Posted on 10/08/2026 12:08:17 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
I recently BBQed two whole chickens using the famous Pollo Loco copycat marinade. When I lived in California I was so addicted to Pollo Loco that I ate it almost every day and sometimes even twice a day for lunch and dinner. I don't miss much about California but one of the few things I do miss is definitely Pollo Loco. Fortunately, there are copycat Pollo Loco recipes on the web and I recently BBQed two chickens using that recipe and it brought back great taste memories. Therefore I decided to give it a try with only wings as you can see in this video.
Keep in mind that the recipe below is for 5 pounds of chicken and since I used 10 pounds of JUMBO wings, you should DOUBLE the proportions shown. Oh, and since I used JUMBO wings which were much thicker than the wings I normally use I had to cook the JUMBO wings in the outer concentric circle for an extra 10 minutes. Therefore in future cooks when I use JUMBO wings, I will up the BBQ temperature to 500 degrees rather than the 400 degrees I used in this video.
Finally, since I am such a BBQ fanatic, I have a message in this video about my plan to go to Cuba when it is legal to do so and after the embargo terminates in order to pick up at least 50 pounds of what is perhaps the BEST charcoal in the world. MARABU. Therefore if you own a boat or know someone who does, please contact me for arrangements to go to Cuba for two days so that I and my nephew who is a Broward County Deputy Sheriff can pick up the MARABU.
POLLO LOCO RECIPE FOR 5 lbs CHICKEN:
Citrus Juices: 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, 1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Aromatics: 5 cloves garlic (peeled and minced) and 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
Oils & Fats: 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
Spices:
2 tsp ground ancho chile powder
1.5 tsp smoked paprika
2.5 tsp onion powder (or ground onion)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (for the signature yellow color) 3 tsp kosher salt (divided)
Dry Seasoning Mix: In a small bowl, mix ½ tsp ground onion, ½ tsp ground garlic, ½ tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp kosher salt.
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Sounds yummy!
Thanks, looks good
The bad news is portion control. One should not eat more than a closed-fist sized portion of food. Everyone going to any of these restaurants should ask for a clamshell box for take out and save half of it for the next meal.
There’s a reason why Pollo Loco very rapidly captured the Mexican and California markets soon after they appeared there. It’s ADDICTIVE!
I didn’t eat that whole bowl of wings. It was not only shared with my wife but she also took about half to relatives down in Miami later that day. Also the next day I had a few more wings that were in the refrigerator. BTW, after refrigeration the wings tasted even BETTER.
I’ll give it a try!
Really useless comment
I remember the first time, they were grilling over charcoal in Las Vegas.
Last time I went in AZ, grilled over gas, not the same.
Thank you for the recipe
“When I lived in California I was so addicted to Pollo Loco that I ate it almost every day”
I have to say the same thing about when I lived there. Delicious!!
Question
Your recipe tsp=
teaspoon or
Tablespoon?(Tsb)
Since the writers of "Better Call Saul" were based in California, I am sure they had eaten many times at El Pollo Loco which gave them the idea of the Pollos Hermanos.
But if you cook two whole chickens or use 10 lbs of chicken wings, then DOUBLE the size of the ingredients posted below the video. That's what I did because I used 10 lbs of chicken wings.
I personally can’t stand the ripoff chain “Polo Loco”. I haven’t found anything there that isn’t overpriced and way under value. Their itty-bitty tiny chicken pieces are a joke. I’d love to find a good chicken place around where I live, Polo Loco sure isn’t one.
Im going to pm you a link to a great bbq chicken roast marinde recipe from new york.
POLLO LOCO RECIPE FOR 5 lbs CHICKEN:
Citrus Juices: 1/2 cup ea fresh oj, unsweetened pineapple juice, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Aromatics: 5 minced gar/cl, 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
Oils & Fats: 1/4 cup avocado oil or olive oil
Spices: 2 tsp ground ancho chile powder
1.5 tsp smoked paprika
2.5 tsp onion powder (or ground onion)
1 tsp ea ground cumin, coriander, dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (for the signature yellow color) 3 tsp k/salt (divided)
Dry Seasoning: mix ½ tsp ea ground onion, ground garlic, smoked paprika, 1 tsp k/salt.
Thx for the recipe, PJ..
Yeah that recipe you posted is for FIVE pounds. Since I did TEN pounds of wings I simply doubled the portions of the recipe. And since I consider just BBQing five pounds of chicken a waste of time (and charcoal), I will probably only BBQ ten pounds of chicken or even higher.
Mmmmm!
Thank you!
El Pollo Loco is my favorite fast food chicken place.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.