This Pollo Asado Recipe is made with juicy chicken thighs marinated in a flavorful blend of citrus juice, garlic, and warm Mexican spices. The chicken grills up tender, smoky, and packed with flavor, making it perfect for tacos, rice bowls, salads, and easy weeknight dinners.
We love making this grilled chicken recipe because the marinade is simple, budget-friendly, and easy to prep ahead for busy nights or summer cookouts.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Make this easy and delicious chicken marinade that leaves your chicken tender and full of flavor. This easy grilled chicken recipe cooks tender and juicy with warm and zesty flavors. The combination of these spices makes the best quick and easy meal idea.
- Great for grilling season or meal prep
- Juicy, flavorful chicken every time
- Mild flavor the whole family enjoys
- Delicious for tacos, burritos, and salads
- Easy to prep ahead for busy nights
- Budget-friendly protein option
We love to cook this chicken on a charcoal grill or gas grill, but you can easily bake it. Serve with your favorite cilantro lime rice, refried beans and tortillas for a complete meal idea.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – We like trim the chicken before grilling
- Olive Oil – Use any type of oil that you prefer
- Orange Juice – Adds delicious citrus flavor to the marinade
- Lime – Juice the lime
- Minced Garlic – You can also substitute with garlic powder
- Smoked Paprika – Regular paprika can also be used
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Pollo Asado Recipe
Step 1 – Whisk Marinade Ingredients – In a small bowl whisk together all the pollo asado marinade ingredients.
Step 2 – Place Chicken – Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and pour the marinade mixture on top.
Step 3 – Marinade Chicken – Marinade the chicken thighs for 3-4 hours (or overnight). You can also marinate the chicken in a large bowl.
Step 4 – Prepare Grill – Preheat a grill over medium high heat. Then rub the grill grates with olive oil so that the chicken does not stick to the grates.
Step 5 – Grill Chicken – Then add the chicken onto the grill and reduce the temperature to medium. Grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes per side until the chicken reaches an internal temperature for 165 degrees F on the indirect heat side of the grill. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of chicken.
Step 6 – Rest Chicken – Remove the chicken from the grill. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Heat Grill – Before placing the chicken on the grill, make sure you heat to medium heat. Oil the grill grates to help to easily cook both sides of the chicken. Oil it with canola oil, vegetable oil or olive oil.
- Pound Chicken – To flatten out the chicken on the thickest part, we recommend pounding the chicken. This helps to cook the chicken evenly.
- Combine Marinade – Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl before marinating chicken.
- Grilling Chicken – Grilled chicken over direct heat and then on indirect heat. This helps the chicken to have the best flavor and texture.
- Meat Thermometer – Use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken is cooked to a safe temperature. The internal temperature reaches 165 then chicken is done.
- Resting Chicken – Before serving the chicken, allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes. This helps to lock in the juices for the best flavor.
Variations Ideas
- Cuts of Chicken – Feel free to use different cuts of meat for this chicken recipes. You can use chicken breast, bone-in chicken thighs, or chicken tenders.
- Seasoning – You can also use different types of seasoning to create a flavorful marinade. Add in Mexican Oregano, cloves garlic, ground cumin, or a mixture of citrus juices. Fresh orange juice is always a great option. Orange and lime juice is a great addition to this marinade.
- Serving – Serve this chicken as tacos in corn or flour tortillas. Add your favorite side dish for a complete meal idea.
- Oven – You can easily use this marinade to bake in the oven. Marinate chicken and bake for about 20 minutes in an oven at 400 degrees. Cooking time will vary based on the size of chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Pollo Asado is a great dish to be served in many different ways. You can use the chicken into pollo asado tacos or burritos. Make sure when serving the tacos, top with salsa, guacamole and sour cream.
These side dishes are can also pair with one of these delicious side dishes.
- Salad – Slice the chicken and serve over salad for a delicious healthy meal. Squeeze fresh lime juice for added flavor.
- Cilantro Rice – Rice is such a tasty and inexpensive side dish. Jazz it up quickly and easily to make this tasty Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe. The entire family will enjoy it.
- Refried Beans – Make a side of crock pot refried beans for a delicious side dish. Making homemade refried beans instead of using canned beans from the grocery store taste much better.
Storage and Freezing Tips
Store leftover Pollo Asado in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze:
- Freeze cooked chicken or marinated uncooked chicken
- Store in freezer-safe bags or containers
- Freeze for up to 3 months
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating or grilling
This recipe works great for meal prep lunches and easy taco nights.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe dish can be placed in the oven to bake. Place the marinated chicken in a baking dish. We recommend baking uncovered or you can cover with foil.
Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. We recommend half way through cooking time, flip the chicken and continue baking.
Pollo Asado is a Mexican-style grilled chicken recipe made with citrus juice, garlic, and spices.
We recommend marinating chicken for at least 3 hours. You can even marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours. If you marinade the chicken for to long it could break down the fibers in the chicken.
You can easily place the chicken in the morning before work. Then it is ready to grill when you get home.
No, this recipe is mild with smoky and citrus flavors instead of heat.
More Easy Chicken Marinade Recipes
This easy Pollo Asado Recipe is one of our favorite grilled chicken recipes because it is simple, flavorful, and perfect for tacos, rice bowls, and easy family dinners.
If you make this recipe, leave a comment and star rating below. We love hearing how your family served this juicy grilled chicken.
Pollo Asada
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 3 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs trimmed
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Orange Juice
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Achiote Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup orange juice, the juice from 1 lime, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons achiote paste, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Add 3 pounds trimmed boneless skinless chicken thighs to the marinade.
- Marinade the chicken thighs for 3-4 hours (or overnight).
- Preheat a grill over medium high heat and rub the grill grates with olive oil so that the chicken does not stick to the grates.
- Then add the chicken onto the grill and reduce the temperature to medium. Grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes per side until the chicken reaches an internal temperature for 165 degrees F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
