My parents used to work at El Pollo Loco and it isn't pineapple juice. They use Lemon juice. The coloring is turmeric to get the yellow look. The rest is almost spot on.
Finally got someone regional manager of pollo loco to tell me the secret. According to her, there is no secret. Its a well known marinade used in Mexico and cuba. The original family recipe was orange juice(sour orange valencia), lime juice with zest(naranja agria), water, ice, salt, pepper in 1:1 ratio and achiote paste for the yellow hue coloring and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, the sweet smokey kind. The restaurant made took it further with tumbler marinating which forces the marinade in the white meat in 25 minutes.
I love El Pollo Loco chicken, so I tried this. I looked at other videos online and I went with this one... Very close. The chicken came out fantastic. This is now my "go to" BBQ chicken recipe. Thank you!
The color ones from achiote paste. Other then adding achote as a color its actually similar to paprika. The "Goya" brand, hispanic spice aisel, make a "Sazon" called packet with achiote powder, and herbs like cilantro.
I use to make my version many years ago, and I used both orange and pineapple juice, and I had a great yellow look to the chicken without adding any food coloring.
I made this yesterday, substituting a teaspoon of turmeric for food coloring, and it was killer. Very close to El Pollo Loco’s flavor I miss from back home.
Instead of using the yellow dye you can you use achiote seasoning (goya). It gives it that golden yellow color. EDIT: I just saw other people mentioned that already. Great stuff either way!
Aw man, not only did it turn out perfectly, but this seems like a good technique with other marinades as well! great job, thanks again for posting this!
Looks good and very easy. I switched from a gas grill to a kettle type Weber this year and am loving it. Takes a little practice and some extra time but well worth it. Love watching your videos and the cooking tips on the Weber are great.
I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU POSTED THIS VIDEO. I AM FROM CALI NOW I LIVE IN GA AND MISS EL POLLO LOCO GRILLED CHICKEN SO MUCH. I TRIED TO DO MY OWN THING BY USING TUMERIC, ADOBO AND SAZON TO TURN MY CHICKEN YELLOW. I WILL NOW TRY YOUR VERSION IT LOOKS MORE AUTHENTIC. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT. THANKS AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Got all the ingredients yesterday and my chicken has been marinating since 9 a.m. At 7, it's going on the grill. I'm jazzed :) I was an EL POLLO LOCO addicted when I lived near one but we moved and I'm not driving 1,600 miles for anyone's chicken. LOL Tonight is going to be great! Thanks
Only had El Pollo Loco once. Last year in LA. Looks like we won't have to drive 1,500 miles to have it again! Thanks for showing us how to re-create it, Greg!!!
Your english is great! I have never been to Monterrey, but I have been up and down the whole Pacific Coast, as well as the gulf side. I'd love to see Monterrey one of these days.
Thank you for the suggestion. I was trying to think about a good replacement for the food coloring and the only thing I was coming up with was saffron. I didn't want to change the flavor too much and saffron isn't cheap!
I used your technique for cutting the chicken in half. Nice!! I've been cooking half chickens for years and this is going to make the job way easier. Thanks!!
Hey Greg, just made this last weekend. Made some fantastic tacos with lime-cilantro rice! Thanks for posting and all the work you put into your channel.
Great video, man! Thanks for taking the time to test and consolidate all those online recipes into one. I just whipped up a batch of this marinade and can't wait to fire up the grill this weekend. Cheers!
Hola muchas gracias por compartir esta receta, se be bien exquisita tratare de marinar asi el pollo, tambien aprendi de Usted como cortarlo me gusto mucho muy practico reciba saludos y un fraternal abrazo desde El Monte Ca USA bendiciones Chef
LOL! 1,500 miles is a long way to drive Dan! Thanks for stopping by. I'm about two hours from LA, but if you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods again, we'd love to meet up with you guys!
man i just watched 3 of your vids and im latino, i like and eat a lot of mexican food but nothing has ever looked as good as this in my life me and my dad are making your recipies and the are good now im one of your subscribers :D
Thanks for the recipe! Going to attempt to make this over the weekend. Love polo loco chicken, by the way I'm from South Texas in McAllen. Thanks again buddy!
