Grilled Chicken with Adobo and Sazón
By David PazmiñoPublished on May 31, 2021
Time
1¾ hours, plus 3 hours marinating
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Adobo and Sazón
4 teaspoons granulated garlic 2½ teaspoons commercial sazón 1 teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon dried oreganoChicken
1 (4- to 4½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided6 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon table salt 1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro ½ teaspoon pepperBefore You Begin
Look for sazón with culantro and achiote (also called annatto) at the supermarket, and avoid those without salt. If you'd prefer to use our DIY sazón, you'll need 4 teaspoons here. You can substitute garlic powder for the granulated garlic. Breaking down a whole chicken lets you enjoy the delicacy that is the grilled backbone, but the recipe works fine with 4 to 4½ pounds of bone-in leg quarters and split breasts.
Instructions
- FOR THE ADOBO AND SAZÓN: Combine all ingredients in bowl.
- Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Using chef's knife, cut through breastbone to split chicken in half.
- Working with 1 half of chicken, slice through skin connecting leg quarter to breast, cutting close to leg quarter to ensure skin completely covers breast and rib meat. Leave split breast whole and tuck wing behind back. Flip leg quarter and remove and discard any rib bone connected to the thigh bone. Repeat with second half of chicken.
- Place 1 leg quarter skin side up on cutting board. Using sharp knife, make 3 slashes: 1 across thigh, 1 across joint, and 1 across drumstick (each slash should reach bone). Flip leg quarter and make 1 more diagonal slash across back of drumstick. Repeat with second leg quarter.
- Toss chicken (including backbone) with 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon oil in large bowl, using your hands to loosen skin from meat. Sprinkle adobo-sazón mixture over chicken pieces. Toss with your hands, rubbing mixture all over chicken, into slashes, and under skin. Cover and refrigerate chicken for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium and turn other burner(s) to low. (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 400 and 425 degrees.)
- While grill heats, place garlic on cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Mash to paste with side of knife. (This can also be done using mortar and pestle.) Transfer garlic paste to disposable pan. Add cilantro, pepper, remaining ¼ cup vinegar, and remaining ¼ cup oil and mix to form paste.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken (including backbone) on cooler side of grill, skin side up. Cover and cook until underside of chicken is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Flip chicken; cover; and continue to cook on cooler side of grill until thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes longer. While chicken cooks, place disposable pan with paste on hotter side of grill and heat until liquid begins to simmer and garlic begins to cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove disposable pan from grill.
- Transfer chicken to hotter side of grill, skin side down, and cook (covered if using gas) until skin is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. As chicken browns, place disposable pan on cooler side of grill.
- Flip chicken and cook until breasts register 155 degrees and leg quarters register 175 degrees, about 2 to 3 minutes. As chicken reaches temperature, transfer to disposable pan. Once all chicken is in disposable pan, cover with aluminum foil and slide to hotter side of grill. Cook until marinade is sizzling, 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand off heat for 10 minutes.
- Cut each breast in half crosswise through the bone. Cut leg quarters through joint to separate thigh and drumstick. Place chicken, including backbone, on serving platter. Pour marinade from disposable pan into serving bowl. Serve, passing marinade separately.
for the chicken
Time
1¾ hours, plus 3 hours marinatingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Adobo and Sazón
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
2½ teaspoons commercial sazón
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Chicken
1 (4- to 4½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon table salt
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Adobo and Sazón
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
2½ teaspoons commercial sazón
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Chicken
1 (4- to 4½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon table salt
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Adobo and Sazón
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
2½ teaspoons commercial sazón
1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Chicken
1 (4- to 4½-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
5 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon table salt
1 (13 by 9-inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This juicy, intensely flavored chicken gets its punch from two dried seasonings from the Puerto Rican pantry: adobo, a blend made from granulated garlic, salt, black pepper, and oregano; and sazón, a mixture that includes all the ingredients of adobo as well as achiote, dried onion, cumin, and more herbs. We crafted a homemade adobo to ensure a goodly amount of granulated garlic but used a commercial version of sazón. (We also offer a DIY sazón here.) We broke down a whole chicken, which had two advantages: The proportionately sized legs and breasts cooked more evenly, and we were able to enjoy the delicacy that is the grilled backbone. We rubbed our adobo-sazón seasoning over and under the skin (we tossed the parts in a mixture of vinegar and oil first, which helped the blend adhere), as well as into pockets that we slashed into the leg quarters. After allowing the chicken to marinate for at least 3 hours, we grilled it mainly over indirect heat, browning the skin over high heat for the final few minutes of cooking. A punchy postmarinade made with lots of garlic and chopped cilantro as well as salt, white vinegar, black pepper, and olive oil contributed another layer of bright, savory flavor.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
Look for sazón with culantro and achiote (also called annatto) at the supermarket, and avoid those without salt. If you'd prefer to use our DIY sazón, you'll need 4 teaspoons here. You can substitute garlic powder for the granulated garlic. Breaking down a whole chicken lets you enjoy the delicacy that is the grilled backbone, but the recipe works fine with 4 to 4½ pounds of bone-in leg quarters and split breasts.
Instructions
- FOR THE ADOBO AND SAZÓN: Combine all ingredients in bowl.
- Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut through bones on either side of backbone. Reserve backbone. Using chef's knife, cut through breastbone to split chicken in half.
- Working with 1 half of chicken, slice through skin connecting leg quarter to breast, cutting close to leg quarter to ensure skin completely covers breast and rib meat. Leave split breast whole and tuck wing behind back. Flip leg quarter and remove and discard any rib bone connected to the thigh bone. Repeat with second half of chicken.
- Place 1 leg quarter skin side up on cutting board. Using sharp knife, make 3 slashes: 1 across thigh, 1 across joint, and 1 across drumstick (each slash should reach bone). Flip leg quarter and make 1 more diagonal slash across back of drumstick. Repeat with second leg quarter.
- Toss chicken (including backbone) with 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon oil in large bowl, using your hands to loosen skin from meat. Sprinkle adobo-sazón mixture over chicken pieces. Toss with your hands, rubbing mixture all over chicken, into slashes, and under skin. Cover and refrigerate chicken for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium and turn other burner(s) to low. (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 400 and 425 degrees.)
- While grill heats, place garlic on cutting board and sprinkle with salt. Mash to paste with side of knife. (This can also be done using mortar and pestle.) Transfer garlic paste to disposable pan. Add cilantro, pepper, remaining ¼ cup vinegar, and remaining ¼ cup oil and mix to form paste.
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken (including backbone) on cooler side of grill, skin side up. Cover and cook until underside of chicken is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Flip chicken; cover; and continue to cook on cooler side of grill until thickest part of breast registers 150 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes longer. While chicken cooks, place disposable pan with paste on hotter side of grill and heat until liquid begins to simmer and garlic begins to cook, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove disposable pan from grill.
- Transfer chicken to hotter side of grill, skin side down, and cook (covered if using gas) until skin is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. As chicken browns, place disposable pan on cooler side of grill.
- Flip chicken and cook until breasts register 155 degrees and leg quarters register 175 degrees, about 2 to 3 minutes. As chicken reaches temperature, transfer to disposable pan. Once all chicken is in disposable pan, cover with aluminum foil and slide to hotter side of grill. Cook until marinade is sizzling, 3 to 4 minutes. Let stand off heat for 10 minutes.
- Cut each breast in half crosswise through the bone. Cut leg quarters through joint to separate thigh and drumstick. Place chicken, including backbone, on serving platter. Pour marinade from disposable pan into serving bowl. Serve, passing marinade separately.
for the chicken
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