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Pollo Asado (Asado Chicken)

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 Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings

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

Instructions

MARINATE CHICKEN

  • 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.)

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN ON THE GRILL

  • 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.

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN IN THE OVEN

  • 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.

SERVE

Notes

  • Achiote paste: is made by grinding annatto seeds and combining them with vinegar, oregano, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, garlic and salt.  The paste is slightly sweet, peppery, nutty and smoky.  It is what gives the Pollo Asado, and many other Latin dishes, their signature red-orange color and big flavor.   Generally, the achiote paste is sold in small, 3.5-ounce blocks.  We will use 2.5 ounces for this recipe, so a little more than two thirds of the block.  Look for achiote paste in the ethnic aisle of your local grocery store or by other Latin foods.  It can also be found at any specialty Latin market.  If you can’t find it near you, you can order it on Amazon here.
  • Kosher salt: if you don’t have kosher salt, substitute with HALF the amount of table salt.

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT

  • Storage: store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • To freeze:  let chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. Freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw Pollo Asado in the refrigerator overnight.  
  • Skillet:  reheat in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through, adding a splash of water for added moisture.
  • Microwave:  reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals, taking care not to overcook.
  • Oven:  reheat in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F or just until warmed through.

How long to grill cuts of pollo asado

Every cut of Pollo Asado is delicious thanks to the flavor injecting marinade. With each cut of chicken, take care to not overcook but grill to the specified temperature, light meat to 165 degrees F and dark meat to 175-180 degrees F.

boneless chicken breasts

  • Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness before marinating.
  • Preheat grill to 400-425°F, clean and grease grates.
  • Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through (an inserted thermometer should reach 165 degrees F).

boneless skinless chicken thighs

  • Preheat grill to 400-450°F, clean and grease grates.
  • Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through (an inserted thermometer should reach 175 degrees F).

BONE-IN CHICKEN THIGHS

  • Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 425-450°F, clean and grease grates.
  • Grill chicken skin side down first (if leaving on).  Grill for 5-7 minutes per side with the lid CLOSED, or until chicken is cooked through and an internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F.

CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

  • Preheat grill to 400-450°F, clean and grease grates.
  • Add chicken to the hot grill and sear for 5 minutes, uncovered, flip and sear an additional 5 minutes, uncovered.
  • Cover, and turn heat down to low so the temperature stays around 325°F when the lid is CLOSED.
  • Cook 5 minute then flip and cover; cook an additional 5 minutes.
  • Check chicken temperature. It should register 175-180°F. If chicken is not cooked to this temperature yet, flip and repeat steps until chicken is fully cooked through.

CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS

  • Preheat grill to high heat, clean and grease grates.
  • Add chicken to the hot grill and sear for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over and sear 5 minutes.
  • COVER and reduce heat to low so that the heat stays around 350 degrees F when the lid is closed. Grill with the lid closed for 12 minutes. Flip chicken over, cover and grill and additional 12 minutes. Check chicken temperature. It should register 175 degrees F. If chicken is not cooked to this temperature yet, flip and repeat steps until chicken is fully cooked through.