Mexican · Lunch · Dinner
Pollo Asado
Juicy chicken thighs soaked in a bright orange, lime and achiote marinade, then charred on the grill until smoky and brick-red. Serve with sweet grilled onions, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
- Prep
- 75 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 95 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 19% · Fat 32% · Protein 49%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 900 g (about 8 thighs)boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of visible fat
- 1/2 block (50 g)achiote paste
- 1/2 cup120 gfresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup60 gfresh lime juice
- 4 cloves12 ggarlic cloves
- 1 tspdried Mexican oregano
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1/2 tspground black pepper
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- 1 large200 gwhite onion, cut into thick rounds
- 1/4 cup8 gfresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 medium65 glime, cut into wedges
Steps
- 1
Blend the achiote paste, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, pepper and salt until smooth.
- 2
Place the chicken thighs in a bowl or zip bag, pour over the marinade and turn to coat.
- 3
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
- 4
Heat a grill or griddle pan to medium-high and lightly oil the grates with half the olive oil.
- 5
Brush the onion rounds with the remaining olive oil.
- 6
Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off, and discard the leftover marinade.
- 7
Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until charred and cooked through to 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part.
- 8
Grill the onion rounds alongside for 4-5 minutes per side until soft and lightly blackened.
- 9
Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice.
- 10
Serve topped with grilled onions and cilantro, with lime wedges for squeezing.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of boneless skinless for extra richness, adding a few minutes per side and checking for 74 °C / 165 °F.
- If you can't find achiote paste, mix 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp ground annatto (or extra paprika), 1/2 tsp garlic powder and a splash of vinegar as a stand-in.
- Swap the fresh orange juice and lime juice for bottled sour orange juice (naranja agria) for a more traditional tangy flavour.
- Use a hot oven grill or broiler instead of an outdoor grill, cooking the chicken on a rack about 10 cm from the heat until charred and cooked through.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover chicken and onions in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. Cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months, but add the cilantro and lime fresh when serving.
Make ahead
Blend the marinade up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, or marinate the chicken overnight in a sealed bag in the fridge. Slice the onion a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (360 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 378 kcal | 105 kcal |
| Protein | 46.1 g | 12.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.9 g | 5 g |
| of which sugars | 5.7 g | 1.6 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 13.1 g | 3.6 g |
| of which saturated | 3 g | 0.8 g |
| Sodium | 1,081 mg | 300 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
