This Latin American-inspired Sazon Grilled Chicken is simple to make and incredibly flavorful. These chicken thighs and drumsticks are coated with sazon, then grilled over charcoal.
Of course, you can use a pellet grill or a gas grill for cooking this fantastic chicken! We’ve also developed an oven-cooked version of this recipe! Keep reading for the details.
What is Sazon?
Sazon is a Latin spice blend used on meats, vegetables, rice, and beans. This earthy spice mixture contains cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. It also contains crushed annatto seeds called achiote. We recommend looking for achiote powder if looking for a faster solution. The achiote provides a rich red color and provides a slight smokiness to the rub. Try our MSG-free Sazon Rub for this grilled chicken recipe.
Sazon Grilled Chicken Ingredients:
- 6 chicken thighs, bone-in
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- Olive oil
- Sazon
- Jalapeno OR serrano pepper
- Limes
- Cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
How to make Sazon Grilled Chicken:
- Trim off any excess skin and fat from the chicken legs and thighs. Blot them dry with paper towels.
- Place chicken in a large glass dish.
- Blend the olive oil, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro (or parsley), sazon, chili pepper, garlic, and onion in a food processor or blender. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the marinade is too thick.
- Pour mixture over chicken. Use tongs to turn the chicken and coat them well. Cover dish with plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Prepare grill for 350 degrees F.
- Place seasoned chicken on grill, close lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn chicken, and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Check several pieces to confirm doneness.
- Some of the drumsticks might cook a little faster. Please remove them and keep them covered.
- Once cooked, place chicken onto a clean serving platter. Garnish with chopped chili and cilantro.
- Store leftover sazon grilled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Rewarm at 325 degrees in the oven or on the stovetop for better flavor and consistency.
Serving Sazon Grilled Chicken:
This recipe makes enough for 6 people with 2 pieces of chicken per person, or 12 people with 1 piece of chicken per person. If you’re serving lots of appetizers, other meats, and side dishes at your gathering, plan on 1 piece per person. For those with voracious appetites, plan on 2 pieces, and double the recipe if you are serving more than 6 people! Serve this sazon grilled chicken with one these side dishes for the perfect meal!
Tips:
- Cooking method: Bake this sazon chicken in the oven for 35-40 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Strive for an internal temperature of 175 degrees F. As always, it’s a good idea to have a reliable instant-read thermometer handy.
- Make-Ahead: You can certainly season the chicken and store it in resealable plastic bags in your freezer for up to a month. Thaw them out as needed and cook as directed.
- Chicken: While this sazon grilled chicken recipe calls for chicken thighs and legs, you can also use a whole chicken cut up, just chicken breasts, or cook a whole chicken. Adjust seasonings accordingly. Use 1/2 cup of sazon seasoning in the marinade for a whole chicken and 1/4 cup for 4 medium breasts. If using boneless chicken thighs, reduce your cooking time.
Sazon Grilled Chicken
Equipment
- Grill or oven
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone-in
- 6 chicken drumsticks
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons sazon
- 1 large serrano or jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1/3 cup chopped white onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Trim off any excess skin and fat from the chicken legs and thighs.
- Place chicken in a large glass dish.
- Blend the olive oil, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro (or parsley), sazon, salt, chili pepper, garlic, and onion in a food processor or blender. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the marinade is too thick.
- Pour mixture over chicken. Use tongs to turn the chicken and coat them well. Cover dish with plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Prepare grill for 350 degrees F, direct heat.
- Place marinated chicken on the grill, close lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Turn chicken, and cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Check several pieces to confirm doneness. Please note that the drumsticks might cook faster. Remove them from the grill, and keep covered until the other pieces are done.
- Once cooked, remove chicken from the grill and place onto a clean serving platter. Garnish with the other 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley. Serve with extra lime wedges (optional).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Rewarm in the oven or on stovetop for better flavor and consistency. Leftover chicken can be added to soups, stews, and casseroles.
- See notes section below for oven cooking instructions.
Notes
Nutrition
Also, see All our Easy Chicken Recipes for the Grill or Smoker!
