Take your roast chicken to the next level with these six delicious Pollo Asado Marinades inspired by Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Colombia, and Honduras. Each one brings its own unique Latin flair to the table.
I love how a simple marinade can completely change the flavor of a roast chicken, which is exactly what inspired this collection of six pollo asado marinades. Drawing inspiration from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Colombia, and Hondura, each marinade brings its own unique blend of garlic, citrus, herbs, and spices. Whether you’re in the mood for something bright and citrusy or rich and garlicky, these marinades are an easy way to change things up and make an incredibly juicy and flavorful roast chicken. If you’ve enjoyed my pollo rostizado and pollo asado al carbon recipes, I know you’ll love exploring these delicious Latin-inspired variations.
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What is Pollo Asado?
Literally translated to "roasted chicken," pollo asado is a dish that every Latin American country has a different recipe for. Sometimes it's heavy on garlic and oregano, other times it's infused with citrus or flavored with achiote, cumin, or another unique spice, like achiote paste. It can be roasted in the oven, cooked on the grill, or charbroiled, but the concept remains: fork-tender chicken with a boldly flavored outside. Pollo asado is a favorite of mine because it's comforting no matter where you are, but unique to each country you try it in.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 whole chicken
Choose One Marinade
| Puerto Rican Marinade | garlic, adobo, sazon, oregano |
| Mexican Marinade | achiote, citrus, oregano, cumin |
| Peruvian Marinade | soy sauce, cumin, paprika, aji amarillo |
| Cuban Marinade | citrus, garlic, cumin, oregano |
| Honduran Marinade | mustard, garlic, oregano, cumin |
| Colombian Marinade | mustard, cumin, paprika, thyme |
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Instructions
How to Marinate the Chicken Using any of these Marinades
- Step 1: Prepare the marinade of your choice.
- Step 2: Rinse the whole chicken, including the cavity, under cool running water.
- Step 3: Rub the marinade over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity.
- Step 4: Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
How to Roast the Chicken
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you’re ready to cook it.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place the chicken on a roasting pan breast side up. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes and then lower heat to 375°F.
- Continue cooking for 1 ½ hours or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Serving Suggestions for Each Pollo Asado Marinade
Puerto Rican
Colombian
- papa salada (recipe by: Erica from My Colombian Recipes)
- arepas de queso (recipe by: Erica from My Colombian Recipes)
- guacamole
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Marinate your chicken overnight if possible for the most flavorful pollo asado recipe.
- Make sure to rub some of the marinade under the breast skin as well.
- Allow the chicken to rest before carving to allows the chicken to stay juicy.
- Use a therometer if at all possible instead of just relying on cooking times, this helps to ensure not only that your chicken is fully cooked but also that it doesn’t overcook.
Recipe FAQ’s
The Puerto Rican and Cuban marinades are the most garlic infused.
The Cuban mojo and Honduran marinades are the most citrusy and tangy.
Absolutely! These pollo asado marinades work well with thighs, drumsticks, wings and chicken breasts.
I’ve made these marinadesd with as little as i hour of marinating time and they still turn out delicious. However, for the most flavorful pollo asado, I highly recommend marinating the chicken for at least 4 hours or, even better, overnight.
Other Latin Chicken Recipes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Six Pollo Asado Marinades
Ingredients
Puerto Rican Pollo Asado Marinade
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 packet sazon with annatto
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
- adobo sprinkled
Mexican Pollo Asado Marinade
- 1 tablespoon annatto powder for color
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Peruvian Pollo Asado Marinade
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon aji panca paste
- 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 lime juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Cuban Pollo Asado Marinade
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1½ teaspoons annatto powder
- 2 tablespoons complete seasoning
- ⅓ cup vegetable or corn oil
- 1 cup sour orange juice see notes for substitute
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Honduran Pollo Asado Marinade
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 4 tablespoons mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons liquid smoke optional
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
- 2 packets sazon with annatto
- 1 teaspoon salt
Colombian Pollo Asado Marinade
- 2 scallions rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup beer
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken
- Remove any giblets from inside the chickens cavity and set aside or discard.Note: You can save the giblets for future use to make broth or gravy.
- Rinse the chicken, including cavity under cool water. Set on a cutting board to season. Using your fingers, gently loosen skin over the breast and thighs.
Marinade
- Prepare the marinade of your choice.
Marinate the Chicken
- For the Puerto Rican marinade, place all the ingredients except the adobo to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Rub the marinade all over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity. Sprinkle the chicken with the adobo all over including the cavity. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- For all of the other marinades, add all the ingredients called for in each recipe to a blender and blend until smooth. Rub the marinade all over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Roasting the Chicken
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you're ready to cook it.
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Place the chicken on a roasting pan breast side up. Roast the chicken for 15 minutes and then lower heat to 375°F. Continue cooking for 1½ hours or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.Note: For extra tender chicken, cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
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