Pollo Asado Recipe

This easy, juicy and tender Mexican Pollo Asado (Chicken Asado) is marinated in a zesty, earthy and citrusy marinade with lots of Mexican spices and achiote, then grilled to perfection. This chicken is incredibly easy and quick to put together and perfect for a Cinco de Mayo family-style meal or an easy weeknight dinner!

You’re in for a treat with this Pollo Asado especially if you love grilled chicken loaded with lots of delicious flavors. You probably think that this chicken is spicy because of it’s vivid red color, when in reality, it’s not. It’s actually quite mild. But that doesn’t mean that it lacks flavor! This Mexican chicken is marinated in lots of citrus juices, Mexican spices and the star ingredient here, achiote powder which gives this chicken its beautiful color.

Pollo Asado is usually grilled, but if you don’t have an outdoor grill, using a grill pan works just as well. There are many ways you can serve this chicken but I love serving this with my delicious corn salad and a side of rice. This chicken is also great on tacos, burritos or burrito bowls.

“Polo Asado” when translated to English means roasted chicken or barbecued chicken. Pollo asado is a delicious grilled chicken that’s been marinated in a red sauce made with lots of Mexican spices, citrus juices and achiote powder. It’s a dish commonly found in Mexican, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

You can use Achiote powder and achiote interchangeably because they are essentially the same. However achiote paste usually already has other ingredients added to it like like garlic, cumin, pepper, oregano to name a few.

You can use pretty much anything from the chicken in this recipe. Chicken breasts, thighs, drumsticks, they all work great. Chicken breasts are great if making tacos because it’s easier to chop but keep in mind that different cuts of meat may require different grilling times.

Pollo Asado

This pollo asado recipe creates a juicy grilled chicken dinner seasoned with citrus, Mexican spices and achiote. It’s the perfect Cinco de Mayo meal!

Prep: 15min

Total: 105min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 455 kcal, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 37 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 95 mg, Sodium 866 mg, Sugar 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 5 lb whole chicken (, cut into 8 pieces)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 2 oz achiote paste (optional (you will only use 2 oz. in this recipe. See Note 1))
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Instruction:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and achiote paste (if using, See Note 1) and cook for several minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.
2. Add cooled achiote garlic mixture, orange juice and lime juice to a bowl and whisk to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade in the bowl to use for basting the chicken as it grills. Add remaining marinade to a 1 or 2 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and massage the bag, then transfer to a refrigerator to allow the chicken to marinate for one hour (4 hours tops). Any longer will break down the proteins in the chicken, making it mushy. (See Note 2)
3. Preheat grill to 350°F to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade, then discard the bag of marinade (See step 5 below). We will be grilling with indirect heat.
4. For indirect cooking on a charcoal grill, place your lit charcoal across half of the grill and leave the other half empty. To indirect cook on a gas grill, only turn half of the burners on (for mine I keep the top Medium, middle Low and the bottom Medium).
5. Grill chicken, covered, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into thickest portion of each piece, about 20 to 30 minutes. As chicken is cooking, use reserved marinade to baste the pieces every few minutes. I do not turn the chicken pieces over during cooking, as there is no need for grill marks.
6. When chicken is cooked, discard any leftover marinade.

Pollo Asado

Pollo Asado is easy, marinated, grilled or roasted chicken chock full of zippy, smoky, earthy, spicy Latin flavors! It’s stand alone scrumptious or add it to tacos, burritos, or bowls! It’s big on flavor and low on effort so it’s perfect for all your summer cookouts or an easy weeknight meal – the marinade literally does all the work! The Pollo Asado is marinated in an intensely flavorful mixture of citrus, spices and achiote powder, which imparts its signature red-orange color and big flavor. You can grill the chicken or roast the chicken and use the marinade on any cut of chicken you like! Serve the Pollo Asada with warm tortillas, beans and/or your favorite side dishes such as cilantro lime rice, corn salad and pina colada fruit salad for the ultimate feast.

Prep: 15min

Yield: 6

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs ((I remove the skin))
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces achiote paste
• 1 TBS EACH ground coriander, ground cumin, kosher salt
• 2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried oregano
• 1 tsp EACH pepper, chipotle chile pepper

Instruction:

1. Whisk all of the Marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or freezer size plastic bag. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 24 hours. Let chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. (If using chicken breasts, only marinate up to 12 hours or else it can become mushy.)
2. Note: These instructions are for bone-in chicken thighs – see below for different cuts of chicken. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 425-450°F, clean and grease grates with vegetable oil. Grill chicken skin side down first (if leaving on). Grill for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and an internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken to baking sheet in a single layer so they aren’t touching. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-35 minutes (depending on thickness), until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.
4. Serve pollo asado with warm tortillas, Mexican street corn (elotes) pina colada fruit salad and Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice. We also love it with avocado corn salsa, corn salsa, mango salsa, or pineapple salsa.

Pollo Asado (Chicken Asado)

This easy, juicy and tender Mexican Pollo Asado (Chicken Asado) is marinated in a zesty, earthy and citrusy marinade with lots of Mexican spices and achiote, then grilled to perfection. This chicken is incredibly easy and quick to put together and perfect for a Cinco de Mayo family-style meal or an easy weeknight dinner!

Prep: 10min

Total: 160min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 serving, calories 370 kcal, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 44 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 215 mg, Sodium 979 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g, unSaturated Fat 13 g

Ingredients:

• ½ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
• ¼ cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 ounces achiote powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 pounds chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instruction:

1. Make the marinade: Add all the marinade ingredients together to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours to overnight.
3. Preheat grill pan: Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat then add the vegetable oil and heat. If using an outdoor grill, preheat it to 350°F.
4. Cook the chicken: Cook the chicken thighs in batches, for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the thighs. If using the outdoor grill, grill the chicken covered for about 20 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The chicken is cooked through when an instant-read thermometer registers at 165°F to 175°F when inserted in the thickest part of each thigh.

Easy Pollo Asado {Mexican Grilled or Roasted Chicken}

Juicy flavorful chicken that’s been marinated in fresh citrus juices, and a spice blend that includes achiote powder. Cook on the grill or roast in the oven, instructions included for both!

Prep: 10min

Total: 80min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 serving, calories 262 kcal, Carbohydrate 3.1 g, Protein 46.3 g, Fat 6.4 g, Saturated Fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 150 mg, Fiber 0.1 g, Sugar 1.3 g

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut thinner *see notes ((or boneless skinless chicken thighs))
• 1/2 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/4 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp achiote powder (ground annatto)
• 2 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• 6 garlic cloves, minced ((or use 1 ½ tsp garlic powder))

Instruction:

1. Add all ingredients for the marinade to a bowl, and whisk until well combined.
2. Place the split chicken breast into a large container (I used a glass casserole dish).
3. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken. Flip the chicken, and pour the remaining marinade. Spread mixture around to ensure all pieces are coated.
4. Cover, and refrigerate for 1-4 hours. (See notes if you are wanting to make the night before.)
5. Pre-heat the grill to medium heat, and lightly grease with oil. (I like to use an oil soaked folded paper towel for this.)
6. Place the chicken breast on the grill (discard any remaining marinade), close the cover and grill 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook with lid closed another 3-5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165ºF).
7. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
8. Add optional garnish of chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges and your choice of sides, such as: warmed tortillas, beans, rice, salsas. Enjoy!

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