Pollo Asado is marinated in citrus juices and a special blend of spices and then grilled to perfection. It’s delicious fresh off the grill with your favorite sides and leftovers are amazing in tacos, burritos or quesadillas!
Oh wow, is it August already? Wasn’t it just yesterday when we were welcoming the New Year with new resolutions? We’re now halfway through the year and I can’t even remember what I was promising myself to change!
Time sure flies when we’re having fun.
July was indeed loads of fun for G and me, it’s both our birthday month. We went on a three-day vacay to Las Vegas on my birthday week and you know how grand a time a trip to Sin City can be. Good thing what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. ?
Last Saturday, I pulled together a small BBQ party at home to celebrate his. Nothing fancy, just a few of our closest friends in attendance and a simple dinner which I served al fresco. I decided on a Mexican theme for the party and I have to say, it turned out to be one of the most fun get-togethers I’ve thrown in a while. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves and judging from the almost-empty disposable serving pans, they all loved the food.
We had carne asada, this chicken asada, rice, Charro Beans with chorizo along with the usual accompaniments of pico de gallo, guacamole, and homemade tortillas and corn chips. I will be sharing the rest of the recipes with you these coming days so stay tuned for lots of great food ahead.
Pollo Asado is the equivalent of roasted chicken in Spanish cuisine. Made with a simple marinade of citrus juices and spices, it’s one of the easiest and simplest you can throw on the grill for a delicious lunch or dinner meal. You can substitute bone-in chicken if you like, but I prefer boneless thigh meat as it takes less time to cook and can easily be turned into tacos or burritos without haggling with bones.
Along with orange, lime, and lemon juices, the marinade includes achiote paste which is widely used in Mexican cuisine. A thick paste of ground annatto, cumin, cloves, oregano, garlic, cinnamon, and pepper, it is used in cooking to add a subtle hint of flavor and an enticing golden color. You can find this seasoning paste (this is an affiliate link) at any Latin grocery stores or in the ethnic section of most major supermarkets. You can also order it on Amazon for convenient delivery.
This Mexican-style grilled chicken recipe serves about 4 to 6 persons but can be easily doubled for a large crowd. Amazing fresh off the grill, Pollo Asado also makes great leftovers. I always like to marinate and grill more than we can consume in one meal as I usually serve the first half with rice and beans for dinner, and the remaining half I use as filling for tacos, burritos, and quesadillas or as topping for nachos and salads to speed up next day’s lunch.
Pollo Asado
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 oranges, juiced (about 1 cup)
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 4 ounces achiote paste
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
Instructions
- Trim chicken of any excess fat. Wash and drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, achiote paste, bouillon powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk together until well-combined.
- Place chicken, onions, garlic and the juiced oranges, limes, and lemons (the skins) in the bowl. Massage meat to fully coat with marinade. Cover bowl and marinate meat for at least 2 hours or 4 hours for maximum flavor.
- Over hot coals, grill chicken for about 7 to 10 minutes on each side or until thermometer inserted in the center reads 165 F and the outside is nicely charred. Remove from heat and allow to rest for about 3 to 5 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition
I have been searching for a good pollo asado recipe and, thanks to you, I’ve finally found it!. This was so delicious. I also grilled the marinated quartered onion along with the chicken. Can we say “YUM!”
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. The grilled onions sound delicious!
I ACTUALLY MADE THIS!! It was fantastic! A real crowd pleaser and very easy to put together and grill. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hello Terry,
Thank you for the feedback. This chicken is a favorite in my house and I am glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
I love Chicken. This is perfect for the weekend. Thanks for sharing!
I’m sure kids will love this a lot!
Thanks, Ayesha 🙂
Definitely one of my favorite dishes! This looks so good!
Thank you, I hope you give it a try 🙂
Thank you for the tip about the paste. Ill be looking out for it. We just ate pollo loco last night using a copycat recipe, but your recipe sounds devine. We will try it next time.
I really want to try these. looks so tempting.
Please do try, it made for one fantastic lunch 🙂
My son is requesting me of a chicken and I am cramming right now what to cook. This is the answer! Thanks to you.
I am sure he’ll enjoy it. Thanks, Kathy 🙂
It does look good for having it as leftovers for taco. I like it, though I tend to avoid it being well-done.
The leftovers are perfect for tacos or burritos. Already well seasoned and goes well with other fillings 🙂
oh that looks really good. we will have to try this out. we love chicken!
Thanks, Katrina 🙂
It looks so Delicious! I am definitely going to try this ASAP. Perfect recipe for summer and particularly on BBQ day.
I hope you do. It’s a refreshing change of flavor for summer BBQ’s 🙂
Oh my goodness! This is really delicious and tasty. For sure my family would love it. I’ll have to try this today.
Sounds like you had a wonderful July & with Birthday falling on same time for both adds more excitation to the month as well. The BBQ party sounds great & Pollo Asado looks absolutely delicious for sure!
