Pollo loco grilled chicken
Bring the bold, smoky flavors of El Pollo Loco home with this easy copycat recipe. Whether fire-grilled or oven-roasted in a cast iron skillet, this chicken comes out juicy, tender, and full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 (4-5 lb) whole chicken
Marinade
- 1/2 cup orange juice, no added sugar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice, no added sugar
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 tsp ground ancho chile
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 1/2 tsp ground onion
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dry Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
- 3 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground garlic
- To taste freshly ground black pepper
Additional
- Oil as needed
- 1 large (2.5-gallon) zip-loc bag
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
Make the Marinade
- Add the orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, garlic cloves, and whole peppercorns to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a medium bowl and whisk in the ground ancho, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp ground onion, cumin, coriander, oregano, turmeric, 2 tsp salt, and oil until fully combined. Set aside.
Spatchcock the Chicken
- Place the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board. Remove giblets and any remaining feathers.
- Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it (save for stock or discard).
- Trim any excess skin or fat. Transfer the chicken to a large (2.5-gallon) zip-loc bag, breast-side down.
- Pour in the marinade, press out the excess air, close, mix it around and refrigerate for 24 hours or overnight.
Season the Chicken
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it breast-side up on a sheet pan. Let sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes.
- Dry Seasoning Mix: In a small bowl, mix ½ tsp ground onion, ½ tsp ground garlic, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Set aside.
Grilled Pollo Loco
- Set up your grill for two-zone cooking: one side with hot coals (direct heat), the other without (indirect heat).
- When the grill reaches 400°F, place the chicken breast-side up over indirect heat. Brush with some of the marinade, then sprinkle with additional dry seasoning mix and ground pepper. Cover the wing tips with oiled aluminum foil.
- You can also place foil underneath the side of the bird that’s closest to the direct heat, and fold foil up around the sides of the chicken for protection.
- Cover the grill and cook. Halfway through, brush the skin with oil and continue grilling. Remove foil when it’s no longer needed.
- For extra color, briefly sear the chicken breast-side down over direct heat, then return it to indirect heat to finish cooking.
- Cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Oven-Roasted Pollo Loco
- Preheat the oven to 500°F with a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet inside.
- Lightly drizzle oil over the top of the chicken, then sprinkle with the dry seasoning mix, pressing gently to adhere. Reserve a bit for the back of the bird. Finish with freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Tuck the wing tips under the body. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and reduce the temperature to 425°F.
- Place the chicken breast-side down in the skillet. Sprinkle the back with the reserved seasoning, more ground pepper, and a drizzle of oil.
- Roast for 20–30 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown. Flip the chicken breast-side up and roast for another 20–30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (thickest part of breast.)
- If needed, loosely tent any areas with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
- Once fully cooked, remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board to stop the cooking process. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.