Cuchifrito Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

English: Rotisserie Chicken (pollo rostizado i...
Rotisserie Chicken (pollo rostizado in Mexico) cooking at a take-out shop in the Obrera neighborhood of Mexico City. (Photo: Wikipedia)

If you ever wondered how exactly the rotisserie chicken from the cuchifrito spot ends up tasting so sweet and tasty and beautifully toasted – here’s the recipe:

1/2 tb garlic powder
1 tb plus
1 ts ground cumin
4 tb white vinegar
2 1/2 tb paprika
2 ts freshly ground black pepper
3 tb white wine
3 tb soya or canola oil
3/4 ts salt
1 chicken, 3-4 pound
1 lemon, juice of,
mixed with:1 qt cold water

Instructions:
In medium-size bowl, mix first eight ingredients. Wash the chickens thoroughly with lemon water and remove excess fat from inside chickens. With a large carving fork, poke deep holes all over chicken, including under wings.

Rub the marinade thoroughly inside and outside the chicken. Seal the chicken in a large plastic bag and marinate for at least 2 hours (but preferably up to 24 hours) in refrigerator. Remove chicken from bag and dilute marinade left behind in bag with a tablespoon of water.

Place the chicken on a rotisserie spit, and roast at medium heat for 45 to 55 minutes. If broiling, cut chicken in half lengthwise and broil for 30 to 40 minutes, basting with marinade every 10 minutes.

Update: I first tried this with some chicken legs and I didn’t baste them. They came out very pale and a bit bland. The next time I tried it on an oven roaster and I seasoned the chicken a bit more with adobo, garlic and herbs and I basted every 30 minutes. It came out much better.

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