Just the smell of the pollo asado is enough to make one’s mouth water. But what is pollo asado? The Spanish word “pollo” translated to English is “chicken” and “asado” means roasted or barbecued, so pollo asado is roasted chicken. However, pollo asado is not just any barbecued chicken, it is deeply flavorful because of the rich spices in its marinade— the citrus juices, cumin, paprika, and the achiote powder which gives the chicken its notable orange and red color. There are many variations of the pollo asado but it sure brings out the Mexican or Cuban heritage. In this recipe, we are pairing our pollo asado with our homemade tortilla so make sure to check it out as well.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice, about 1 medium orange
1 tbsp lime juice, about 1/2 line
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1 ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp coarse kosher salt
1 tbsp ground coriander or ground annatto seed
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp achiote powder
2-3 pounds of chicken thighs or legs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
cooking oil, for greasing
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, create the marinade by combining all the seasonings: orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, white wine vinegar, achiote powder, ground coriander, coarse kosher salt, minced garlic cloves, smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground black pepper, ground cumin, and ground cloves.
Cut the chicken breast in half for a thinner slice. Soak in the marinade and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Heat grill to medium heat for indirect cooking
Take chicken from marinade, letting excess liquid shake off. Cook chicken on the first side for 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F
Take out from the grill and dice the chicken.
Serve pollo asado with tortillas and toppings of choice— cheese, pico, lime juice, hot sauce, etc. Enjoy!
Homemade Tortilla
Ingredients:
4 cups or 520 grams of all-purpose flour, plus more dusting
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp or 85 grams of vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cup of warm water
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Add vegetable shortening and mix using hands to incorporate the shortening into all the dry ingredients.
Add 1 3/4 cup of warm water and knead until smooth. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes
Take the dough and portion it into 8 4oz balls.
Flatten or turn each dough ball into a very thin 12-inch circle. Dust flour if the dough sticks, just make sure not to dry it out.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat and heat both sides of the tortilla. Cook until it bubbles up and becomes fluffy about 3-4 minutes. Keep warm in a dry towel.
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