I tried your exact recipe today on my Weber, only thing I changed was Turmeric instead of Food Coloring. The marinade is awesome, I don't have El Polo Loco near me to compare it, but it was wonderful. Thanks a lot for the recipe, Greetings from Germany.
Just checked this oldie but goodie out. I'm going to give this a try because I've been craving some El Polo Loco chicken. I can go buy it but why. Lol thanks!
We went to el pollo loco in socal. But that's the only time I've seen them. Good stuff. BBq pit boys use that grill too. They have listings for the cast iron grates & other things for it as well.
I used vegetable oil. 1/8 teaspoon sounds about right. On this cook, I didn't flip the chicken, because I got really nice crispy skin without having too. But, I usually flip it for a few minutes towards the end of my cook, to crisp the skin.
Thank you for checking it out! Just wish I would have had a better filming day... Forgot to turn my mic on, cut the top of my head off.... Jeeze! I'm learning though!
I've never eaten at El Pollo Loco since there's not one anywhere near me, but I've got to try this recipe. The ingredients for the marinade sound like they would be great together. Thanks for the great tutorial. Think I'll use chili powder instead of the chili paste though. The wife doesn't like very spicy food.
Thanks. I am over off of Jamacha and Granite Hill area. About 10-15 min from you. I have wanting to make vids of my cooks. I will probably start by making a vid of my UDS build. I just bought my drum yesterday. Look forward to more of your videos and if need any assistance let me know.
Right on, and you didnt cut your finger off, joe over at tangospice would be proud :-) great rundown on the chicken bud, looks great, I can almost taste it! thanks for sharing
Yeah, you sacrifice a little convenience, but the trade off is totally worth it. I mean when you think about it, the high end manufactures are doing everything they can to get their gas grills to do what a charcoal grill already does and thats cook with hot, dry heat... I'm rambling... Thanks for watching by vids! Really appreciate it!
The ingredients i know about this chicken is way different... When i worked at El Pollo Asado in North Phoenix back in the day we used Egg Yellow food coloring from Smart and Final. The color itself looks dark red but your only suppose to use a cap full depending on how much chicken your gonna marinade. If you use too much it will turn a dark reddish color had enough to give it a yellowish color. The rest of the chicken ingredient is ancient Chinese secret.
I have a local Pollo Loco clone. But it's much better the Loco. What's interesting is that they put the birds in big pots with hot water. Perhaps a marinade but I suspect it's a trick to precook the insides somehow. When it hits the grill there's usually an explosion of flame (liquid hitting fire). What do you think they're doing and is it a good idea?
good video, close but not quite. I do some refrigeration work for some pollo locos and being an avid griller/pit maister myself, I always observe the process. First the marinade with a vacuum tumbler. That is why your chicken came out like any other white meat chicken. El pollo locos has that orange hue even present in the meat. Reason is the vacuum tumbler forces the marinade into the meat in about 30 minutes. They also add ice? Dont know why.
My parents used to work at El Pollo Loco and it isn't pineapple juice. They use Lemon juice. The coloring is turmeric to get the yellow look. The rest is almost spot on.
whats the actual recipe?
He’s been goin ELEVEN YEARS?!!! 👀😳 Talk about TENACITY! Congrats, Greg!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Finally got someone regional manager of pollo loco to tell me the secret. According to her, there is no secret. Its a well known marinade used in Mexico and cuba. The original family recipe was orange juice(sour orange valencia), lime juice with zest(naranja agria), water, ice, salt, pepper in 1:1 ratio and achiote paste for the yellow hue coloring and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, the sweet smokey kind. The restaurant made took it further with tumbler marinating which forces the marinade in the white meat in 25 minutes.
The whole pineapple juice threw me off.
