El Pollo Loco Recipe

[@Mo_Ketchups]

He’s been goin ELEVEN YEARS?!!! 👀😳 Talk about TENACITY! Congrats, Greg!! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@hughoneill8039]

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.

[@farghom]

whats the actual recipe?

[@Ab82photog]

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.

[@jessicaescobar7481]

The whole pineapple juice threw me off.

[@bbeg2839]

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!

[@lovelife076]

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.

[@steve137]

LESLEY RUANO VASQUEZ yeah a lot late,sorry. Managed rest. For yrs...it’s red food coloring.

[@mylitlmissy]

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.

[@rondagoodlet5588]

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.

[@sauce861]

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.

[@oSupaDupaFlyo]

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!

[@Jayne2520]

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!

[@jnguy001]

Love me some EPL! Moved from L.A. to NYC a few years ago and have been missing it!

[@mucnagow2]

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

[@franciscocampos6624]

you are the man every recipe I get works great saludos from Mexicali Mexico!!

[@klc317]

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.

[@TRUWOO]

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.

[@TROYCOOKS]

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.

[@BallisticBBQ]

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!

[@janetallaire]

This is my favorite chicken. It even beats Kentucky Fried.

[@drtware99]

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!!

[@lupecruz444]

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

[@thebell313]

Thanks for the recipe. Looks like this is what I was looking for. Will definitely try it, especially after so many positive reviews.

[@BallisticBBQ]

Muchas gracias Lupe! Tus palabras son muy amables!

[@toolinc.collection1521]

it looks authentic.how is the flavor from 1 to 5 .five been the real taste of el pollo loco .how do u rate it. also my grill is an open grill with no lid will that affect the flavor?

[@LatingGirl]

Can u type your recipes n the description box? Thank you

[@BallisticBBQ]

Thank you Mike! Just finished off some of it for lunch. Good cold too!

[@Luigi-yu5wv]

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 😋

[@GiantAnteatersRkool]

Hi Greg, beginner griller here. I see this chicken took you 45 min to cook at 375 degrees, and the Love's pit chicken took you 3 hours at 270 degrees. So it really does take another 2 hours to cook the chicken when you have the temp 100 degrees cooler? Also, how do you choose which temp to cook at for a particular recipe? Thanks!

[@SainiBadwalUSA]

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.

[@BallisticBBQ]

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.

[@dannycarrillo6132]

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

[@SmokeyGoodness]

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!!!

[@foxfirefoodndrink3087]

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.

[@BallisticBBQ]

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!

[@balamolivares200]

I will try this recipe tomorrow with family, greetings from Veracruz, MX.

[@silviad1816]

i marinated mine today. I used fresh pineapple juice but was wondering if I could have used canned? is that what you used? thanks

[@dhorne2046]

I just watched this video for the first time. Love the recipe and damn how the videos have improved!

[@unionrdr]

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.

[@screenplayhouse4932]

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?

[@cbrad00]

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!

[@johnnynorcal408]

hey ballistic, im making this tonight. just curious.. did you season those beans? and how did u make the rice. thanks

[@BallisticBBQ]

Glad you guys liked it. Thanks Carlos!

[@jrobel0791]

I'm finally going to try this recipe tomorrow. Do you think turmeric might work as a substitute for the yellow food coloring? Love your videos, keep

[@SpYucaipaSoCal]

Looks perfect well done.

[@ManCaveMeals]

Nice cook! We don't have El Pollo Loco here on the east coast but that chicken looks delicous!

[@getoutandgrill]

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.

[@alex_metz]

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.

[@BallisticBBQ]

Sounds really good! I love cooking with fruit juices!

[@TheElInspector]

es lo k voy a cocinar manana,,,,,con una salsa borracha....y frijoles borrachos saludos desde dallas tx

[@BallisticBBQ]

Thank you. I appreciate your stopping by and checking them out!

[@carmenfigueroa9329]

WooooW!!! I will make this chicken for my next family reunion! 🍗🍗🍗🍍🍍🍍🍍

[@MissJennyboo89]

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!! Unfortunately they don't have pollo loco in Wyoming or Colorado and I have been craving it. I'm so giving this a try :). I have a gas grill only, should I cook it on the lowest heat? I just don't want the chicken to burn.

[@TheZoomerica]

Love the chicken tutorial bud, make it look easy! What grill is that? I have been searching out a cast iron grate with no luck, love to be able to get a good sear. Thanks again for a great video.

[@GrandeConejo]

I like your kitchen, very clean!

[@BallisticBBQ]

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.

[@RIGGER6901]

Awesome great tasting chicken very similar. By the way beautiful,beautiful grilling area.

[@BallisticBBQ]

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!

