El Pollo al Carbon Grilled Chicken Recipe

Name: El Pollo al Carbon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 small chickens (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg. each), cut in half down the middle; 1/2 cup/120 mL orange juice; 1 small onion, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tomatillos , husks removed, chopped; 2 tablespoons/30 mL vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons/30 mL lime juice; 2 tablespoons/30 mL lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 mL hot chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 mL cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 mL ground cloves; salsa and tortillas; 1 to 2 limes, halved

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Total: 65 mins

Servings: 6 servings

18 ratings

Write a Review

Add a comment

This is a great, traditional Mexican recipe for grilled chicken. It is best to use smaller birds, so if you need a lot, just buy more, not bigger. This will help to keep down the cooking time. Serve with seasoned rice, warmed tortillas, and refried beans.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

2 (3-pound) chickens, cut in half down the middle
1/2 cup (120 milliters) orange juice
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) lime juice
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) ground cloves
1 to 2 limes, halved
1 cup salsa, optional
4 (approximately 7-8" diameter) warm tortillas, optional
1 cup rice, optional
2 cup refried beans, optional

Sauté onion and tomatillos in oil until soft. About 5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add citrus juices and spices. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and let the sauce cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
Place chicken halves in a large container or large resealable bags. Cover with sauce and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours. You can marinate a little longer if necessary, but not longer than 8 hours.
Preheat grill. Remove chicken halves from marinade and place on medium hot grill. Grill for about 45 minutes turning occasionally and basting with reserved sauce every 10 minutes, for the first 30 minutes of cook time. Do not baste in the last 15 minutes of grilling. Chicken is done when juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 175 F in breast and 185 F in thigh meat. This higher temperature will help with shredding.
Once cooked, remove chicken halves from the grill. Place onto a large cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze fresh lime juice over cook halves. Traditionally, the chicken is shredded and served in warmed tortillas accompanied by Spanish rice and refried beans.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
137	Calories
9g	Fat
9g	Carbs
8g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	137
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g	11%
Saturated Fat 2g	9%
Cholesterol 27mg	9%
Sodium 36mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 9g	3%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 25mg	125%
Calcium 30mg	2%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 211mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.