Pollo Asado Recipe
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This pollo asado recipe creates a juicy grilled chicken dinner that starts with a quick and easy lime juice, Mexican spices and achiote marinade. Use my recipe tips and video to make a fantastic Cinco de Mayo meal!
Grilled and roasted meats are very popular in Mexican cuisine. From chicken fajitas to barbacoa beef and chipotle carne asada, Mexicans are skilled at creating dishes with a great balance of smoky and spicy flavors and pollo asado is no exception!
What is Pollo Asado?
The Spanish word “pollo” translated to English means “chicken”, and asada (or asado) means “roasted” or “barbecued”.
Pollo asada (also spelled pollo asado) is a flavorful marinated chicken dish with roots tied to Mexico and Cuba. The Mexican pollo asado marinade features freshly squeezed citrus juices and Mexican spices, including achiote, which gives the dish a beautiful red color.
The chicken pieces are almost always grilled over indirect heat, but as the name implies, it is sometimes roasted in the oven. Here I use chicken thighs, but other cuts of chicken can include chicken breast. Perfect to eat as is with any Mexican side dish or cut into strips for tacos.
💲💲 MONEY SAVING TIP:
Many people aren’t aware of this, but most grocery stores with a butcher will break down a whole fryer chicken for you at no charge. All you have to do is buy the whole fryer from that store and then take it to the butcher counter and ask!
- Chicken– You’ll need 5 pounds of bone-in chicken for this Mexican chicken recipe. The budget-friendly route is to buy what’s known as a “whole fryer chicken”, which you can then cut into individual pieces. If you aren’t comfortable breaking down a chicken into pieces yourself, get one that’s already broken down.
- Achiote paste– Achiote paste (also known as recado) is a flavorful spice made by grinding annatto seeds and combining them with vinegar, garlic and other spices. Generally, the paste is sold in small, 4-ounce blocks. Deep red in color, achiote has a slightly peppery, smoky flavor. You can read more about achiote paste in my post Achiote and the Annatto Seed.
- Orange and lime: Orange and lime juice to create a delicious citrus flavor base for the marinade.
- Seasonings: I used a mix of cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, Mexican oregano.
- Marinate the chicken a minimum of 45 minutes, but I recommend 4 hours or up to overnight. Unlike beef, poultry doesn’t have any tough connective tissue that needs to be tenderized. It starts to break down and the texture gets mushy. While it’s OK to marinate overnight, any longer would be far too long if the marinade or rub has a high acid base (vinegar, wine, citrus juice and tomatoes, etc).
- Prepare the Grill. To prevent your pollo asado from burning, it’s important to set up your grill for indirect cooking. This just means that one side of the grill will be hotter than the other.
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. - Grill your chicken. Remove the chicken from the pollo asado marinade and shake off any excess. Place the pieces skin side down on the direct heat side of the grill, close the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes. Open the lid and move the pieces to the indirect heat side of the grill. You can flip the pieces over if you’d like to, but it isn’t necessary. Close the lid and continue cooking for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken internal temp reaches 165°F on a probe cooking thermometer.
- Cook on the Stovetop: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the meat, until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F on an instant read thermometer.
- Bake in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a large foil-lined baking dish. Bake the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F on an instant-read thermometer (chicken thighs and tenders need 15 minutes. Medium to large breasts need 20 to 25 minutes).
Achiote paste substitute
If you need a substitute, it’s easy to make. For this pollo asado recipe, you’ll need 2 ounces of paste. To make the substitute, combine the following ingredients together in a small bowl:
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Looking for other ways to use achiote paste?
Make my recipe for Yucatan Chicken Tostadas or Achiote Pan Seared Chicken.
Pollo Asado Recipe Serving Suggestions
Anything that you enjoy eating with grilled chicken will be delicious with Mexican grilled chicken. Good choices include this Mexican rice recipe or mashed potatoes, grilled cactus, and Mexican black beans and corn.
Pollo asado is a citrus based, tangy, grilled chicken with achiote paste giving it it’s distinct red color while chipotle chicken highlights the smoky, earthiness heat of the chipotle pepper.
Achiote paste (also known as recado) is a flavorful spice made by grinding annatto seeds and combining them with vinegar, garlic and other spices. Generally, the paste is sold in small, 4-ounce blocks. Deep red in color, achiote has a slightly peppery, smoky flavor.
I say yes, but if you can’t find it I have an achiote paste substitute listed in the recipe card with ingredient substitutions to make your very own. If anything you could just add some smoked paprika.
Look for achiote powder and paste in the ethnic foods aisle of most larger grocery stores. If you’re unable to find it there, almost all Latin markets carry it or you can purchase online.
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Pollo Asado
Ingredients
- 5 lb whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp kosher 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
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and achiote paste (See Note) and cook for several minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.
- 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 a minimum of 45 minutes, but I recommend 4 hours or up to overnight (8 hours).
- Grilling: Preheat grill to 350°F to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade, then discard the bag of marinade. We will be grilling with indirect heat.
