Pollo Rostizado

Learn to make Pollo Rostizado (Rotisserie Chicken) at home! Deliciously tender and juicy, all the while crispy! Recipe for both a rotisserie as well as to make in your oven!

Sure, it’s very convenient to pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken at the market, especially after a hard day at work.

Nothing could be better when you’re tired than having dinner on the table in 10 minutes!

But when time allows, making a rotisserie chicken at home, seasoned exactly how you want, is soo much better!

I promise, once you realize how easy it is to do, you’ll be eating rotisserie chicken much more often!

What is Pollo Rostizado?

When you first hear the word “rotisserie,” I’m sure the first thing you think about is “rotisserie chicken.” But what exactly is rotisserie cooking?

Rotisserie cooking is a form or style of roasting meats uncovered in an oven or grill.

It becomes rotisserie chicken, beef, or pork when the meat is skewered on a spit and rotated over a grill, open fire, or rotisserie oven.

This style of cooking is especially perfect for larger meats. It allows for more even cooking and produces the most tender, juicy meat while producing a beautifully crispy exterior.

What if I Don’t Have a Rotisserie Oven or Grill?

Although I used my rotisserie oven to make this recipe, you can certainly make this recipe completely uncovered in the oven.

Just simply place it on a roasting pan, uncovered and cook.

If you have a gas grill but no rotisserie spit for your grill, you may want to consider getting a “rotisserie kit.” You can easily order one online that would work with your grill for a decent price.

A one-time purchase of $30, $40 will bring many years of delicious juicy crispy chicken!

Alternatively, if you have a charcoal grill, you can make this superbly delicious Pollo Asado al Carbon (Roasted Charcoal Chicken).

Ingredients You Will Need

• whole chicken
• garlic cloves
• oil
• adobo
• oregano
• crushed red pepper

Recipe Tips

• Plan ahead and marinate for 24 hours before roasting to allow all the flavors to infuse well.
• Add seasoning to the breast under the skin, inside the cavity and under the skin of the legs.
• Truss the chicken with twine so the wings and legs are not dangling in the rotisserie oven.
• If you don’t have twine, you can still truss chicken as I did below.
• This recipe uses plenty of garlic so if you are not a fan of garlic, feel free to season with herbs and seasoning of your liking.
• One single chicken will comfortably feed a family of three. If feeding more than three, make sure to roast at least 2 whole chickens.

How to Make Pollo Rostizado

Rotisserie Style Instructions

Garlic Oregano Marinade

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

Chicken

1. Remove any giblets from inside the chicken and set aside or discard. (I like to rinse and season the giblets and use them in a gravy.)
2. Rinse the inside cavity and the outside of the chicken under cool water. Set on a cutting board to season.

1. Season the inside of the cavity and the outside of the chicken with the garlic oregano marinade.
2. Gently lift the breast skin and spread the garlic marinade in between the skin and breast as well.
3. Continue seasoning with the garlic marinade until you have used it all up.
4. Sprinkle adobo all over the chicken including the cavity.
5. Cover the chicken and allow it to marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Note: If you have the time, marinate overnight for a fully flavorful rotisserie chicken.

1. After marinating the chicken for a few hours or overnight, insert your rotisserie rod inside the chicken and truss. (You can either use twine or truss the chicken without it)

To Truss the Chicken without String

1. Cut slits in the excess skin of the chicken around the cavity. (As pictured above)
2. Cross the legs opposite of each slit and tuck into slits. (Sorry forgot to take a photo, not pictured above)

1. Next tuck wing tip under the chicken. (as shown above)
2. Insert the rotisserie ends into the chicken to secure.
3. Chicken is now ready to cook.
4. Depending on the type of rotisserie oven you own, follow the manufacturer’s instruction on how to make a rotisserie chicken in your particular oven.
5. Usually, you will set the oven to a “rotisserie” setting and cook for a little bit over an hour.

1. Once chicken is done, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.

Oven Instructions to Make the Pollo Rostizado

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, baking dish, or cast iron skillet.
3. Once the oven has heated through, place the chicken in the oven and cook for about an hour and 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. (Baste the chicken with the pan juices that accumulate n the bottom of the tray, every 20 minutes.)
4. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.

Note: Allowing the chicken to rest before carving will lock in the juices inside the chicken and keep it moist.

How to Cut the Chicken

1. Place the cooked chicken, breast side up on a cutting board and cut the twine off of the bird if used.
2. Holding the chicken in place with a fork, pull the leg away from the breast and cut through at the joint. Repeat with the other leg. It should be quite easy to do this as the chicken will be super tender.
3. Cut through the thigh and drumstick for both legs.
4. Holding the wing tip, gently pull away until it is slightly separated from the body and cut through at joint. Repeat with the other wing.
5. To slice the breasts, you can remove both breasts completely and then slice to your liking. You can also slice the chicken breast while attached to the bird.

Recipe Variations

There are many delicious seasoning variations for rotisserie chicken. Here are two other seasoning ideas. (*Keep in mind, recipes are even better if allowed to marinate overnight.)

Lemon Garlic Chicken

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Rinse the chicken under cool water.
2. Rub oil all over chicken.
3. Mix all the spices together and rub all over the chicken.
4. Follow cooking instructions above.

Hawaiian Rotisserie Chicken

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon tabasco
• salt and black pepper to taste

1. Rinse the chicken under cool water.
2. Separate about 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside.
3. Use the rest to season the chicken both the outside and inside.
4. After chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, carefully baste on the reserved marinade and continue cooking until done.

What to Serve with Pollo Rostizado? (Rotiserrie Chicken)

Rotiserrie chicken is delicious with:

• mashed potatoes and a side of veggies
• yellow rice with corn or Arroz Blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice) and a side of Habichuelass Guisadas (Puerto Rican Beans)
• ensalada de papa (potato salad)
• tossed salad and a side of veggies

Storing Your Pollo Rostizado (Rotisserie Chicken)

Are you planning on having the leftover chicken the following day or two?

Simply place it in a container and refrigerate.

Unsure when you will have the leftovers? Freeze the Leftovers!

Place the chicken in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months.

What Can I Do with Leftover Rotisserie Chicken

Leftover chicken is delicious in so many ways. Here are a few ideas:

• Chop and toss in with a green salad.
• Make a chicken salad with it. Just add a little bit of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
• Chicken sliders – Try this recipe from A Cedar Spoon
• Use leftover chicken to make a quick simple chicken soup.