I love El Pollo Loco chicken, so I tried this. I looked at other videos online and I went with this one... Very close. The chicken came out fantastic. This is now my "go to" BBQ chicken recipe. Thank you!
The color ones from achiote paste. Other then adding achote as a color its actually similar to paprika. The "Goya" brand, hispanic spice aisel, make a "Sazon" called packet with achiote powder, and herbs like cilantro.
LESLEY RUANO VASQUEZ yeah a lot late,sorry. Managed rest. For yrs...it’s red food coloring.
I use to make my version many years ago, and I used both orange and pineapple juice, and I had a great yellow look to the chicken without adding any food coloring.
Enjoyed your recipe and cooking of the chicken. The food coloring certainly makes the dish authentic! Thanks for the video and your time in sharing.
I made this yesterday, substituting a teaspoon of turmeric for food coloring, and it was killer. Very close to El Pollo Loco’s flavor I miss from back home.
Instead of using the yellow dye you can you use achiote seasoning (goya). It gives it that golden yellow color. EDIT: I just saw other people mentioned that already. Great stuff either way!
That chicken had a wonderful color to it. Bet it was very tasty. Thanks for creating that recipe and sharing it. Keep those great videos coming.
Aw man, not only did it turn out perfectly, but this seems like a good technique with other marinades as well!
great job, thanks again for posting this!
Love me some EPL! Moved from L.A. to NYC a few years ago and have been missing it!
Looks good and very easy. I switched from a gas grill to a kettle type Weber this year and am loving it. Takes a little practice and some extra time but well worth it. Love watching your videos and the cooking tips on the Weber are great.
you are the man every recipe I get works great saludos from Mexicali Mexico!!
I AM SO GLAD THAT YOU POSTED THIS VIDEO. I AM FROM CALI NOW I LIVE IN GA AND MISS EL POLLO LOCO GRILLED CHICKEN SO MUCH. I TRIED TO DO MY OWN THING BY USING TUMERIC, ADOBO AND SAZON TO TURN MY CHICKEN YELLOW. I WILL NOW TRY YOUR VERSION IT LOOKS MORE AUTHENTIC. I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNS OUT. THANKS AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Got all the ingredients yesterday and my chicken has been marinating since 9 a.m.
At 7, it's going on the grill. I'm jazzed :)
I was an EL POLLO LOCO addicted when I lived near one but we moved and I'm not driving 1,600 miles for anyone's chicken. LOL
Tonight is going to be great! Thanks
I've been eating this ckn since the 70's back in Monterrey Mexico when I was a kid. Thnx so much for sharing your recipe!!! It looked delicious 😋
Muchas gracias Lupe! Tus palabras son muy amables!
Only had El Pollo Loco once. Last year in LA. Looks like we won't have to drive 1,500 miles to have it again! Thanks for showing us how to re-create it, Greg!!!
Thanks for the recipe. Looks like this is what I was looking for. Will definitely try it, especially after so many positive reviews.
Your english is great! I have never been to Monterrey, but I have been up and down the whole Pacific Coast, as well as the gulf side. I'd love to see Monterrey one of these days.
This is my favorite chicken. It even beats Kentucky Fried.
Thank you for the suggestion. I was trying to think about a good replacement for the food coloring and the only thing I was coming up with was saffron. I didn't want to change the flavor too much and saffron isn't cheap!
I just watched this video for the first time. Love the recipe and damn how the videos have improved!
I used your technique for cutting the chicken in half. Nice!! I've been cooking half chickens for years and this is going to make the job way easier. Thanks!!
Hey Greg, just made this last weekend. Made some fantastic tacos with lime-cilantro rice! Thanks for posting and all the work you put into your channel.
Great video, man! Thanks for taking the time to test and consolidate all those online recipes into one. I just whipped up a batch of this marinade and can't wait to fire up the grill this weekend. Cheers!
Sounds really good! This was a recipe, supposedly published by this restaurant chain. The recipe listed food coloring, which is why I used it. Cheers!
Thank you Mike! Just finished off some of it for lunch. Good cold too!
