Shop
My
Custom
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
GET IT NOWI’m a big fan of Chipotle for quick lunches (there’s so much to love… Barbacoa! Guacamole! Salsa!), and this pollo asado with easy marinade was inspired by this new flavor of chicken that they launched last year. But since I’ve also been lucky enough to experience the real deal several times in Mexico as well, my target was kind of a mix of the one here and the one there. Needless to say, my pollo asado recipe turned out to be somewhere in between — and I love it this way. Make it with me and let me know what you think!
Why You Need My Pollo Asado Recipe
- Juicy grilled chicken in spiced orange-lime marinade – I love this pollo asado marinade when I get bored with basic grilled chicken thighs. It’s tangy, citrusy, a little sweet, and has plenty of spices. Major upgrade!
- Easy to make – Plus, you can prep this healthy dinner the day before (if you want to).
- 2 ways to cook – Ironically, even though pollo asado literally translates to roasted chicken in Spanish, I usually see grilled more often than roasted. I tested both cooking options, because I wanted to be able to make it no matter the weather. My fave is the grill for this recipe, but I have oven instructions for you, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my pollo asado recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken – You can use almost any cut, but I chose bone-in chicken thighs for my recipe because they’re so flavorful (and inexpensive). However, I make it with boneless skinless chicken thighs when I want to use the chicken for bowls or burritos like Chipotle does. I have instructions for other cuts below.
- Olive Oil – Makes up the base of the pollo asado marinade, locks in moisture, and adds flavor. Avocado oil works, too.
- Orange & Lime Juices – Classic pollo asado uses this citrus juice combination for a balance of tangy and sweet. I usually avoid sugary juices, but it made a big difference in flavor here, so I included it — and there’s still less than 1 gram of sugar per serving of the chicken. If you want to avoid sugar completely, omit the orange juice, and add a teaspoon of orange extract for flavor and a couple tablespoons of sugar-free honey for sweetness. It won’t be as traditional this way, but still delicious!
- Garlic – I highly recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor, but a tablespoon of jarred garlic or 3/4 teaspoon of garlic powder would be okay.
- Achiote Powder – This red spice is a main flavor in pollo asado. It’s made from from ground annatto seeds, and tastes earthy and a little sweet. I got my achiote powder here, but achiote paste should also work. The closest substitute would be paprika combined with a pinch of cayenne pepper and turmeric — but I think it’s just not the same!
- Mexican Spice Blend – Oregano, ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika (or sweet paprika works too), sea salt, and black pepper. I used regular dried oregano because it’s easier to find and I have it around more often, but feel free to substitute Mexican oregano if you have it!
How To Make Pollo Asado
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the pollo asado marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, achiote powder, and dried herbs and spices. The marinade is such a pretty bright red!
- Marinate the chicken. Place the chicken thighs in a large zip lock bag. Pour in the marinade, seal, and turn to coat well. (I usually massage the marinade into the chicken a bit.) Refrigerate while marinating.
- Cook the chicken. Place pollo asado on the grill and cook over indirect heat — see my tips below for more details. Alternatively, you can bake on a baking sheet in the oven.
- Rest and serve. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, tent with foil, and rest for at least 5 minutes before serving, to let the juices settle. I always serve this dish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for garnish and extra flavor!
My Recipe Tips
- Marinate for as long as you have time for, but not over 24 hours. In my experience, one hour is the bare minimum for the marinade to work well enough, but this chicken is even more juicy if you marinate the day before. Just don’t go over the 24-hour mark, or it’ll get mushy.
- What is indirect heat and why use it on the grill? Indirect cooking means the side of the grill without the burners on. I recommend this method for chicken thighs because the skin cooks more slowly and gets more crispy!
- Want extra crispy skin with the oven method? It gets pretty crispy anyway, but you can do a quick pan sear at the end to crisp it up even more.
- For the juiciest pollo asado, cook to 170 degrees F. It’s counterintuitive, but dark meat is more tender over 170 than at 165. You can use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness, but I like this probe thermometer because it just beeps when ready.
For more of my top tips, see my grilled chicken thighs or baked chicken thighs, depending on the method you’re using.
Make It With Other Cuts Of Chicken
If you don’t have bone-in chicken thighs and want to make my pollo asado recipe using other cuts of chicken, you absolutely can! The marinating process is the same, you’ll just need different timing for cooking. Here’s what I always do:
- Boneless Chicken Thighs – Grill over direct heat for 4-5 minutes per side, or bake at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes. These are my fave when I’m in a hurry because they cook much faster than bone-in thighs, but are still so juicy.
