Pollo Asado
Total Time: 2 hr, 45 min
Active Time: 45 min
Amount: 6lbs - enough for 48 tacos
Cooking Schedule
| Prep | 15min | 10min | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | 20min | |||
| Passive | 2 hours |
Equipment
grilling tongs
blender
large container or ziplock bags for marinading
sharp chef's knife
Ingredients and Prep
| Ingredient | Amount | Prep |
|---|---|---|
| skinless, boneless chicken thighs | 5 lbs | pounded out with cast iron skillet or meat hammer to tenderize, scored lightly on one side |
| dried ancho or pasilla chile | 7 whole chiles, stems removed | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| dried guajillo chile | 7 whole chiles, stems removed | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| chipotles in adobo/td> | 1 7oz. can | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| ground cumin | 2 tbsp | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| ground coriander | 1 tsp | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| garlic | 1 head (~8 cloves) | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| orange juice | 2 cups (~4-6 oranges) | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| lime juice | 5 Tbsp (~5 limes) | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| grapefruit juice | 1/2 cup (~1 grapefruit) | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| brown sugar | 5 tbsp | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| oil (vegetable or olive) | 5 tbsp | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
| salt | 2 tbsp | marinade - measured and placed in blender |
Cooking Instructions
Step 1 Make the marinade by blending all marinade ingredients to a thick sauce/thin paste. Add water if the mixture doesn't pour easily.
Step 2 Place the meat and marinade into a large container or large bag. Mix well to ensure the meat is fully covered.
Step 3 Cook meat over very high heat, about 5 min per side or until evenly charred but still slightly pink inside. Keep in mind the meat will continue to cook even after pulled off the grill. I strongly recommed you cook directly over very hot coals, but a propane grill or flat-top/plancha will also work great.
Step 4 Pull the meat off of the grill and cube the meat into small chunks.
To Serve Serve in fresh, high quality corn or flour tortillas that have been warmed on a flat top then allowed to steam for a few minutes in a tortilla warmer. If you like, top with shredded oaxacan cheese (or skip thie cheese all together). Serve with salsas to taste - a chunky pico de gallo pairs nicely.
More About This Recipe
Who doesn't love a juicy chicken taco? In this recipe I call for boneless skinless chicken thighs. I prefer the more pronounced chicken flavor in thighs. But you can use chicken breast or even whole, spatchcocked chickens if you prefer. Its really up to you and what you prefer.
This is the same marinade as my carne asada recipe. You can make one batch of marinade and prepare both beef and chicken options. For pollo asado, I think a really intense and robust marinade is critical.
For chicken tacos, I think corn and or flour work equally well. Its important to get good quality tortillas and to warm them up. Please don't serve cold tortillas straight from a refrigerator. Cold, lifeless tortillas can ruin the whole dish.
For these chicken tacos or burritos, I like to add a nice spoonfull of pico de gallo and a wedge of avocado. Alternatively, some cheese and a fresh salsa verde can work very well.