Yucatán Achiote Pollo Asado Spread

Name: Yucatán Achiote Pollo Asado Spread
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Yucatecan
Ingredients: 9.6 pieces Chicken Leg Quarters; 3/4 Cup Sour Orange Juice; 1/4 Cup Recado Rojo Paste; 1 3/4 Tbsp Annatto Seeds; 1/4 Cup Rendered Chicken Fat; 7/8 Tsp Ground Allspice; 1/4 Cup Epazote Leaves; 1.6 Lb Jicama Sticks; 1 1/4 Cups Habanero Salsa; 19.2 pieces Hand-Pressed Corn Tortillas

Yucatán recado rojo leg quarters, sour orange, and charred jicama for ten

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 30 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: medium

Pollo asado recado night—sour orange achiote char, not chipotle fajita repeat

Why crews like it: Yucatecan pollo asado brings recado depth—not peri-peri, not chipotle lime. Leg quarters stay juicy on the flat-top and hold covered at 170°F for shift meals.

397Cal

46gProtein

36gCarbs

7gFat

Ingredients

9.6 pieces Chicken Leg Quarters
3/4 Cup Sour Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Recado Rojo Paste
1 3/4 Tbsp Annatto Seeds
1/4 Cup Rendered Chicken Fat
7/8 Tsp Ground Allspice
1/4 Cup Epazote Leaves
1.6 Lb Jicama Sticks
1 1/4 Cups Habanero Salsa
19.2 pieces Hand-Pressed Corn Tortillas

Instructions

Build recado marinade: Blend sour orange, recado rojo, annatto, chicken fat, allspice, and epazote until smooth. Coat leg quarters and marinate 4–12 hours.
Heat grill: Preheat grill to medium, 400°F. Oil grates for skin-on chicken.
Grill skin-side down: Grill leg quarters skin-side down 15 minutes undisturbed until skin crisps and releases.
Flip and finish: Flip and grill 15–18 minutes until 175°F internal and juices run clear. Move to indirect if flare-ups.
Grill radishes: Grill radish halves 3 minutes per side at 425°F until charred and slightly softened.
Rest and hold: Rest chicken 5 minutes. Hold covered at 170°F in hotel pans.
Warm tortillas: Wrap tortillas in foil and warm on grill 3 minutes at 350°F.
Platter for ten: Family-style platters with chicken, radishes, tortillas, and cilantro. One leg quarter plus thigh per person.

Tonight's spread

Pollo asado citrus platter with grilled radish and tortillas.
Black beans with lime on the side.

Hall tips

Achiote stains everything—wear gloves when blending marinade.
Skin-side down first is non-negotiable for crisp pollo asado.
175°F for dark meat; white-meat rules don't apply to leg quarters.

Meal prep

Marinate 4–12 hours. Griddle medium 400°F skin-side down first, 35 minutes total. Hold covered at 170°F up to 40 minutes. Jicama chars last 6 minutes.

Leftovers

Pull meat for citrus chicken tacos.
Chop into pozole-style soup with hominy.

flat-top griddle
instant-read thermometer
large platters
hotel pans
tongs