I was recently invited by BlogHer and Knorr to try out their new Homestyle Concentrated Chicken Stock, and I jumped at the chance. The stock comes in little tubs akin to Nuggets dipping sauce. Its thick and gelatinous, and requires liquid to dilute.
Here’s where it’s fun – you can use ANYTHING YOU WANT to dilute it. White wine? Ok. Beer? Sure! Water? Fine, if you must.
At first, I thought of all the yummy soups I could whip up. You guys know I love soups, but I really wanted to try using this in an innovative and interesting way. I told my husband what I was looking for, and he threw the idea of Mexican Style Grilled Chicken, even telling me what ingredients he would use if he did it. So, in the end, this is really his recipe, so I named it for him.
Chris’ Pollo Loco
Mexican Style Grilled Chicken
The key to this recipe is the brine. Brining brings incredible flavor and moisture to the meat, allowing for the fast and hot cooking. Trust me, it is worth the time.
Prep Time: 6-8 hours (for brining)
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes on gas grill
Serves: 6-8 people
1 5-6lb chicken, quartered. Skin on, bone in.
1/2 C kosher salt
1 bottle Mexican Beer
1 tub Knorr Homestyle Concentrated Stock
4 limes
1/4 C ground cumin
1 TBSP cayenne (
more or less depending on taste)
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP garlic powder
3 C water
Bring all ingredients (minus chicken and limes) to a boil breify. Stir well to dissolve salt and concentrated stock. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Squeeze limes into the brine, tossing rinds into the mixture as well. Add some ice to the brine to help bring the temp down. You want the brine and the chicken to be the same temperature before you put the chicken in - you don't
want to cook the chicken at all at that point.
Rinse chicken under running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Put quartered chicken in a large glass bowl or two gallon Ziploc bags.
Pour brine over the chicken. Be sure the entire chicken is covered with brine. If you are using a bowl, weight the meat down with a plate to keep it down. Seal/cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Allow to soak for 6-8 hours.
After brining, remove chicken and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels.
Heat your grill, as hot as you can get it. Clean the grates well and oil them.
Put chicken on grill, skin side down for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t move it! Allow the skin to get nice and crispy, but not burnt. Listen for the sizzle. If you hear lots of sizzling going on, it's not ready to flip!
Flip the chicken, lowering the heat to medium. Cook 6-7 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 is reached.
Remove, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with warm tortillas, pinto beans, avocado and big bowl of fresh pico de gallo. Of course, an ice cold beer wouldn’t hurt either!
This recipe makes the best chicken. The flavor is out of this world, and the concentrated stock really adds a great depth. The meat is tender and juicy. And let me tell you that should you have leftovers? WOW. Amazing!