Hola muchas gracias por compartir esta receta, se be bien exquisita tratare de marinar asi el pollo, tambien aprendi de Usted como cortarlo me gusto mucho muy practico reciba saludos y un fraternal abrazo desde El Monte Ca USA bendiciones Chef
They have the best chicken hands down, look forward to trying this! Keep up the great videos bro!
There are no Pollo Locos around this area so thanks for bringing their food to video.
Now I can give it a try without having to travel 1,893 miles!
LOL! 1,500 miles is a long way to drive Dan! Thanks for stopping by. I'm about two hours from LA, but if you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods again, we'd love to meet up with you guys!
man i just watched 3 of your vids and im latino, i like and eat a lot of mexican food but nothing has ever looked as good as this in my life me and my dad are making your recipies and the are good now im one of your subscribers :D
Nice cook! We don't have El Pollo Loco here on the east coast but that chicken looks delicous!
Looks so good
We have pollo tropical in Miami and i made a copy of that on my channel.
kind of same but based on citrus oranges.
El Pollo Loco is some pretty good "healthier" fast food. Seems like they would do good in Texas. Thanks Tom!
We have Pollo Loco in Chicago but the best Pollo Loco was from Las Vegas, I did not try the Californian one yet, thanks for the recipe:)
Solita es el mejor , el de califas
I will try this recipe tomorrow with family, greetings from Veracruz, MX.
Thanks for the recipe! Going to attempt to make this over the weekend. Love polo loco chicken, by the way I'm from South Texas in McAllen. Thanks again buddy!
I tried your exact recipe today on my Weber, only thing I changed was Turmeric instead of Food Coloring. The marinade is awesome, I don't have El Polo Loco near me to compare it, but it was wonderful. Thanks a lot for the recipe, Greetings from Germany.
That looks extremely delicious friend. Wow.
I like your kitchen, very clean!
Just checked this oldie but goodie out. I'm going to give this a try because I've been craving some El Polo Loco chicken. I can go buy it but why. Lol thanks!
That color is from achiote aka annatto.
You can purchase Sazón Goya packets con culantro y achiote.
In the orange box
you know the color in that is food coloring too right? that seasoning is just MSG and garlic
Looks great. I may try this on my Rotisserie. Thinking it would be great that way too.
Looks perfect well done.
WooooW!!! I will make this chicken for my next family reunion! 🍗🍗🍗🍍🍍🍍🍍
Awesome great tasting chicken very similar. By the way beautiful,beautiful grilling area.
Thank you for the recipe!!!!
Wife and kids loved it, and I must say.....It's pretty dang close!
en el pollo loco no usan carbon, solo mecheros de gas... el carbon le da un sabor totalmente distinto a la comida
hijole. lo que es no saber de lo que hablas.
We went to el pollo loco in socal. But that's the only time I've seen them. Good stuff. BBq pit boys use that grill too. They have listings for the cast iron grates & other things for it as well.
I used vegetable oil. 1/8 teaspoon sounds about right. On this cook, I didn't flip the chicken, because I got really nice crispy skin without having too. But, I usually flip it for a few minutes towards the end of my cook, to crisp the skin.
El pollo loco first opened in guasave sinaloa 1975 the first pollo loco in America was in Los Angeles
Great video. I eat El Pollo Loco often and it's fascinating to see what's probably in it.
Thank you for checking it out! Just wish I would have had a better filming day... Forgot to turn my mic on, cut the top of my head off.... Jeeze! I'm learning though!
This looks pretty good, might have to give this a try sometime
es lo k voy a cocinar manana,,,,,con una salsa borracha....y frijoles borrachos saludos desde dallas tx
Sounds really good! I love cooking with fruit juices!
