Mexican Pollo Asado Recipes

MEXICAN POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• Smash garlic cloves.
• Place all ingredients except chicken in blender.
• Pour over chicken breasts.
• Marinate 2 to 24 hours.
• Grill chicken breasts.
• Serve as desired.

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• Cut chicken breasts into two halves.
• Heat oil in small saucepan over medium high heat until very hot.
• While oil heats, mash cumin, salt, oregano, garlic and achiote powder into a paste with a mortar and pestle. Place the paste in a heat-proof bowl.
• Whisk hot oil into the garlic paste. Allow to cool slightly then add lime and orange juice, stirring well to combine.
• Pour marinade into a large ziploc bag, add chicken breast halves. Shake or knead to spread marinade throughout chicken.
• Refrigerate at least four hours to overnight.
• Grill over medium heat, turning, until chicken reaches internal temperature of 180 degrees.
• Place chicken on cutting board and let rest several minutes.
• Serve individually, or cut into bite sized pieces for making tacos or burritos.

POLLO ASADO RECIPE (MEXICAN ROAST CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Marinate the Chicken. Mix together 1/2 cup olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, sazon, achiote, paprika, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes and a bit of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to a large platter or dish and pour in the marinade. Alternatively, you can use a large sealable bag. Refrigerate and marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. 3 hours is best.
• Grill the Chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Heat your grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grates. Sprinkle the chicken with extra sazon and achiote powder. Grill the chicken pieces 5 minutes per side.
• Roast the Chicken. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Set the grilled chicken into a baking dish or cast iron pan and roast the chicken for 20 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through, turning half way through and basting often with the reserved marinade. The chicken should measure 165 degrees F. internally when checked with a meat thermometer.
• Garnish and serve!

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Add all ingredients except chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Marinate: Place chicken in a large gallon size ziploc bag and add the marinade. Close the bag, massage together to coat all the chicken and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours. (Do not marinate longer than 8 hours or the chicken will get tough and begin to break down.)
• Prepare the grill: Preheat grill to medium heat (350°F-375°F) for indirect cooking. This means light the burners (or charcoal) on one half of the grill, and leave them off on the other half. This creates a zone of direct heat and a zone of indirect heat. Grease the preheated grill grates to prevent sticking by wiping them down with a folded paper towel that's been soaked in vegetable oil.
• Grill: Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid. Grill chicken skin side down over direct heat for about 8 to 10 minutes with the lid closed as much as possible, until the skin is crispy and golden. Flip chicken over, move to indirect heat and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat is firm and the temperature registers 165°F. (Don't have an instant-read thermometer? Here's the one I recommend.)
• Time to eat! Serve pollo asado with warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas, Mexican street corn (elotes) and Mexican rice.

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• Place onion, olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, garlic, red peppers, sea salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken in a container or resealable plastic bag and pour marinade on top; toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill chicken until no longer pink in the centers, 6 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and achiote paste (if using, See Note 1) 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 for one hour (4 hours tops). Any longer will break down the proteins in the chicken, making it mushy. (See Note 2)
• Preheat grill to 350°F to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade, then discard the bag of marinade (See step 5 below). 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.
• When chicken is cooked, discard any leftover marinade.

ASADO DE PUERCO (MEXICAN PORK STEW)

Steps:

• Combine pork cubes, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until water evaporates. Continue cooking until the pork browns in its rendered fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut tops off the dried chiles and remove seeds. Heat chiles in a large skillet over low heat until they start to soften. Do not toast. Place chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Remove pork and set aside. Do not wash, wipe out, or clean the Dutch oven.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, reserving soaking water. Add cilantro, chicken bouillon, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon stick, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Pour in 1 cup soaking water and blend until smooth. Add 1 more cup soaking water, season with salt, and blend until completely smooth.
• Melt lard in the Dutch oven. Carefully add blended chile mixture and scrape up all browned bits. Bring to a boil and add pork. Reduce heat and cover partially, leaving about 1 inch open. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reaches the desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes.

POLLO ASADO

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together. Set aside, and start the charcoal. Follow instructions given above for preparing the grill. 1 large roasting or frying chicken, about 3 pounds (1.36 kilos). Remove neck, feet and giblets (if present) from the cavity, rinse chicken well in cold water and pat dry. This is the fun part. You can cut the chicken in half and roast the halves, but it looks fancier and stays juicier if you follow these steps. 1. Flip the chicken onto its breast. 2. Using kitchen shears or sharp knife, cut through the back as close to the backbone as possible (you want to keep as much skin intact as possible) The two halves will still be connected in the front of the chicken. 3. Flip chicken back over, breast up, and give it a mighty wallop on the breastbone to break it free so the two halves will lie flat. 4. Tuck wing tips securely behind the back. Tie drumsticks together close to the body, or at least make sure they are turned inward. 5. Smear the chicken all over, on both sides, with marinade and let rest until the grill is heated. 6. Place the chicken in the center of the grill, where the coals have been removed per instructions above, and roast without turning for about 45 minutes, or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with a fork. You will want to add more charcoal every 20- 30 minutes to keep the temperature in the grill at about 325 degrees, and baste the chicken with marinade every ten minutes. Just before the chicken is done, flip it over onto its breast for additional browning if desired. 7. Remove to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes