The most authentic delicious Puerto Rican Pollo Asado al Carbon (Roasted Charcoal Chicken)! Moist, juicy and fabulously smoky! You will feel like you just ordered a freshly roasted charcoaled chicken straight from one of the beachfront kiosks in Puerto Rico!

Pollo Asado al Carbon cooking on the charcoal grill.

Get a hint of the aroma coming from Pollo al Carbon roasting over charcoal and I guarantee your mouth will start to water.

The delicious aroma lures you in and you find yourself stopping to purchase a few pounds from a roadside vendor.

This is how Pollo Asado al Carbon is commonly sold in Puerto Rico.

The enticing smoky scent is what invites you in. The blast of charcoal roasting and cooking something delicious even before you see it!

Whole marinated chickens roasting over an open fire pit infused with the smoky flavor that only lump charcoal can produce.

If you have ever traveled the roads of Puerto Rico then you surely know what I’m talking about.

Street vendors cooking and selling Pollo Asado al Carbon from their food trucks and roadside kiosks is hugely popular in Puerto Rico.

What Spices to Use for Pollo al Carbon?

Although most Puerto Rican cooks follow a range of similar spices, of course, not everyone makes Pollo al Carbon exactly the same.

We all tend to hone our recipes to our liking.

But there are a few spices and blends we all will always add to our charcoaled chicken.

These include garlic, sazon, oregano and of course adobo.

As you make this chicken over and over, you may decide to add other spices such as paprika.

But for 100% authentic Puerto Rican charcoal chicken, you must at the very least use garlic, oregano, sazon and adobo.

Two Marinades

Here are two excellent marinades for Puerto Rican Pollo al Carbon.

The first one is very simple but incredibly delicious and my go to marinade most of the time.

5 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dry oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
half a cup vegetable oil
adobo

Add the garlic cloves, oregano, crushed red pepper and oil to a food chopper or blender and blend until a paste forms.

Season the chicken both inside and outside with the marinade.

After seasoning chicken with the marinade, sprinkle adobo all over chicken.

Second Marinade

¼ cup sofrito
1 tablespoon dry oregano
2 tablespoon garlic paste
1½ tablespoon adobo
2 tablespoons sazon with annatto
1½ tablespoons chicken powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and using a whisk mix well together.

Season the chicken both inside and outside with the marinade.

Must I Butterfly the Chicken to Cook on Grill

Although, you can of course roast a whole chicken on the charcoal grill, it will take longer and is somewhat harder to cook evenly.

However, if you own a rotisserie grill, leaving the chicken whole is perfectly fine, as the spinning action of the spit, allows for even cooking.

As a matter of fact, this is how many vendors in Puerto Rico cook pollo al carbon.

Otherwise, it is much better to butterfly the chicken so that it cooks both faster and evenly.

Can I Use Other Pieces of Chicken to Make Pollo Asado al Carbon?

Traditionally pollo al carbon is made using the whole chicken. However, the beauty of homemade recipes is you are the boss of your kitchen!

You certainly can use any cut of chicken you like.

Drumsticks, thighs, wings, chicken breasts or a combination of!

Although I do recommend, that if you’re going to use chicken breasts for this recipe, it is best to buy chicken breasts with the bone in.

Using bone-in breasts cooks juicier, moist pieces of breasts versus using boneless breasts.

Should You Cover Chicken while Roasting?

I highly recommend using the lid to your charcoal grill. This will not only allow the chicken to cook faster but more importantly to cook fully through.

How Long Do You Roast Chicken?

Normally you’re looking at about 1½ hours to cook the pollo al carbon.

Several factors will affect the cooking time. The weight of the chicken, outside temperature and the type of charcoal used.

The important thing is to make sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165° degrees.

If you do not have a meat thermometer, just make sure the juices that are released from the chicken run clear.

To do this, remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest a few minutes before cutting.

After the chicken has rested for about 10 minutes, cut the chicken at one of the joints. The chicken should be moist and juices should run clear.

If not, simply return the chicken to the grill and cook in intervals of 10-15 minutes until fully cooked.

Must I Use Lump Charcoal to Make Pollo Asado al Carbon?

This authentic Pollo Asado al Carbon is meant to be cooked as it is traditionally done.

Over lump charcoal!

So yes, if you want to make true authentic Pollo Asado al Carbon, then you must use lump charcoal.

Barbecue briquettes will not infuse the same smoky flavor that lump charcoal infuses into food.

A perfect example of this is making authentic Puerto Rican Pinchos (Puerto Rican Kebabs).

Authentically, pinchos are cooked over lump charcoal. Although, you can cook pinchos over briquettes, the taste will never be the same.

Cooking pinchos authentically, over natural lump charcoal, is the way to go!

Follow the recipes below for authentic pinchos!

Pinchos de Cerdo (Pork Kebabs)

Pinchos de Pollo (BBQ Chicken Kebabs)

Pollo al Carbon on wooden cutting board with cilantro and lime wedges.

Can I Cook More Than One Chicken at a Time on the Grill?

Yes of course! Cook as many as your charcoal grill allows you to comfortably fit.

The idea here is to cook the chicken over the charcoal but not so close that the charcoal burns the chicken before cooking it through.

How to Make Pollo Asado al Carbon

Seasonings in a glass bowl for the charcoal chicken.

Seasonings mixed in a glass bowl for the charcoal chicken.

Add all seasonings to a bowl and combine well. Set aside until ready to use.

Cutting the chicken on a wooden cutting board.

Butterflying the chicken on a wooden cutting board.

Rinse the inside cavity of the chicken as well as the outside. Place chicken on a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, cut straight down through the breast bone and spread chicken open.

Note: You can also Spatchcocked (Butterfly Chicken by Cutting the Spine Out)

To see how this method is done, please refer to this post “How to Spatchcock (Butterfly) a Chicken“ from Simply Recipes.

Chicken butterflied on a wooden cutting board.

Seasoning the butterflied chicken on a wooden cutting board for the charcoal.

Season the inside and outside of the chicken with the marinade.

Seasoned chicken and ready for the grill laying on a wooden cutting board.

After seasoning the chicken with the marinade, you can place it on the grill immediately or cover, refrigerate and allow to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Grilling the Chicken

Prepare your charcoal grill by first greasing the grate with vegetable oil.
Next, add enough charcoal to the grill and light.
Allow the charcoal to smoke and ash for about 15 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook for 30 minutes on one side.
Flip chicken over and cook for another 30 minutes.
Flip over again, cook for 15 minutes.
Once again, flip over and cook for another 15 minutes.
Using a meat thermometer, insert into the joint area. If thermometer reads 165 degrees, the pollo asado is done!

Cutting the cooked pollo asado on a wooden cutting board.

Quartered chicken on a wooden cutting board.

Remove from the grill and allow to rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

What Should I Serve with Pollo Asado al Carbon?

Although you can serve pollo al carbon with anything you like, in Puerto Rico, we always serve it with certain traditional dishes.

Some include:

Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice) with a side of Habichuelas Guisadas (Stewed Beans)

Ensalada de Papa (Potato Salad)

Tossed salad, slices of avocado, yuca frita (fried cassava), garlic tostones and Fried Plantains.

How to Store Pollo Asado al Carbon

Store leftovers in an airtight container or place pieces on a platter and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

How to Reheat Pollo al Carbon?

Microwave Instructions

Place whatever amount of chicken you would like to eat on a plate and microwave for 2-4 minutes.

Depending how many pieces of chicken you are heating and the strength of your microwave will determine how many minutes you will need to eat chicken through.

Oven Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375° degrees.

Place chicken on an oven-safe tray and heat for 10-12 minutes uncovered.

Other Chicken Dishes You Will Love

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Pollo Asado al Carbon