Pollo Asado Street Tacos are easy to make, full of flavor and a great addition to your weekly menu.
Pollo Asado is grilled chicken marinated in citrus and a mix of spices that give it a delicious flavor.
The best way to get the amazing flavors in this chicken is to grill it in high heat, giving the chicken a bit of char and smokiness.
What kind of chicken to use
Pollo asado is usually a combination of white and dark meat. Chicken breast and tight are my go-to's but you can use either or.
Chicken Marinade
The chicken marinate is a combination of orange, chipotle, cumin and Mexican oregano. I love to add a bit go garlic powder and smoked paprika to enhance the flavor.
I let the chicken marinate for at least two hours and up to 24 hours. The longer you let the chicken marinate, the better.
You can easily freeze this chicken in its marinade and have it ready to grill. I love doing this when I meal prep.
Street Taco Toppings
When talking about street tacos, the classic toppings are chopped onions with cilantro, a lime wedge and some salsa. I topped mine with an avocado salsa verde and with salsa roja.
I served these over corn tortillas but you can substitute for flour or any other type or tortilla. When doing low carb and Keto, I love to wrap these tacos in romaine lettuce or coconut flour tortillas.
How to store pollo asado
Once grilled you can store your pollo asado in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. I love to have this grilled chicken handy not only for extra tacos but for salads or rice bowls.
You can also freeze it in a bag and thaw it as needed. This chicken reheats really well and its a perfect freezer meal.
If you are more of a beef lover, check my award-winning Carne Asada recipe.
Pollo Asado Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs can substitute for chicken breast
- 1 chicken breast
- ¼ cup liquid smoke
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 2 chiles chipotle in adobo chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Blend all the marinade ingredients until well combined (except the chicken)
- Add the chicken to the marinade and let rest for 2 hours
- Turn the grill on high heat (450 farhenheit)
- Grill on each side for about 6-8 minutes. Cook them with the lid closed as much as possible until the chicken its firm to the touch and opaque in the center.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting it into bite size pieces.
Dianne
My husband loved these tacos. There was no way I was going to add 1/4 cup liquid smoke to the marinade though. I stuck with 2 teaspoons. You might use a more diluted brand than the one I (Wright's) but 1/4 cup would have been unbearable.
I did also use smoked salt instead of plain and thighs instead of breasts. It had a nice lightly smoked taste at the end. I also added a tablespoon of white vinegar to jazz up the OJ. I diced the chicken into little cubes before pan frying in a tiny bit of oil on medium-high heat. I cooked/simmered it for 10 minutes before straining out the liquid and tossed it back for a few minutes to get a nice char on some of the cubes.
Isabel
Oh I'm so glad he loved them! Good call on knowing how powerful your liquid smoke is. I will test that brand out of curiosity.
I'm happy to hear you made this recipe your own and it turned out great!
Bex B-L
Excellent chicken recipe, thank you! Much enjoyed by all my family, including my young girls. I had to swap liquid smoke for more smoked paprika and smoked sea salt. They don't seem to sell it where I live!
Isabel
Thank you for the review! I'm thrilled that you and your family enjoyed the recipe.