Pollo al Carbón
Smoky charred chicken marinated in citrus, garlic, and cumin, grilled over high heat until caramelized outside and juicy inside. Authentic Mexican street food that delivers restaurant flavor at home.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 462
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- ½ cup lime juice, fresh
- ¼ cup orange juice, fresh
- 6 whole garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone-in and skin-on
- 1 whole lime wedges
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- 1
Peel the garlic cloves by placing each one on the cutting board, laying your knife blade flat on top of it, and pressing down with the heel of your hand until the papery skin cracks and the clove flattens slightly.
- 2
Chop the peeled garlic cloves into roughly 1/2-inch chunks, pressing down with the knife blade to split each clove into 2–3 pieces.
- 3
Pour the lime juice, orange juice, garlic chunks, cumin, smoked paprika, and olive oil into a blender or food processor.
- 4
Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth and the garlic pieces have disappeared into a pale orange liquid.
- 5
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels by rubbing each piece gently until no moisture remains on the skin, so the marinade can stick better.
- 6
Place the dried chicken pieces in a large bowl or a zip-top bag, then pour the marinade over them until completely coated, turning each piece to coat all sides.
- 7
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the bag, then refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 4 hours—the longer, the better the flavor.
- 8
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes before grilling so it can come to near room temperature.
- 9
Oil the grill grates by holding a rolled-up paper towel in tongs, dipping it in a small bowl of olive oil, and rubbing it over each bar of the grate until shiny and dark.
- 10
Heat the grill to high heat—you should see visible heat waves rising from the grates and be able to hold your hand 2 inches above the grate for only 2–3 seconds.
- 11
Place each chicken piece skin-side down on the hot grates in a single layer, leaving 1 inch of space between pieces so they sear properly.
- 12
Grill without moving for 7 minutes until the skin is deep golden-brown and charred with dark spots, checking by lifting the edge of one piece with tongs.
- 13
Flip each chicken piece with tongs so the skin-side is now facing up, moving gently so the crispy skin does not tear.
- 14
Grill the second side without moving for 6–8 minutes until the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 165°F and the skin is darkly charred.
- 15
Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and let it rest undisturbed for 5 minutes so the juices stay inside the meat.
- 16
Scatter the cilantro leaves over the rested chicken pieces and place lime wedges alongside each serving so diners can squeeze juice over the chicken at the table.
Tools you’ll need
- Blender or food processor
- Large bowl or zip-top bag
- Paper towels
- Grill (charcoal or gas)
- Grill tongs
- Meat thermometer
- Rolled paper towel and tongs for oiling grates
- Clean serving plate
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