Pollo a las brasas
Photo: Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY 4.0

History

Pollo a las brasas as a Tapatio specialty was popularised by Pollo Pepe, founded December 1979 by Jose Maria Hernandez Sedano and Lucy at Tepeyac and Nino Obrero in Chapalita, Zapopan, and grew into a Guadalajara chain. The chicken is marinated in orange juice, achiote, garlic and oregano, then spit-roasted on a horizontal wood-fired rotisserie. The dish is served with handmade flour tortillas, frijoles charros (beans with bacon and tomato) and grilled onions on the side.

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Common allergens: Wheat (tortilla)

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (about 1.6 kg)
  • Juice of 2 oranges
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp achiote paste
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Flour tortillas and frijoles charros for serving

Method

  1. Spatchcock the chicken: cut along both sides of the backbone and flatten.
  2. Whisk the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, achiote, oregano, cumin, salt and olive oil into a marinade.
  3. Coat the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
  4. Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Place the chicken skin-side up on a rack over a tray.
  5. Roast 50 minutes, basting twice with pan juices, until the skin is deep mahogany and the thigh juice runs clear.
  6. Rest 10 minutes, then carve into pieces.
  7. Serve with warm flour tortillas and frijoles charros.

Tip from the editors. A wood-fired grill or rotisserie gives the canonical Tapatio flavour; the oven version is the home approximation that still works.

Where to eat pollo a las brasas

Pollo a las brasas in Guadalajara

Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Guadalajara. See where to eat Pollo a las brasas in Guadalajara or the Guadalajara signature dishes guide.

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