Pollo Asado with the Café’s Chimichurri Sauce

Pollo Asado is a Mexican-style grilled chicken dish with Latin seasoning and a citrus marinade. It can be cooked on a charcoal or gas grill or cooked on the stovetop. We served ours with the Café’s famous chimichurri sauce.

On the Ingredients

Oranges are a type of citrus which come from hybridization of the pomelo and mandarin. They’re one of the most popular fruits in the US, along with apples and bananas. Oranges are high in vitamin-C and dietary fiber. They’re also high in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant.
Cilantro is what we in the US usually call the leaves of coriander plant. Of all herbs and spices, cilantro is known for having two separate groups of people, those who like it and those who think it tastes like soap. While tastes and preferences are highly individual, the differing opinion of cilantro actually has a genetic component. Most people report cilantro as having a fresh citrus flavor, while a smaller faction taste and smell a soapy quality that is rather unpleasant (read more). If you’re one of these people and have been told you’re wrong for claiming the taste, rest assured that your flavor receptors are built differently. Meanwhile, if the taste is pleasantly citrusy to you, you can be happy to enjoy some health benefits of cilantro. Research has shown that cilantro may help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and seizure severity. It may also help with energy levels and healthy hair and skin (read more on the benefits).
Parsley is often mixed up with cilantro regarding its appearance, but the flavor is quite different and lacks the possibility of a soapy taste. Parsley has a very clean, lightly peppery, and slightly earthy flavor. A natural diuretic, parsley has been shown to help reduce bloating and lower blood pressure. It also contains a lot of vitamin K, supporting bone growth and mineral density (read more on the benefits).

Pollo Asado with the Café's Chimichurri Sauce

Servings

servings

Marinating time

hours

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hours

minutes

Pollo Asado is a Mexican-style grilled chicken dish, with latin seasoning and a citrus marinade. It can be cooked on a charcoal or gas grill or cooked on the stovetop. We served ours with the Café's famous chimichurri sauce.

Ingredients

Pollo Asado
3 chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in)
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lime juiced
1/2 an orange juiced
Café Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 small lime (juice and zest)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-6 tbsp canola oil

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium-low flame. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from pan to a small bowl.
Add the orange and lime juice and stir to combine. Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the marinade, ensuring each piece is coated. Cover and let marinate in the fridge for four hours or overnight.
Chimichurri
To make the chimichurri sauce, combine the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. You may need to add extra oil, a little at a time, to achieve a smooth sauce. Set aside until ready to serve.
On the Grill
Preheat grill to 350°F to 400°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill the chicken with indirect heat, covered, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165° F when inserted into the thickest portion of each piece, about 20 to 30 minutes.
On the Stovetop
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet over a medium flame. Add the chicken and cook for 10-15 minutes on both sides until the internal temp reaches 165° F.
Serve and enjoy!