Pollo Asado

About a month ago, my friend France and I met up at our favorite Mexican restaurant for what was supposed to be a quick queso fix. Of course, queso turned into dinner, and instead of ordering one of my usual favorites, I decided to branch out and try their Pollo Asado.

One bite and I was hooked.

Not long after, the Facebook algorithm did what it occasionally does best and dropped a Pollo Asado recipe right into my feed. Since I already had almost everything I needed, adding it to this week's menu was an easy decision.

The only ingredient I was missing was achiote paste, which probably isn't something most people keep tucked away in their pantry. Thankfully, Amazon came to the rescue, and a jar showed up on my doorstep a couple of days later.

So what exactly is achiote paste?

According to Google, "Achiote paste, also known as recado rojo, is a vibrant, earthy seasoning staple in Mexican, Central American, and Caribbean cuisines. It is made by blending ground annatto seeds (which give it its deep red color) with vinegar, citrus juice, and warm spices like cumin, garlic, and cloves."

If you've never used it before, don't let the bright red color fool you. It's not spicy at all. Instead, it adds a rich, earthy flavor that gives dishes a distinctive depth. I've used it in a few other Mexican-inspired recipes over the years.

As for this recipe? It was an absolute winner. I can't say whether it tasted exactly like the Pollo Asado from our favorite restaurant, but honestly, I didn't care. It was incredibly flavorful, juicy, and one I'll definitely be making again.

The best part? I currently have seven different Pollo Asado recipes waiting in the wings. They all take a slightly different approach, and now I'm on a mission to find my ultimate favorite. Stay tuned—this Pollo Asado adventure is just getting started.

Pollo Asado

Recipe from Kevin's Cooking

Serves 6

• 5 lb whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 2 oz achiote paste optional (you will only use 2 oz. in this recipe. See Note 1)
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and achiote paste and cook for several minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.

Add cooled achiote garlic mixture, orange juice and lime juice to a bowl and whisk to combine. Reserve 1/4 cup of marinade in the bowl to use for basting the chicken as it grills. Add remaining marinade to a 1 or 2 gallon Ziploc freezer bag. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and massage the bag, then transfer to a refrigerator to allow the chicken to marinate a minimum of 45 minutes, but I recommend 4 hours or up to overnight (8 hours).

Grilling: Preheat grill to 350°F to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade, then discard the bag of marinade. We will be grilling with indirect heat.

For indirect cooking on a charcoal grill, place your lit charcoal across half of the grill and leave the other half empty. To indirect cook on a gas grill, only turn half of the burners on (for mine I keep the top Medium, middle Low and the bottom Medium).

Grill chicken, covered, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F when inserted into thickest portion of each piece, about 20 to 30 minutes. As chicken is cooking, use reserved marinade to baste the pieces every few minutes. I do not turn the chicken pieces over during cooking, as there is no need for grill marks.