Chipotle Copycat Pollo Asado Marinade
This Chipotle Copycat Pollo Asado Marinade tastes almost identical to the original and ready in under thirty minutes. With a homemade achiote paste and additional spices, this marinade oozes with irresistible flavor!
Ingredients
Homemade Achiote Paste
- 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Garlic garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
Additional Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon Ground Corrainder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Harissa Seasoning optional
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Salt or regular salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
Additional Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs Chicken Thighs boneless skinless
- 2 small Lemons about ¼ cup
- 2 Limes about ¼ cup
- ½ cup Cilantro
- 1 teaspoon Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Prepare the achiote paste in a small bowl. Combine the paprika, white vinegar, dried oregano garlic and ground cumin. Stir until combined.
- Add the additional seasonings to the achiote paste. Stir until well combined. A dark red paste should form.
- Add in chicken thighs. Once the chicken thighs have been added, add the juices from the lemon and limes, oil and sprinkle in freshly chopped cilantro.
- Lastly, stir all the ingredients to make sure the chicken thighs are thoroughly coated.
- Cover and marinate thirty minutes up to twenty-four hours for best results!
- After the chicken thighs have marinated, now it is time to grill your pollo asado!
- Now, the key to preparing pollo asado is ensuring the heat is fairly high. If using a grill or cast iron, make sure the griddle is smoking hot before adding the chicken.
- Once the griddle is hot, sear chicken on both sides for 5-7 minutes depending on thickness.
- It is important to note, not disturbing the chicken will result in maximum flavor and a delicious crust will form from the high heat!
- The chicken will cook best if it is minimally disturbed. The chicken thighs I used were not thick. It took about 5-6 minutes per side. If your chicken thighs are thicker, increase cooking time.
- While the chicken thighs cook through, it is helpful to add extra lemon or lime juice to provide a rich citrus and smoky flavor.
- Since the heat is high, smoke will release providing additional flavor.
- Laslty, the chicken will be cooked through when it reaches in internal temperature (in the thickest part of the chicken) of 165 degrees.