Name: Copycat El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp white vinegar; 2 garlic cloves; ½ tsp kosher salt; ½ tsp dried oregano; ¼ tsp ground pepper; ¼ Jalapeno; 1 cup pineapple juice; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp canola oil; 8 chicken thighs

Copycat El Pollo Loco Chicken Recipe

Sheila Owens Modified: November 12, 2023

How To Make Copycat El Pollo Loco Chicken

This chicken recipe is a perfect copy of El Pollo Loco’s chicken! It’s marinated with delicious seasonings and grilled to perfection.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Cooking: 30 minutes

Marinate Time: 8 minutes

Total: 58 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

1tbspwhite vinegar
2garlic cloves,minced
½tspkosher salt
½tspdried oregano
¼tspground pepper
¼jalapeno,seeded and minced very finely
1cuppineapple juice
2tbsplime juice
1tbspcanola oil
8chicken thighs,bone in and skin on

Instructions

Mix the vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, ground pepper, jalapeno, pineapple juice, lime juice, oil into a large bowl.
Whisk well, then reserve ¼ cup of the marinade in a small tupperware.
Add the chicken to the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap.
Marinade overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a cast iron grill pan, add the chicken skin side up.
Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
Using potholders, place the pan to the stove top and heat at medium high heat.
Spray some foil with canola oil spray.
Place the foil sprayed side down over the top of the chicken.
Press the foil onto the meat with either a bacon press, a foil wrapped brick or a second heavy pan.
Spoon half the reserved marinade over the chicken while it cooks.
Cook for another 3 minutes, then remove the bacon press.
Flip the chicken, then add the rest of the reserved marinade on top.
Cook for 3 more minutes.
Serve, and enjoy!