Pollo asado
Citrusy, garlicky chicken roasted until charred at the edges and piled into warm tortillas, the way taquerías do it.
- 100 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.17 a serving
- 700 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 orange, juiced
- 2 limes, juiced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup pico de gallo (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 700 calories, 42 g protein, 45 g carbs and 40 g fat, and costs about $2.17 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No pico de gallo? Salsa works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oil, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper in a big bowl.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Add the chicken and turn it to coat. Cover and in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Timer: 30 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the oven to 425°F and line a with foil.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Lay the chicken skin side up on the pan and throw out the leftover .
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Dolly’s tip: The marinade has been sitting with raw chicken, so it doesn’t get reused as a sauce.40 to 45 minutes, until the skin is in spots and the thickest thigh reads 165°F.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Timer: 42 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
For extra , 2 to 3 minutes, watching the whole time.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Broil. Broiling means cooking under the oven’s top heating element, with strong heat from above. It browns and crisps the top in minutes, and it can burn fast, so stay close.
How you’ll know: The top bubbles and spots golden brown; check every minute and pull it before it blackens.
Timer: 2 min 30 sec
Warm the tortillas in a dry over medium for about 30 seconds per side.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Pull the chicken off the bone in big pieces and pile it into the tortillas with pico de gallo, cilantro and avocado.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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