Pollo al Horno

Pollo al horno is one of the dishes that every culture loves and has a version of it. Whenever we think of “pollo al horno” the first thing that comes to mind is my abuela using the mortar and pestle to make the most beautiful marinate with garlic, oregano, adobo and so much love and patience that it was impossible to improve it. 

That being said, the more patient you are with your pollo, the better it will be when it comes out of the oven. Patience will deliver flavor, texture, and moisture to your chicken so make sure you make this recipe a few days ahead of time for maximum flavor. Always remember you can adjust your seasoning as desired, but to keep it traditional we went with the classic “pavochón” seasoning mix based on a generous amount of garlic and oregano, it's what Mamá would’ve wanted. 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken

• 4 garlic cloves 

• Ground oregano

• Ground adobo

• Ground turmeric

• Adobo Loisa

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

Note: This is one of the “follow your heart” recipes with the marinate, some people like it more garlicky and some prefer more adobo, so make sure you try your marinate before rubbing your chicken with it!

Directions:

1. Thaw your chicken around 4 days before cooking, the first thing we did was add salt to the outside of your chicken, and also season the inside of the cavity with just salt, this will give you a much better result in flavor, texture, and moistness. 

2. After seasoning your chicken with generous salt, lay it on a cooling rack and leave in the fridge, uncovered for up to 3 days or at the very least overnight. 

3. Preheat the oven at 350 F, take your chicken out of the fridge, pat it dry, and lets make our marinate.

4. Mix together in a mortar and pestle your spices alongside your garlic cloves and a pinch of salt, turn into a paste and then add a couple tablespoons of olive oil (around 3-4) then mix again. Taste your marinate and tweak if needed.

5. Rub every part of your chicken with the marinate, making sure its coated completely and that you also season inside the cavity.

6. Bake your chicken at 350F for 50 minutes, then another 15 minutes at 380 or until beautifully GBD (Golden Brown and Delicious)

7. Once the chicken comes put of the oven make sure it rests for at least 20 minutes to ensure juiciness and consistency on the cook.