GrillMexican
Pollo asado
Citrus, achiote, a split bird, a hot grill. Orange and the grate, not a long smoke.
Made it?
1 hr 10 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 160°F · rest 10 min
Ingredients
4.5 lb on the fire · ~2.9 lb to the table · 6 plates at 8 oz
- chicken, spatchcocked4 1/2 lb
- orange juice1/4 cup
- lime juice2 tbsp
- achiote paste2 tbsp
- garlic cloves4
- oregano2 tsp
- kosher salt2 tsp
Method
- 1
Marinate 2–8 hours. Indirect until breast 155°F, 35–45 minutes.
- 2
Hot grate skin-down to char. Breast 160, thigh 175.
- 3
Rest 10. Tortillas, pickled onion. This is not the lemon-herb roast.
If you don’t have it
- whole chicken → chicken thighs. Keep the same pull. Leaner cooks faster and dries sooner.
- chicken, spatchcocked → What you actually have, if it is the same muscle family. Thighs only: same paste, 15 minutes less.
Same cook, different day
Weeknight
Less time. Same seasoning, hotter fire, watch the probe. Do not skip the rest.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making petite roasted potatoes.
Same pan as a roast or chicken. Or a sheet next to chops. Halve, oil, salt, rosemary. 425°F cut-side down until the faces brown. Toss in the meat drippings at the end.
40 min
- With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min