Very nice. Enjoyed the butchering tutorial. I really think you have got the winning recipe here. Thanks for the great idea!
wow Greg, amazing to see how much confidence you've gained both on camera and in your cooking. keep cookin those killer burgers man =)
Great video, never heard of el pollo loco but looks like some tasty chicken
I've never eaten at El Pollo Loco since there's not one anywhere near me, but I've got to try this recipe. The ingredients for the marinade sound like they would be great together. Thanks for the great tutorial. Think I'll use chili powder instead of the chili paste though. The wife doesn't like very spicy food.
Can u type your recipes n the description box?
Thank you
Thank you very much! We have a small backyard, but a really nice view!
Thanks. I am over off of Jamacha and Granite Hill area. About 10-15 min from you. I have wanting to make vids of my cooks. I will probably start by making a vid of my UDS build. I just bought my drum yesterday. Look forward to more of your videos and if need any assistance let me know.
El Pollo Loco in California has one of the best flavors. Good video and hope will taste like El Pllo Loco! good job, keep doing it!
Looks so good, Grettings from Oaxaca México.
+alejandro lopez luis Thank you! Love the food of Oaxaca! Best cheese in the world!
YES !!!! Looks amazing !
Right on, and you didnt cut your finger off, joe over at tangospice would be proud :-) great rundown on the chicken bud, looks great, I can almost taste it!
thanks for sharing
Name reminds me of Los Pollos Hermanos from Breaking Bad :D
I'm craving El pollo loco now.
Crazy chicken! Thumbs Up!
Glad you guys liked it. Thanks Carlos!
I got all the ingredients today. I plan on trying it tomorrow.
Yeah, you sacrifice a little convenience, but the trade off is totally worth it. I mean when you think about it, the high end manufactures are doing everything they can to get their gas grills to do what a charcoal grill already does and thats cook with hot, dry heat... I'm rambling... Thanks for watching by vids! Really appreciate it!
Thank you John. When I made this I was using iMovie and yes, I used a tripod. I now use Final Cut Pro.
Eating el pollo loco while watching this.....
unhøly same
Lucky
I love there food!
Thanks for sharing your version, gotta try it!
NICE!! youre absolutely right,, i have only ever used coal on one side,,
I really like your videos! Really inspiring, and you have a realy good energy :), continue with the good work
Thanks Dan!
Thank you. I appreciate your stopping by and checking them out!
Looks Great! I Will Try this recipe. Thanks for sharing..
Love the recipe! Great sunset shot at the grill! Have a good one! Chad
thanks for the recipe i think im gonna make them this weekend
I tried your recipe and it was awesome!!!
Love your vids!! I tried this and it was excellent!! Sharing this vid on FB
The ingredients i know about this chicken is way different... When i worked at El Pollo Asado in North Phoenix back in the day we used Egg Yellow food coloring from Smart and Final. The color itself looks dark red but your only suppose to use a cap full depending on how much chicken your gonna marinade. If you use too much it will turn a dark reddish color had enough to give it a yellowish color. The rest of the chicken ingredient is ancient Chinese secret.
I have a local Pollo Loco clone. But it's much better the Loco. What's interesting is that they put the birds in big pots with hot water. Perhaps a marinade but I suspect it's a trick to precook the insides somehow. When it hits the grill there's usually an explosion of flame (liquid hitting fire). What do you think they're doing and is it a good idea?
Thanks for checking it out!
Thanks for the great video! I have this with orange juice in place of pineapple in the past with nice results.
Thanks for taking the time to watch it brother! Hope you like the recipe!!
Muy buena información! ¡Gracias!
Simply beautiful enjoy
The grate is made by a company called Craycort. Just google em' and the site will pop up. Thanks for checking out the vid!
good video, close but not quite. I do some refrigeration work for some pollo locos and being an avid griller/pit maister myself, I always observe the process. First the marinade with a vacuum tumbler. That is why your chicken came out like any other white meat chicken. El pollo locos has that orange hue even present in the meat. Reason is the vacuum tumbler forces the marinade into the meat in about 30 minutes. They also add ice? Dont know why.
El pollo loco has the best chicken on earth in my eyes
Great looking chicken Greg!!!!
I can't wait try it and looks great to me! Great video 😊