[@gracehall9199]

I'm craving El pollo loco now.

[@BallisticBBQ]

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!

[@BallisticBBQ]

Thank you very much! We have a small backyard, but a really nice view!

[@420sadness]

Eating el pollo loco while watching this.....

[@migueldelgadillo484]

unhøly same

[@isabellayessi]

Lucky

[@josefholzer2433]

I love there food!

[@lucienaugustin5805]

That looks extremely delicious friend. Wow.

[@AnotherAmateur]

Very nice. Enjoyed the butchering tutorial. I really think you have got the winning recipe here. Thanks for the great idea!

[@TangoSpiceCompany]

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!

[@PismoBeach]

Great video. I eat El Pollo Loco often and it's fascinating to see what's probably in it.

[@BallisticBBQ]

El Pollo Loco is some pretty good "healthier" fast food. Seems like they would do good in Texas. Thanks Tom!

[@trugracie]

Thank you for the recipe!!!! Wife and kids loved it, and I must say.....It's pretty dang close!

[@grussem]

They have the best chicken hands down, look forward to trying this! Keep up the great videos bro!

[@AngelaJonesPoetryStoriesArt]

This looks pretty good, might have to give this a try sometime

[@BallisticBBQ]

The grate is made by a company called Craycort. Just google em' and the site will pop up. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@scottysbroncs]

NICE!! youre absolutely right,, i have only ever used coal on one side,,

[@BallisticBBQ]

If you have the type of grill that has two burners, I'd just turn on one of them and put the chicken over the part of the grill with no fire at all. If you can't do this, then yes, keep the heat on the lower setting. Thank you for stopping by!

[@linnieg3246]

Looks great. I may try this on my Rotisserie. Thinking it would be great that way too.

[@MoronBrothersBrewery]

Thanks for sharing your version, gotta try it!

[@gabequezada2066]

YES !!!! Looks amazing !

[@matt92toy]

Great video, never heard of el pollo loco but looks like some tasty chicken

[@haroldm4946]

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.

[@chrishello7329]

That color is from achiote aka annatto. You can purchase Sazón Goya packets con culantro y achiote. In the orange box

[@SamuraiPie8111]

you know the color in that is food coloring too right? that seasoning is just MSG and garlic

[@trugracie]

Wondering if you've tweaked this recipe any since you first posted this video? There were a lot of comments of different ingredients being used on the "real" recipe.

[@ferenchick87]

how long did you marinade for? I substituted the food color for anciote and let it sit for about 4 hours but I didn't get near the yellow color you had.

[@BallisticBBQ]

+ferenchick87 About 6 hours.

[@richardyoung5429]

+Ballistic BBQ A good substitute for food coloring is turmeric. It is also imparts a yellow color to the food and as a spice it is both tasty and a useful anti-inflammatory.

[@solita6874]

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:)

[@RafaelGarcia-uf4gk]

Solita es el mejor , el de califas

[@Ab82photog]

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.

[@alejandrolopezluis9432]

Looks so good, Grettings from Oaxaca México.

[@BallisticBBQ]

+alejandro lopez luis Thank you! Love the food of Oaxaca! Best cheese in the world!

[@felipeorenday1434]

thanks for the recipe , i tried last week and everybody ask me , how do yo marinade this chicken?? ..

[@cooknonthebrink7965]

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!

[@natashaorona]

Looks Great! I Will Try this recipe. Thanks for sharing..

[@tonewheeler1]

I got all the ingredients today. I plan on trying it tomorrow.

[@BallisticBBQ]

Thank you! It's turned into a family fav!

[@catmechanic1261]

it looks DARN GOOD..!!!

[@JohnDoe-xu2vx]

great video....would love to know how you edited this video and if you used a tripod?

[@MsKROD19]

I tried your recipe and it was awesome!!!

[@humbertobuenrostro6737]

El pollo loco first opened in guasave sinaloa 1975 the first pollo loco in America was in Los Angeles

[@MrKtreat]

Thanks for the great video! I have this with orange juice in place of pineapple in the past with nice results.

[@socalrcguy1]

this is awesome, i like how he said you can have beer with it which you cant have at el pollo loco haha :). good job there

[@xcellone12]

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!

[@kennethwillis5274]

Simply beautiful enjoy

[@MrEvolutiongraphix]

thanks for the recipe i think im gonna make them this weekend

[@twofstu1]

El pollo loco has the best chicken on earth in my eyes

[@marthalizetteganem1240]

en el pollo loco no usan carbon, solo mecheros de gas... el carbon le da un sabor totalmente distinto a la comida

[@brascomiller5623]

hijole. lo que es no saber de lo que hablas.

[@64jorthom]

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!

[@BallisticBBQ]

Thanks for checking it out!