Pollo Asado {Grilled or Baked!}

This Pollo Asado recipe is quick, easy, and incredibly flavorful! It is full of bright and zesty flavors and perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.

Pollo Asado (Chicken Asado)

This Mexican grilled chicken recipe was inspired by Chipotle’s latest offerings. After recreating both their carnitas and sofritas, I had to do their pollo asado, and trust me, this one is a winner!

Pollo asado essentially means “roasted chicken” or “barbequed chicken.” It’s a Mexican twist on baked or grilled chicken that is marinated in citrus juice, spices, achiote paste, and garlic.

Why this recipe works

• It’s versatile. This chicken is flavorful but relatively mild, so there’s no worry it’ll overpower your dinner. You can add it to tacos, stuff them in quesadillas, or use it as the main protein source of your evening meal.
• It features juicy and tender chicken. Dark meat chicken is less finicky than white meat, so it’s harder to overcook and stays juicier longer. Safe to say, this dish is very hard to overcook!
• There is little hands-on cooking. Make a quick marinade, refrigerate the chicken, then pop it in the oven. You should only need to be active in the kitchen for about 10 minutes. 
• It’s healthy. Packed with protein, healthy fats, and a simple seasoning mix, it’s suitable for most diets out there!
• Oven or grill option. You can oven-bake the chicken or use an indoor or outdoor grill!

Ingredients (and substitutions)

• Citrus. Juice of both a lime and an orange is needed, preferably fresh.
• Oil. Olive oil is best, though any cooking oil will work.
• Vinegar. For a subtle added zesty flavor, use white vinegar or red wine vinegar. 
• Achiote paste. You can find this unique seasoning at most grocery stores (in the Mexican food aisle), online, or in specialty grocery stores.

• Garlic. Crushed.
• Spices. Oregano, cumin, black pepper, onion powder, and salt.
• Chicken. Preferably boneless thighs, either skin-on or skinless.

How to make pollo asado

Make the marinade. Combine the marinade ingredients (orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, achiote paste, garlic, oregano, cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper).

Marinate the chicken. Whisk this with a fork to fully combine, then add the chicken to a large bowl and pour the marinade over it. Make sure to fully coat the chicken on all sides, then cover and let the chicken marinade for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator. 

Prepare the chicken. When the chicken is almost done marinating, preheat the oven to 200C/400F and let the chicken sit at room temperature before cooking. 

Bake the chicken and serve. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake the chicken for 30 minutes.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Marinate for longer. While 30 minutes is ample time for this chicken to marinate, 4 hours or overnight is preferable, as the chicken absorbs more of the flavor.
• Use a meat thermometer. Keep an eye on the chicken, as bone one-in chicken thighs usually require more cooking time since the bone absorbs a lot of heat. To know if you’re chicken is fully cooked, test the thickest piece with a meat thermometer for an internal temperature of 74C/165F.
• Reserve some marinade. Baste the chicken regularly throughout the cooking process with the leftover marinade, and this will help add more flavor and moisture to the meat.
• Rest the chicken. As with any chicken recipe (especially ones with darker meat), let the chicken rest for 4-5 minutes before serving. This allows the internal juices to re-distribute and yield more flavorful and juicy chicken.

Recipe variations

Use other cuts of chicken. You can use any cut of chicken you want for this recipe, like chicken breasts, chicken wings, or even a whole spatchcocked chicken.

Grill the chicken instead of baking it. Clean the grill grates and lightly grease them, then add the chicken. Grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes on one side, then flip and grill for another 4-5 minutes. Continue grilling the chicken, flipping it every few minutes until it is fully cooked.

Add some heat. While the spice mix is overall quite mild, you can definitely add some extra heat to it with the addition of chili flakes, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.

Air fry it. If you love air fryer chicken thighs, you can cook these the same way. Essentially, they are the same, but with a fiery marinade.

Storage instructions

To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil in the fridge. Stored this way, it will last up to 4 days in the fridge. 

To freeze: Store cooled leftover chicken in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Transfer leftovers to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 177C/350F for 10-12 minutes or until fully reheated. If the chicken is wrapped in foil, do not unwrap it and bake it in the foil.

More Mexican dinners to try

Frequently asked questions