Fantastic, must-try Mexican Sinaloa chicken!
What is Sinaloa Chicken?
Sinaloa chicken is a popular Mexican street food chicken marinated in citrus and chilis, then grilled over a live flame. Traditionally, the chicken is spatchcocked, grilled, then cut in half lengthwise, and sold. This recipe calls for a whole cut-up chicken, but you can certainly use the traditional spatchcock method.
Cooking Equipment
While we recommend cooking this Sinaloa chicken over charcoal, you can certainly use a gas or pellet grill. In fact, you can cook this chicken right in your oven at 350 degrees F. Keep an eye on it and check the temperature a little earlier in the cooking process. Each method works a little differently, so always consult the manufacturer’s recommendations before cooking on a specific unit. If you are using a pellet grill, we recommend pecan, apple, or cherry wood for this recipe.
Choose the Right Cuts for Sinaloa Chicken:
You have many choices with how to prep the chicken including what parts you use. As mentioned above, you can spatchcock or butterfly the chicken (which means to remove the backbone with kitchen shears and lay the chicken out flat) or use a whole chicken cut up into individual pieces. If you are a fan of chicken thighs or drumsticks and want to use those, then go for it.
Key Ingredients for Sinaloa Chicken
- Guajillo Chilis: This Sinaloa chicken recipe uses dried guajillo peppers, but you can also use chile de Arbol or various smoky/spicy chili powders of your choice. They are usually available at your local grocery store. Use hot but not boiling water to rehydrate the chilis. Wear food-safe gloves when handling hot peppers, fresh or dried.
- White Vinegar: This Sinaloa chicken recipe calls for white vinegar, but you can use rice wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar as well. Some cooks swear by citrus acid and amp up their use of purely lime juice. Avoid more robust and distinctive acids like balsamic.
- Orange juice
- Limes
- Vegetable oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Oregano, Mexican oregano is even better, but not necessary
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- Regular paprika
- Cinnamon
How to Make Sinaloa Chicken:
- Place dried guajillo chilis into a glass dish. Pour hot water over top, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. Doing this will rehydrate the chilis and make them easier to blend.
- Once the chilis have rehydrated, add them to a blender along with the remaining marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- Place chicken pieces into a large glass baking dish. Pour marinade over the top, making sure all parts are well coated. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, and place it into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
- Prepare your charcoal grill for a two-zone (or dual-zone) indirect cook.
- While the grill is heating up, remove the dish with the chicken from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove chicken from marinade and place the pieces onto the grill’s hottest (direct) cooking area.
- Brush the remaining marinade onto the chicken.
- Get a nice sear on the skins (about 3-5 minutes), turn, and do the same to the other side.
- Move chicken to the cooler (indirect) part of the grill and finish cooking.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. for breast meat and 170-175 for thighs and legs, it’s good to go.
- Remove the chicken from the grill, place onto a serving platter, and serve with your favorite side dishes.
- Store leftover Sinaloa Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
What to serve with it
Sinaloa Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut up (about 3-3 ½ pounds)
- For Marinade:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- Juice of 2 small limes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 3 dried guajillo chilis
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 teaspoons oregano Mexican oregano is even better, but not necessary
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Place dried guajillo chilis into a glass dish. Pour hot water over top, cover, and let stand for 20 minutes. Doing this will rehydrate the chilis and make them easier to blend.
- Once the chiles have rehydrated, add them along with the remaining marinade ingredients to a blender. Blend until all contents are well combined.
- Place chicken pieces into a large glass baking dish. Pour marinade over the top, making sure all parts are well coated. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
- Ready the charcoal grill for a two-zone, indirect cook.
- While the grill is heating up, remove pan with chicken from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken from marinade and place the pieces onto the hottest part of the grill. Brush any excess marinade onto the chicken.Get a nice sear on the skins (about 3-5 minutes), turn , and do the same to the other side. Move chicken to the cooler part of the grill and finish cooking indirectly.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. for breast meat, and 175 for thighs and legs, it’s good to go.
- Remove chicken from the grill, place onto a serving platter, and serve with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
Nutrition
Also, see All our Easy Chicken Recipes for the Grill or Smoker!
