Grill-Smoked Sinaloa-Style Chicken
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 20, 2021
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded2 onions, chopped1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic heads, cloves separated and peeled (20 cloves)Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce 1½ cups wood chips Lime wedge
Before You Begin
You will need four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. This recipe requires refrigerating the marinated chickens for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before cooking (a longer time is preferable).
Instructions
- With 1 chicken breast side down, use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone and trim any excess fat or skin at neck. Flip chicken over and, using chef's knife, cut through breastbone to separate chicken into halves. Cut ½-inch deep slits across breast, thigh, and leg of each half, about ½ inch apart. Tuck wingtips behind back. Repeat with second chicken.
- Process onions, orange juice concentrate, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons salt in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer ¾ cup marinade to bowl and stir in oregano, thyme, and chipotle; set aside for cooking. Divide remaining marinade between two 1-gallon zipper-lock bags. Add chickens to bags and toss to coat. Press out as much air as possible, seal bags, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours, flipping occasionally.
- Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Remove chickens from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Insert one 12-inch metal skewer lengthwise through thickest part of breast down through thigh of each chicken half.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set cooking grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 350 to 375 degrees.)
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken halves skin side up on cooler side of grill with legs pointing toward heat source. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with reserved marinade for cooking.
- Switch placement of chickens, with legs still pointed toward heat source, and continue to cook, covered, until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer chickens to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove skewers, carve chickens, and serve with lime wedges.
Yield
Serves 8Ingredients
2 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded
2 onions, chopped
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic heads, cloves separated and peeled (20 cloves)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1½ cups wood chips
Lime wedge
Ingredients
2 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded
2 onions, chopped
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic heads, cloves separated and peeled (20 cloves)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1½ cups wood chips
Lime wedge
Ingredients
2 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chickens, giblets discarded
2 onions, chopped
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic heads, cloves separated and peeled (20 cloves)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1½ cups wood chips
Lime wedge
Why This Recipe Works
To bring all the earthy flavor of this dish home, we prepared a potent marinade using frozen orange juice concentrate and 20 garlic cloves. Slashing the skin and meat allowed the marinade to fully penetrate the chicken; we reserved some of the marinade to baste the chicken and help keep the meat moist. The sugars in the marinade and basting liquid caramelized to produce really crisp skin. Skewering the chicken halves helped them keep their shape on the grill and made them easier to maneuver. We roasted the chickens on the cooler side of a banked fire with the legs toward the heat and brushed on more marinade for deep flavor.
Before You Begin
You will need four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. This recipe requires refrigerating the marinated chickens for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours before cooking (a longer time is preferable).
Instructions
- With 1 chicken breast side down, use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone and trim any excess fat or skin at neck. Flip chicken over and, using chef's knife, cut through breastbone to separate chicken into halves. Cut ½-inch deep slits across breast, thigh, and leg of each half, about ½ inch apart. Tuck wingtips behind back. Repeat with second chicken.
- Process onions, orange juice concentrate, oil, garlic, and 2 tablespoons salt in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer ¾ cup marinade to bowl and stir in oregano, thyme, and chipotle; set aside for cooking. Divide remaining marinade between two 1-gallon zipper-lock bags. Add chickens to bags and toss to coat. Press out as much air as possible, seal bags, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours, flipping occasionally.
- Just before grilling, soak wood chips in water for 15 minutes, then drain. Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap soaked chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Remove chickens from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Insert one 12-inch metal skewer lengthwise through thickest part of breast down through thigh of each chicken half.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes.FOR A GAS GRILL: Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set cooking grate in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner as needed to maintain grill temperature between 350 to 375 degrees.)
- Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken halves skin side up on cooler side of grill with legs pointing toward heat source. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with reserved marinade for cooking.
- Switch placement of chickens, with legs still pointed toward heat source, and continue to cook, covered, until breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer chickens to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove skewers, carve chickens, and serve with lime wedges.
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