for the chicken. Keep the remaining marinade in a separate container so it never touches raw meat and can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. For a larger bird, you can use all of it.
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken to the 1 cup of marinade, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate. Anywhere from 1 hour to overnight works, and 12 to 14 hours is the sweet spot. Do not go past 18 hours, since the acidic marinade will start to soften the surface of the meat.
Prepare the chicken to grill. Remove the chicken and discard the marinade it sat in (or cook it with a little EVOO added for 10 minutes so it’s safe to consume and use in other recipes). Pat the chicken dry and brush it all over with the 1 tablespoon oil.
Grill the chicken. Heat the grill to medium-high. Grill the thighs for 6 to 8 minutes per side, adding an extra minute per side for thicker cuts (and reducing it by a minute or two if using thinner, smaller cuts), until they reach 165°F.
Rest and serve. Rest the chicken a few minutes, then slice or chop it for whatever you are making.

Notes

Marinade yield and the reserve. The marinade makes about 1 1/2 cups. Use 1 cup for a 3 lb chicken and reserve about 1/2 cup, or use all of it for a larger bird. The reserved portion never touched raw meat, so you can refrigerate it up to 5 days, freeze it up to 1 year, drizzle it, or simmer it with the 2 teaspoons olive oil for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce it into a dipping sauce.

Oven method. Roast at 350°F until the chicken reaches 165°F. See the cooking chart below for approximate times by cut.

Cast-iron method. Sear over medium-high heat, about 6 to 8 minutes per side for large boneless thighs, until they reach 165°F.

Salt. Written for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you use Morton kosher or table salt, start with about half by volume or match by weight, since 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal is about 10g.

Temperature is the guide, not the clock. Cook all chicken to an internal 165°F in the thickest part, away from the bone.

Food safety. Never reuse the marinade the raw chicken sat in as a sauce unless you boil it first (I like to add about 2 teaspoons (8g) of EVOO to it and cook it for 10 minutes to reduce it to a sauce consistency).

For approximate cooking times by cut and method, see the cooking times chart in the main post above. Always cook chicken to 165°F.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinate Tiime: 12 hours (anywhere from 1 hour to overnight)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dinner, Lunch
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: Mexican, Mexican & Latin, Mexican + Tex-Mex

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
Calories: 284
Sugar: 0.4g
Sodium: 258mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 1g
Fiber: 0.1g
Protein: 44g
Cholesterol: 100mg