Loco Pollo- El Pollo Loco Chicken Knock Off

Last Updated on May 22, 2019

Do you have an El Pollo Loco near you? I think it may be a mostly West Coast chain of Mexican fast food.  I remember my mom picking up the food when I was little and loving the juicy chicken stuffed in a tortilla with some pinto beans.

It was so simple but always hit the spot.  Eventually she came up with a recipe that is a good El Pollo Loco Chicken recipe knock off.  Now I make my mother’s version of El Pollo Loco’s chicken. This is just really good chicken.

I love simple recipes that don’t take much prep work and this is one of them.  This chicken is great because the marinade takes less than five minutes to make and you can just throw the chicken in and forget about it.

Ingredients you need:

• corn oil
• melted butter
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• ground cumin
• lemon juice, or lime juice
• salt
• bone in chicken 

Family preference is bone-in chicken breasts. Using bone-in chicken breasts makes for really juicy meat and the skin is awesome.

How to make El Pollo Loco Chicken

• Combine oil, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and lemon juice in large shallow pan. Add chicken halves, turning to coat well. Cover and marinate several hours or overnight.
• Remove chicken from marinade, cook over medium coals on barbeque grill, or 4- inches from source of heat under broiler, until browned on both side and meat is done, turning and basting frequently, about 30 minutes.
• Cut chicken halves into pieces to serve with beans and rice, corn or flour tortillas and salsa, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Let it marinade overnight if you want.  I prefer to marinade my meats in this tupperware container which has little spikes on the top and bottom so the marinade can flow and it’s easy to flip!  Plus no more concerns about leaking juices!

You can cook this on the grill, on a grill pan, or under the broiler. Use whatever you have available and either way it will turn out great! 

What to serve with El Pollo Loco Chicken?

• Corn or homemade flour tortillas
• Mexican rice
• Seasoned black beans or pinto beans
• Olives
• Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Jalapenos
• Blender salsa

My favorite way to make these up is to put some of the chicken in a tortilla, top with pinto beans and salsa.  But you could use this meat for tacos, burritos, or even on a salad! 

Do you follow Jonesin’ For Taste on Facebook? Stop by, say hi, and let me know what kinds of recipes you want to see!

For more great Hispanic inspired recipes try:

• Mole Chicken Enchiladas
• Baked Empanadas
• Chicken Enfrijoladas
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Grilled Cumin Corn with Cotija Cheese

Loco Pollo- El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe Knock Off

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5 from 3 votes

Loco Pollo- El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe

Whip up a simple marinade and grill or broil this Loco Pollo chicken for a juicy El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe knock off that pairs well with rice and beans.

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword easy grilled chicken recipe, el pollo loco chicken recipe, Mexican grilled chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 308kcal

Author Jonesin' For Taste

Ingredients

• ¼ cup corn oil
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 lbs chicken breasts

Instructions

• Combine oil, butter, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and lemon juice in large shallow pan. Add chicken halves, turning to coat well. Cover and marinate several hours or overnight.
• Remove chicken from marinade, cook over medium coals on barbeque grill, or 4- inches from source of heat under broiler, until browned on both side and meat is done, turning and basting frequently, about 30 minutes.
• Cut chicken halves into pieces to serve with beans and rice, corn or flour tortillas and salsa, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
• Family preference is bone-in chicken breasts.

Tried this recipe?Mention @jonesinfortaste or tag #jonesinmakers!