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My family can’t get enough of my pollo asado recipe. Featuring marinated oven-baked chicken coated in a citrus, garlic, and chili mix, it’s deceptively easy to make at home!
If you’re looking for new ways to spice up your chicken dinner, try my chicken caprese, Persian chicken, or chicken Milanese next.
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If I only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table, chicken is almost always my protein of choice. When I need a chicken recipe that’s miles above the rest, I make asado chicken.
It’s as simple to make as baked chicken breast, but with a little garlic, citrus, and a handful of spices, you get chicken that’s crispy on the outside, juicy in the center, and layered with bold Mexican flavors.
What is pollo asado?
The Spanish word “pollo” translates to chicken, and “asado” means roasted or grilled. Thus, this dish roughly translates to roasted chicken. Similar to lechon asado, what makes it unique is the blend of citrus, herbs, and authentic Mexican spices.
Why I love this recipe
- Oven and grill options. While we prefer to roast our pollo, I also tested it on the grill and oven.
- Easy. Just marinate the chicken and let it bake in the oven.
- Perfect texture. It’s crisp and lightly charred on the outside yet tender in the center.
- Leftover and freezer-friendly. I love to meal prep this asado recipe, and it’s easy to make extra and freeze it for another day.
- Perfect for hosting. There’s no more work to make this dish than air fryer chicken thighs, yet it’s more impressive for feeding a crowd.
Key ingredients
- Chicken thighs. I prefer skin-on and bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe as it yields the juiciest results. If you’d rather use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time.
- Citrus juices. I used lime juice and orange juice. Freshly squeezed juice is preferred but not necessary.
- Olive oil. To give the chicken a crust.
- Vinegar. For zesty flavor and tang. I prefer white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Achiote paste. Achiote paste is a condiment blending ground achiote seeds with other spices. It has a sweet, smoky, and peppery flavor, and it gives the chicken its red color. I can find the paste at most grocery stores, but if you can’t, make some using my recipe in the recipe card or use 4 tablespoons of achiote powder.
- Garlic. Use either freshly minced garlic or bottled garlic over the powdered stuff.
- Mexican spices. I used a blend of Mexican oregano, ground cumin, black pepper, onion powder, and salt.
How to make pollo asado
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Marinade. Place the chicken in a bowl. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour marinade over the chicken. Cover the bowl and marinate it in the fridge.
Step 2- Prep. Let the chicken come to room temperature. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3- Bake. Bake the chicken until it’s crispy and reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Let the chicken rest. 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.
- Marinate for longer. Thirty minutes is perfectly fine, but if time allows, I prefer marinating it for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Reserve some marinade. I like to baste the chicken regularly throughout the cooking process with the leftover marinade, as this adds more flavor and moisture to the meat.
- Keep an instant read thermometer handy. This is by far my most used kitchen tool. It helps prevent overcooking (or undercooking) the chicken. Make sure the temperature reaches at least 165F before pulling from the oven.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! If you have a whole chicken, you can easily modify this recipe. Coat the chicken in the marinade mixture (making sure to get in every nook and cranny), then bake at 450F for at least 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F.
While there are some spicy elements in the marinade, this dish is not overtly spicy, so even those who are chili-averse can enjoy it.
More Mexican-inspired recipes
- Pork carnitas
- Shrimp fajitas
- Chicken al pastor
- Beef barbacoa
- Or any of these Mexican recipes
Pollo Asado
Video
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in chicken thighs skin-on
- 1 small orange juiced
- 1 small lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste * See notes
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon cumin dried
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, achiote paste, garlic, oregano, cumin, black pepper, onion powder and salt.
- Add the chicken, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to four hours.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and let the chicken sit at room temperature.
- Lightly grease a large baking tray and arrange the marinated chicken thighs on it.
- Bake the chicken for 28-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Notes
- Sides. Serve it with warm tortillas, beans, and coconut milk rice for a complete dish.
- Toppings. Add pico de gallo or guacamole to balance the spiciness of the chicken.
- Serve the chicken in tacos, burritos, air fryer quesadillas, or taco bowls.
What can I use instead of anchiote paste?
I’ve included tips on making your own in the recipe card
What would suggest serving this with ? Rice/potatoes/pasta/vegetables etc etc
I personally love rice or thick bread, anything that can soak up those incredible juices 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. I have two questions before I try this recipe:
1. Will it cause the meat to get dry if I use boneless, skinless thighs? If I use thighs with the skin on and remove it after cooking, I think I’d be losing a lot of the delicious flavor, right?
2. I’ve not heard of achiote paste but I did Google it. I’m a little hesitant to buy something that I may not use regularly and only need 2 Tbsp. Is there a good substitute? If you think it’s a game changer, then I’ll go ahead and get some! Thank you!
Hi Jeanne! Boneless and skinless thighs will work well 🙂 As for the paste, you can use some white vinegar whisked with some garlic and smoked paprika.