Grill/Barbecue
Pollo in Guajillo (From ‘Asada’ by Bricia Lopez)
- Prep time 45 minutes
- Cook time 50 minutes
- Serves 4
Author Notes
As Bricia Lopez writes in Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling, “This grilled chicken has gotten me through so many long days working at Guelaguetza”—her award-winning Oaxacan restaurant in Los Angeles. “There were times when I ate it for lunch every day, sometimes with a big salad, sometimes with homestyle french fries, or with rice, beans, and tortillas. It tastes great any way you eat it and it reheats beautifully. This is a solid recipe to make on a Sunday and eat throughout the week. I purposely did not soak the chiles, in order to create a rustic marinade that has more texture; the flavor of burnt chile once it is grilled makes this chicken recipe stand out.”
After cooking through Asada this summer, Food52 Cookbook Club members agreed this was one of their favorite recipes from Bricia’s book, which explores all the elements of a backyard asada. She covers classic carne asada and its variations, of course, but also shares recipes for grilled veg and fish that you can endlessly riff upon. (The ceviche tostadas are worth the book alone—trust us on this one.)
For Cookbook Club and community member Lindsey Silva Hwang, cooking through Asada was an opportunity to “get in touch with my culture through food,” and Bricia’s Pollo in Guajillo was one of many recipes that imparted a key lesson in combining different chiles “to create depth in addition to spice.”
—Nicole Davis
Test Kitchen Notes
Recipe and excerpt from Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral. Copyright © 2023 by Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral. Photo copyright © 2023 by Quentin Bacon. Published by Abrams. —The Editors
Ingredients
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12
guajillo chiles (about 50 grams), stems and seeds removed
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1/2
large white onion, roughly chopped
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8
garlic cloves, peeled
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1/4 teaspoon
black peppercorns
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1
whole clove
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1 tablespoon
dried Mexican oregano
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2 tablespoons
grapeseed oil
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1/4 cup
(60 milliliters) orange juice
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2 tablespoons
seasoned rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed lime juice
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1/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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1 1/2 tablespoons
sea salt
-
2 pounds
(910 grams) bone-in chicken thighs
Directions
- In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, lightly toast the chiles, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic, turning once or twice until they are lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the peppercorns, clove, and dried oregano to the pan and lightly toast until they are aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer the toasted spices and oregano to a molcajete or spice grinder and grind until finely ground.
- In a high-performance blender or food processor, add the toasted chiles, onion, garlic, ground spices and oregano, oil, orange juice, rice vinegar, lime juice, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until most of the chiles have come apart. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Using a gallon-size resealable bag, add the marinade and the chicken. Seal and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Remove the chicken thighs in their marinade from the fridge to allow them to reach room temperature before grilling.
- Start a charcoal or gas grill. The gas should be set to high. If using a pellet grill, heat your grill to 450°F (230°C) for at least 15 minutes. If using charcoal, the coals should be red but entirely covered with gray ash. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put them on the grill directly over the medium fire, skin side up. Close the lid and cook, turning once, about 15 minutes on each side. The chicken is cooked when its internal temperature reaches 175°F (79°C) on a meat thermometer. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
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