Kitchen / Latin American
El Pollo Loco-Style BBQ Chicken
Orange and lime marinated chicken grilled slowly so the citrus sugars char instead of burn.
Reconstructed from a recovered orange-based marinade. The chicken, juice, oil, spices used, and marination method were preserved, but not every original spice quantity.
Ingredients
About 4 portions.
- 2-3 pounds chicken thighs or leg quarters
- ½-1 cup orange juice
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Method
- Combine the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Coat the chicken completely.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking.
- Grill over medium to medium-high heat, turning regularly to prevent the citrus sugars from burning.
- Cook until browned, lightly charred, and cooked through.
- Rest for 10 minutes before portioning.
Oven Alternative
Roast on a rack at 425 F until cooked through, then broil briefly for char. Watch closely because the marinade contains sugar from the orange juice.