- 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).
- 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.
- Cook on the Stovetop: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the meat, until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F on an instant read thermometer.
- Bake in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on a large foil-lined baking dish. Bake the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°F on an instant-read thermometer (chicken thighs and tenders need 15 minutes. Medium to large breasts need 20 to 25 minutes).
Video
Notes
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi Kevin,
I only have achiote seasoning (a blend with annato) and ground annato, also a powder. Is there a way to
use these in the recipe? Love your recipes.
Thanks!
Tammy
Definitely Tammy. I also give an alternative mix in the Notes of the recipe. So happy you enjoy the recipes. Much appreciated!
I made this recipe last night- but with boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a gas stove with a cast iron pan. We shredded the meat for chicken tacos. It was amazing. My husband won’t stop talking about it; he loved it. This is a keeper. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
So glad all of you enjoyed this one Jacque! It’s a family favorite here too! 🙂
Hi Kevin. This recipe looks delicious, but I’m wondering if I can use the marinade without the oil to make it healthier. It wasn’t clear to me if I could just reduce the marinade time. I’m also wondering if you’ve ever added a little liquid smoke and roasted the chicken, as I’m trying to cook this in my oven.
If anything I would decrease the oil, it’s needed and is just the marinade and you can baste it while grilling. Not all of it is used. As for marinating, I do give a 2-4 hour range, you could try less, but I haven’t. The liquid smoke sounds like a great idea if cooking it in the oven. 🙂
Thanks, Kevin. I made this last night, and it was delish! I used the used the marinade recipe as written, with the achiote paste alternative and only substituting smoked paprika whenever paprika was called for. After marinading overnight, I spatchcocked the chicken, dried the skin, and cooked it under a brick. The smoky flavor had penetrated the meat, the skin was crispy, and the chicken was extraordinarily moist throughout. I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Love the way you made this yours Leilani, great idea spatchcocking it and using a brick to crisp it up. 🙂
Hi Kevin from sunny Melbourne! I loved this recipe; even though getting achiote paste requires a special trip to the only shop in the city that sells it, this recipe made it worth the journey! I bbq’d chicken thighs, then sliced them and made tacos with your pickled onions, a smear of sour cream and fresh coriander. It was so good I’m making it for Australia Day this weekend! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Excellent Beck and a BUG CHEERS to you on Australia Day!
I made the recipe according to your directions. Kevin, it turned out be absolutely fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing. I now have a new chef to look to for more recipes.
Oh by do I have lots of tasty selections all ready for you Donna. Search away on the site, if there is anything you’d like to see please let me know!
HI, I only have the achiote powder, do you nkow how I might sub that in this recipe. Thanks!
Safe bet would be 1 1/2 tablespoons achiote powder and use the recipe I have in the Notes section of the recipe card Tammy. Thanks!
Awesome, will try that!
Nice!
I tried this last night and OMG !!! Best chicken I’ve ever made ! I used all the ingredients but It was late so I missed the cooking the spices down together part , but it was phenomenal. I’m going to make it again today, but I’m going to cook the ingredients together this time see if there’s a difference. I also used a whole bird , butterflied and it was perfectly cooked
Thanks for taking the time to come back to let me know Jessica. So happy you found me and enjoyed this one!
Kevin, I made this yesterday and my son and I loved it. I made it for my youngest son because his boyfriend (who is Mexican) tried to make it for him last week and bombed, lol. I used chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on, and marinated it for 6 hours, threw them on the gas grill and basted them only once with the pureed marinade in the beginning. Don’t know why I have never made this before but glad I finally did as this is a keeper! Super easy too! Thanks!!!!
Thanks for reminding me of this one, it’s been a while since I made it. I agree, this is really easy. So glad all of you enjoyed this one Debbie!
I travel a lot and collect spices and ethic foods along the way 🙂 Always looking for new ways to use them.
I Totally love your creative cooking style and global variety of recipes. I have found many ways to use my spices on your site. This time I was looking for a recipe to use some achiote I brought back from Jamaica.
I’ve made Pollo Asado three times now. It is fantastic. The achiote adds a wonderful depth of flavor. I’ve used it for chicken, Quorn veggie meat (sliced to absorb more flavor during marinade) and beef (carne asada). Achiote can be found at any Mexican or Puerto Rican grocery store or online at Amazon…I’ll need another excuse to go to back to Jamaica 🙂
Thanks again for sharing your recipes…
Elissa
Yay! A fellow world traveler! It is a passion of mine to explore and enjoy the cuisines and history of so many destinations and cultures. Thanks for the kind words Elissa and for stopping by to drop this comment. Much appreciated and enjoy!
Question. Why is there 1278 msgs of sodium with only 2 teaspoons of Kosher Salt?
Marina, thanks for the inquiry. I double checked the recipe plugin that calculates the nutrition and for whatever reason it had the achiote paste as salt as well. Updated now to reflect, so thanks for catching that for me and others.