By: Kathleen Pagan | @endlesslyelated

This is the chicken your abuela would’ve made if she had a grill and a jar of Loisa’s Recaito. Bone-in, skin-on, marinated in Sazón, orange, lime, and garlic, and then grilled until the achiote turns the skin a deep golden-orange. Prompting everyone to ask what you put on it. Finished with a bright herb sauce built on recaito, it all comes together without a lot of fuss and tastes like something you spent way more time on. 

Why bone-in, skin-on is non-negotiable here

Boneless thighs or breasts are fine for a lot of things, but not this. The bone conducts heat evenly while the chicken cooks, so you get meat that’s tender all the way through without drying out on the outside. The skin protects everything underneath and renders down over the fire, keeping the meat juicy the whole way through. By the time it comes off the grill, the meat pulls easily from the bone and has that deep flavor that boneless can’t match. This is also the cut that holds the marinade best, especially if you allow it to steep overnight.

What the Sazón actually does on the grill

The golden-orange color you get on this chicken comes from the achiote in the Loisa Sazón. Achiote, the seed of the annatto tree, has been used in Latin cooking for as long as we have known, and when it hits high heat, it gives the skin that deep, rich color that’s been part of our food forever. Beyond the color, the Sazón also brings in cumin, coriander, and garlic into the marinade, all of which develop on the grill and give the chicken a flavor that tastes like it took a lot more work than it actually did.

Let it marinate and then let it rest

Thirty minutes will get you there, but overnight will change your life. The citrus in the marinade gently tenderizes the meat and brightens the flavor, while the Loisa Sazón and Adobo have time to really penetrate past the skin. When you’re ready to grill, pull the chicken out of the fridge at least 20 minutes early, so it comes to room temperature. Cold meat straight onto a hot grill leads to uneven cooking and chewy skin. After it comes off the grill, rest it for 5 full minutes before plating. That rest is when the juices redistribute, and the whole thing gets that much more tender.

The herb sauce: Recaito does the heavy lifting

Loisa Recaito already has culantro, cilantro, garlic, and sweet peppers in it, so when you use it as the base of the finishing sauce, most of the work is already done. You’re just adding fresh cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice, and blending until smooth. Doing this achieves a herby, garlicky, and bright sauce. Something you’ll want to spoon all over your chicken, and it is guaranteed to bring the whole dish together. 

What to serve alongside

White rice is always a good idea as it soaks up the herb sauce and gives you something to drag the chicken through, but tostones are the move if you want to go full Latin spread. For a lighter plate, sliced avocado and a simple tomato salad with Loisa Sal Marina and olive oil. Whatever you choose, just make sure there’s something on the table to catch all that sauce.