As a child our Friday night family takeout was El Pollo Loco chicken. Now you can make the recipe at home in one hour and still get that signature slow cooked rotisserie chicken taste!
El Pollo Loco Chicken--Is it Healthy?
According to my Mom and Dad who only allowed us to eat there growing up...yes.
A chicken breast from El Pollo Loco has around 200 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 36 grams of protein, approximately 600 mg of sodium and around 150 mg of cholesterol.
But...if you have an intolerance or allergy to MSG it is rumored that El Pollo Loco uses MSG. Sigh.
El Pollo Loco Secrets
There are a few secrets that El Pollo Loco doesn't tell you. If you are going to eat there, here are a few tips:
- El Pollo Loco has a secret menu and you can order burritos, chicken tortilla soup and bowls "carb free."
- Chicken breasts at El Pollo Loco are cooked and served with skin. But you can order it "skin free."
Can You Cook a Rotisserie Chicken in an Hour?
While most of the meals featured on our site are ready in under thirty minutes, we love rotisserie chicken and use it often to save ourselves time. This chicken can be made with just a few shortcuts in an hour by first browning the whole chicken on the stovetop prior to baking. The juices of the chicken get sealed in and then bake making for a delicious juicy chicken that tastes just like the restaurant version! You can then save yourself time during the week by storing or freezing the chicken meat in other mexican dishes.
Other Meals You Can Make With Mexican Rotisserie Chicken
I love this El Pollo Loco chicken recipe because I can use it in a variety of Mexican dishes throughout the week calling for shredded chicken and it gives it a nice flavor that is different from shredded rotisserie chicken in a recipe. For any of the recipes below, instead of making the chicken like the recipe asks, just substitute shredded El Pollo Loco chicken!
- Grilled Mexican Chicken and Corn Pasta Salad (GF, EF)
- Southwest Chicken and Mexican Rice Bowls with All Natural Cheese Sauce (GF, EF)
- Easy Spanish Rice Bowl (GF, EF, DF)
- Five Ingredient Taco Salad Recipe (GF, EF, DF)
Copycat El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 whole garlic clove
- 2 tbsp pineapple juice
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 pinch saffron can substitute tumeric for saffron
- 1 tsp natural yellow food coloring (optional)
- 1 whole 3-4 pound fryer chicken
Instructions
- Stir in a bowl or blend in a blender all marinade ingredients (minus the chicken). Store one cup of the marinade away. You will use the rest of the marinade.
- Remove the gizzards and insides of the chicken. Remove the backbone of the chicken. (Often called the spatchcock, butterfly or flat roast method) You can see a video of how to remove the backbone of the chicken here. Rinse the chicken.
- Pour the remaining marinade into a bowl and place the chicken in the bowl. Allow chicken to sit in the marinade for 45 minutes to an hour, flipping chicken over halfway through marinade time.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees or a grill to medium low heat. Heat a pan to medium heat and place on the stove. pour a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Once pan is heated, place the chicken in butterfly position and cook for 2-3 minutes covered. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and arrange in a roasting pan or arrange on the grill.
- Cook the chicken on the open grill for 30-40 minutes turning often. Or cook chicken in the oven at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done. (Do not turn the chicken if cooking in the oven). Brush additional marinade on the grilled chicken once or twice and brush and pour remaining marinade on top of the cooked chicken prior to baking. Cook until chicken reaches approximately 165 degrees farenheit.
- Remove from oven and cut chicken into eight pieces with a large knife. Serve.
Notes
- Grilled Mexican Chicken and Corn Pasta Salad (GF, EF)
- Southwest Chicken and Mexican Rice Bowls with All Natural Cheese Sauce (GF, EF)
- Easy Spanish Rice Bowl (GF, EF, DF)
- Five Ingredient Taco Salad Recipe (GF, EF, DF)
The whole family thoroughly enjoyed this chicken. Thank you, will be making it again 🙂
This was so easy to make and such a treat for my kids. We love having juicy, tender chicken on hand for dinners and quick lunches.
Love chicken in all varieties. Tried this copycat recipe and find it incredibly tasty. Definitely goes on my favorites list. And thanks for tips about secret menu!
Gave this a try last night and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This tastes even better than the original! I have to say, being able to make this delicious dish at home was a special treat. Going out to eat is nice, but thanks to this recipe we were able to save money and feel like we’re dining out without the hassle