Pollo Asado


Cooking is a very large part of who I am.
I enjoy sharing my passion with my family, friends and of course, all of you.

Pollo Asado ... let's break this one down because it takes so many pieces of things I love and brings it together in the juiciest and most flavorful taste profile.  You probably have made some version of roast chicken in some way or another.  Every mom and every cook has a roast chicken recipe.  This one is all about the marinade.  Hit the marinade spot on and you cannot mess this one up!  This is a perfect recipe to share with friends because the flavor you bring out of this chicken will make them think you have spent the entire evening in the kitchen.  Our little secret: this recipe takes very little effort.


You can see from our ingredients we are keeping it simple.  Grab your favorite chicken.  The two best chicken cuts for this recipe are drumsticks or thighs.  You will get the best flavor out of these two cuts.  Here's what we need to put this together:
  • Chicken Drumsticks (or thighs)
  • Oil (the base of our marinade - use your favorite, flavorful blend) - about 1 cup
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 limes
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
  • 1 handful of cilantro, chopped
  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)
  • Lemon Pepper seasoning
All the 'work' in this dish is just creating the marinade.  This is one of the reasons this is a perfect dinner party recipe.  You can create the marinade and get it going in the fridge and still have plenty of time to greet your guests and NOT be stuck in the kitchen.


Begin by putting your chicken into a large bowl, (or large Ziplock bag) for marinating.  Take your limes.  Roll on the counter to get the juice ready.  Cut in half, stick in your fork and squeeze out every bit of juice you can.  Pour over your chicken and place the halves in with your chicken.  Do the same with the lemon.


Next up ... let's grab our garlic and crush with the back of your knife, then dice up.  Grab your handful of cilantro and chop roughly.  Add both the garlic and cilantro to the mixture.



Pour your oil over the chicken, add salt, pepper and lemon pepper seasoning, to taste.  Then get a little messy.  That's right ... get in there with your hands and mix the marinade so all your chicken pieces are coated nicely.  Cover with plastic wrap and then pop in the fridge! 

This is basically IT.  I told you this was simple.  I suggest marinating for at least 4 hours.  The longer you marinade, the better your flavor.


When ready to get started, move the bottom rack of your oven to one of the lower spots and turn on to broil.  Allow your oven to get nice and hot and up to temp.



Get your broiler pan, (or any pan in which the drippings will fall away from the meat) and spray lightly with cooking spray in order to ensure your chicken doesn't stick.


Lay out the chicken pieces on your pan and get ready to fill your home with some delicious scent flavors! Broil the chicken for about 25-30 minutes, turning about halfway through.  


And here we go ... fresh out of the oven and ready to be devoured.


Many ways to serve this ... open and plated with a side, torn off and eaten in a corn tortilla with some fresh pico de gallo ... the possibilities are endless with this chicken dish.  No matter how you serve it up, you are going to get flavorful and juicy chicken.  I adore this dish and love serving it to my family.  A nice meal that doesn't take a lot of time in the kitchen, but filled with flavor to please everyone!  

I hope you try this one ... I'd love to hear how you like it and maybe how you change it up a little! 

Cheers!
~Jacqui

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