- Chicken Breast – To grill, cook over direct heat for 6-8 minutes per side. To bake chicken breasts, roast at 450 degrees F for 18-22 minutes. With either method, I highly recommend an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (unlike 170 for dark meat) to prevent drying out the lean white meat.
- Drumsticks – Grill skin side down over direct heat for 25 minutes, flipping every 5-7 minutes. For crispier skin, cook over indirect heat, following the method in my grilled chicken legs post. If you prefer the oven, bake chicken drumsticks at 425 degrees F for 35-45 minutes.
- Wings – Grill over direct heat for 10-12 minutes per side, or bake chicken wings for 35-40 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Serving Ideas
Pollo asado feels like summer to me, so I make it that time of year most often. I recommend serving it with other Mexican dishes:
- Sides – When I’m grilling, I usually pair this chicken with Mexican street corn and grilled zucchini. If you’re cooking inside, you can’t go wrong with my quick air fryer vegetables and a bed of rice (or my personal fave with this dish, cilantro lime cauliflower rice).
- Bowls & Tacos – Sometimes I meal prep this pollo asado recipe for a variation on my Chipotle-style bowls or taco salad, and just cut the meat away from the bone. It also makes awesome tacos with fresh salsa, shredded cheese, cilantro, and red onions.
- Pairings – Start your meal with my quick shishito peppers and healthy tortilla chips with guacamole. Sometimes I add a skinny margarita, too.
Pollo Asado (Grill Or Oven)
You'll love this easy pollo asado recipe with flavorful citrus marinade. Make it on the grill in the summer or in the oven year round!
Remove Ads
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, achiote powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.
-
Place the chicken thighs in a large zip lock bag. Add the pollo asado marinade, seal, and turn to coat well. Make sure each piece of chicken is fully coated in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
-
Grilling instructions: Towards the end of the marinating time, clean the grates of your grill with an oiled paper towel before cooking/preheating. Preheat half of the burners on the grill to medium-high for at least 10 minutes, leaving the other half off for indirect heat. Place chicken thighs skin side down on the grill over indirect heat (do not place above a burner that’s on). Close the grill and cook for 15-20 minutes. The indirect heat will allow the chicken to cook evenly without burning the skin. Once the skin is crispy, flip and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C).
Oven instructions: Towards the end of the marinating time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Place the chicken thighs on a baking sheet, with space between the pieces. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C).
-
Transfer the chicken to a plate, tent with foil, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
-
If you like (and I highly recommend!), serve your pollo asado garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken thigh
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get maximum tenderness in your chicken, plus my notes specific to either the grill or oven method.
- Using other cuts of chicken: If you don’t have or want to use bone-in chicken thighs, see my timing for other cuts above.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Meal prep: You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance, or cook ahead and store in meal prep containers for easy lunches. I even froze the chicken in marinade once and it grilled up beautifully after thawing.
- Reheat: I usually reheat pollo asado in the oven at 350 degrees F, but the grill over indirect heat works, too. The skin loses its crispness if you use the microwave.
- Freeze: Cool completely, then transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Note on nutrition info: The nutrition info uses half of the marinade, as at least half is discarded. I did not include the optional garnishes.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Pollo Asado
More Mexican Chicken Recipes
I love Mexican food and I love chicken, so I’ve got lots of recipes that use both. Here are a few you can try next:
7 Comments
Barb
0I make a lot of freezer meals. This sounds like a recipe that could be frozen raw for up to three months, thawed and then cooked per the instructions. The overnight thaw would replace the marinading time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Barb, Yes, you can definitely do that! The marinating time would technically start when the chicken mostly thaws, so just keep that in mind.
sarah
0This was so good loved the marinade on it. We cut it up and put it in tacos with rice and beans on the side. My whole family loved it!
claud
0What a blast of flavour this asado had! I loved how the citrus juice gave a nice sweet yet tangy bite and the chicken came out nice and juicy. I’m definitely will be making this again for my friend’s bbq potluck.
Ali
0We loved this recipe – the orange and lime in the marinade really add a delicious tangy sweetness to the chicken. Will definitely be making this again – thank you!
Shelby
0The orange paprika flavor on this chicken is amazing. It came out juicy and even the kids ate it!
Julianne
0This chicken was fantastic! I really love the citrus in that marinade, it had such great flavor.