Sazon Grilled Chicken

Sazon spice mixture is used in a lot of Latin American cooking, including rice, beans, stews, and soups, but it makes a great grilled chicken rub. These chicken thighs and drumsticks are coated with sazon, then grilled over charcoal. Of course, you are not limited in what type of grill you use, and you can bake the chicken in the oven as well.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American BBQ, Fusion, Latin American

Keyword: bbq chicken, sazon, sazon grilled chicken

Prep Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 454kcal

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

Tips:

Cooking method: Bake 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 digital food thermometer.

Make Ahead: You can certainly season the chicken and store in resealable plastic bags in your freezer for up to a month. Thaw them out as needed and cook as directed.

Chicken: While this recipe calls for chicken thigh and legs, you can also use a whole chicken cut up, just chicken breasts, or cook a whole chicken. Adjust seasonings accordingly. Use a ½ cup of sazon seasoning for a whole chicken, and ¼ cup for 4 medium breasts. If using boneless chicken thighs, reduce cooking time.

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