Just In Time for Summer Recipes!

PHOTOS BY KEVIN AND ANA FRIAS

Pollo Asado

Recipe by Kevin, owner of the website, “Kevin Is Cooking”

Serves 6

“This pollo asado recipe creates a juicy grilled chicken dinner that starts with a quick and easy lime juice, Mexican spices and achiote marinade.”

5 lb of whole chicken , cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup of olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp of ground cumin

2 tsp of salt

2 tsp of ground black pepper

2 tsp of Mexican oregano

2 oz of achiote paste (optional)

1/2 cup of fresh orange juice

1/2 cup of fresh lime juice

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, and achiote paste. 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 for one hour (4 hours tops). Any longer will break down the proteins in the chicken, making it mushy.

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.

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.

When chicken is cooked, discard any leftover marinade.