Pollo Rostizado

Learn how to make Pollo Rostizado at home! Golden, juicy rotisserie chicken made 3 ways, all with crispy skin, bold seasoning, and irresistible flavor in every bite.

Pollo rostizado is a popular dish across Latin America and each country and even household has their own variation. There are so many different seasonings and marinades you can do and your house always smells amazing while it’s cooking. We adore it because of the crispy, golden skin and juicy, tender meat you get every time you make it. Here I'm teaching you how to make it three different ways; garlicky Puerto Rican-style, Mexican-inspired chicken with achiote and warm spices, and a classic rotisserie-style that's easy to make and absolutely delicious! You can't go wrong with any of these recipes and you'll have juicy, flavorful chicken every time. If you love recipes with whole chicken check out our pollo al carbon (charcoal chicken) recipe as well, it’s so good!

Jump to:

• What is Pollo Rostizado?
• Pollo Rostizado Ingredients (3 Ways: Puerto Rican, Mexican & Classic)
• Step by Step Instructions
• To Truss the Chicken without String
• How to Properly Cut a Whole Roasted Chicken
• Serving Suggestions
• How to Use Leftover Rotisserie Chicken
• How To Store and Reheat
• Cathy’s Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQ’s
• 📖 Recipe
• Recipe Tips

What is Pollo Rostizado?

Pollo rostizado translates to rotisserie chicken in English. It's prepared with a whole chicken that has been seasoned and roasted until the skin is nice and crispy and golden brown while the meat inside stays juicy and tender. Traditionally, the chicken is cooked on a rotating spit over gas, electric or charcoal heat.

Rotisserie chicken is common in many Latin cultures, each with their own spin on seasonings and marinade. Some use brighter citrus and garlic flavors while others use spices like achiote to give it more color and flavor.

Pollo Rostizado Ingredients (3 Ways: Puerto Rican, Mexican & Classic)

Base Chicken

• whole chicken
• olive oil or butter
• salt and pepper

Puerto Rican Style Marinade

• garlic, adobo, sazon, oregano

Mexican Style Marinade

• achiote paste, white vinegar, orange juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper

Classic Rotisserie Style

• butter, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, rosemary or thyme, salt and pepper

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Steps
1. Prepare the Chicken

• Check and remove any giblets and set aside or discard. (I like to save them for chicken stock or gravy later)

• Rinse the chicken, including cavity under cool water.

• Using your fingers, gently loosen skin between the breasts and thighs.

Seasoning

Prepare one of the following marinades below, and rub it onto chicken all over, making sure to also rub it under the skin and inside the cavity.

• For the Puerto Rican version: Blend or mash ingredients into a paste.

• For the Mexican version: Blend until smooth.

• For the classic version: Whisk all ingredients.

Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Cooking Directions

Rotisserie

1. Insert and attach the rotisserie spit to chicken. (Truss the legs together using kitchen twine and tuck the wings under back)
2. Cook chicken at 375-400°F for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. (Baste the chicken with the pan juices that accumulate in the bottom of the tray, every 20 minutes.)

For full instructions and oven roasted or air fryer instructions, please follow instructions in recipe box below.

To Truss the Chicken without String

1. Cut a slit on each side in the excess skin of the chicken around the cavity. (As pictured above)
2. Then cross the legs opposite of each other and tuck into slits.
3. Next tuck wing tip under the chicken. (as shown below)
4. Insert the rotisserie ends into the chicken to secure.
5. Chicken is now ready to cook.
6. 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.
7. Usually, you will set the oven to a “rotisserie” setting and cook for a little bit over an hour.

How to Properly Cut a Whole Roasted 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.

Serving Suggestions

Rotisserie chicken is very versatile and great with many different sides. Whether just served simply with a side of crusty bread and a salad or served with something a bit heartier. Here are some of my favorites: .

• mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables
• Puerto Rican yellow rice with corn
• arroz blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice) and a side of habichuelas guisadas (Puerto Rican beans)
• ensalada de papa (Puerto Rican potato salad)
• macarrones con queso (mac and cheese)
• arroz a la jardinera (garden style rice)

How to Use 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 delicious creamy ensalada de coditos con pollo (macaroni salad with chicken)
• Make a chicken salad with it. Just add a little bit of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
• Chicken sliders – try these easy chicken sliders recipe from A Cedar Spoon
• Use leftover chicken to make a quick simple chicken soup.

How To Store and Reheat

To Store:

• Let chicken cool completely. Transfer chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To Freeze:

• Pull meat off the bone and store in freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

To Reheat:

• Reheat chicken in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Cathy’s Expert Tips

• Season underneath the skin: Slip your fingers under the skin and rub some of your marinade or seasoning directly onto the chicken meat for added flavor.

• Marinate as long as you can: If using a classic seasoning, thirty minutes is fine, but for both Puerto Rican and Mexican marinade, it’s best to marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight.

• Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking: Take the chicken out of the fridge and let sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes before roasting, this helps to ensure even cooking throughout.

• Truss the chicken: Truss the chicken with twine so the wings and legs are not dangling in the rotisserie oven.

• If roasting your chicken: Cook on a baking sheet using a rack if you have one. Cook the chicken on a rack set over a baking sheet so that air can circulate all around the chicken, this helps to crisp the chicken on all sides.

• Avoid overcooking: Depending on how small or large your chicken is, you may have to adjust cooking time. For best and accuate results, I like to use a thermometer. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, then remove from the heat.

• Allow the chicken to rest before carving: Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the chicken so they don't drip out onto your cutting board.

• Feeding family: One single chicken will comfortably feed a family of three. If feeding more than three, make sure to roast at least 2 whole chickens.

Recipe FAQ’s

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