Hello Lisa
Yes, we had an awesome time celebrating our birthdays.
The Mexican food was amazing! It was a refreshing change from the usual hamburgers and rubs we always do 🙂
Oh, I want to try this. Your photo looks really tempting and the food looks so delicious.
Thaks, Karlyn. Please do give this a try 🙂
Mexican foods are one of my favorites! I love the tastes and textures. This recipe does incredibly delicious!
Mine, too! I just love the big bold flavors of this cuisine.
I’m sure that this would be a crowd pleaser. Excellent that it works well for leftovers too.
It was crowd pleaser, indeed. Everyone at our party enjoyed the food and I didn’t have any leftovers even with the good amount I prepared 🙂
Oh, I want to try this. It looks really yummy. Mexican food is a must-try.
Thanks, Nikki.
That’s smart to use the rest to fill tacos. It sounds really good to me.
Yes, this pollo asado is perfect for taco-making 🙂
This sounds so delicious! I love Mexican style food, so I know I would love this!
Thanks, Echo 🙂
I can’t believe we’re already a week into August either. Time flies! This dish looks SO good! It might be dinner tonight!
Where does time go, right?
I do hope you give it a try. Easy and delicious!
Yummy and delicious. I will share this recipe with others too, as it is simple and unique. Thank you
Thank you, Akhil. 🙂
Yumm… That looks delicious! I would love to try out your recipe.
Thanks, Jasmine 🙂
This looks so amazing. I am going to try it this weekend. Yum! Pinned!
It’s perfect for weekend grilling 🙂
Oh yum! That flavor sounds amazing with chicken. This would be a lot of fun to try.
That looks so good! I’ll have to give this a try soon. I bet I’m going to love it too.
I hope you do:)
Pollo asado is my absolute favorite! I love the spice and always use it for tacos. Definitely going to try your recipe out!
xo
Sami
http://www.theclassicbrunette.com
I always double the recipe as it’s really good for making tacos the next day 🙂
Sounds quite good! I love anything with chicken in it and this recipe sounds really nice
Yes, I love anything chicken as well. It’s the perfect canvas for any flavor or seasonings you can think of and this pollo asado is definitely one of my favorite ways to prepare it 🙂
I’m glad you had a lot of fun in Vegas! It’s hard not to have a great time there. This recipe looks so good, it got me craving for some barbecued chicken! I’m definitely giving this a try.
Thank you and yes, it’s hard NOT to have a great time in Vegas. So much fun stuff to do.
I hope you give the recipe a try, you’ll enjoy it especially with all the fixings 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious! I love that it is so simple, a quick meal, and packed full of protein. Printing your recipe now, thank you!
Thanks Heather 🙂
This sounds so good to eat!! I love trying new chicken recipes, this sounds like one that my kids will love!
My niece and nephew loved it. They won’t touch the rice or the beans but they couldn’t get enough of the chicken 🙂
My mouth is already watering 🙂
Thanks, Andrea 🙂
It’s so fun to try out new cuisine, especially from different cultures. I love the idea of doing a theme night.
Yes, it’s always fun to try different cuisines. Dinner meals are never boring 🙂
I’m going to get some achiote paste stat. This is too good to pass up. The chicken looks amazing! Pinned!
You can pick up some at Walmart 🙂
OMG yum! I love anything Mexican Food. Your pictures are beautiful!
I love anything Mexican food, too. I can eat all day every day 🙂
That looks really yummy and healthy for you.
Yes, it has simple ingredients and none of the fat you get from frying 🙂
This is a great way to BBQ. I will use this idea for my next get together.
I hope you do, it’s a nice change of flavor for your BBQ party 🙂
Pollo asado is so delicious! My husband loves it. I will try this recipe.
He’s going to love this, so good with rice and beans and fresh salsa 🙂
would love to go to a barbq like this oh look at all the good eats
This sounds great! I am going to try this week. I think my family will love it, and it will be something new.
Yes, please, give it a try. I am sure the family will enjoy the delicious Mexican feast 🙂
Who doesn’t like easy peasy recipes? I am adding this to my menu plan for next week! Sounds very good.
Hooray for easy peasy recipes, right? Who wants to be stuck in the kitchen preparing elaborate meals when we can out and about enjoying the beautiful outdoors? 🙂
I’ve never made POLLO ASADO but it sounds absolutely scrumptious. I can’t wait to try this, I’ve been looking for something different to try this weekend.
Scrumptious indeed 🙂 The meat is moist and flavorful. Do give it a try, it’s a delicious change of pace from hamburgers and stuff we usually throw on the grill 🙂
I can just smell this now!!! I really can’t want to give it a try as this is a recipe that I would probably make all summer long!
Yes, this is just the kind of thing to serve al fresco and enjoy all summer long 🙂
That looks and sounds delicious! I adore Mexican food
You and me both! I just love the big, bold flavors of Mexican food 🙂
That sounds so good. I can’t wait to try this. I will be soon, though.
I hope you, I am sure you’ll love it 🙂