This Citrus Marinated Chicken is a total crowd pleaser, mimicking the classic flavors of El Pollo Loco chicken. A super easy Sunday meal prep for perfect chicken all week!
El Pollo Loco chicken reminds me of being a kid. Just about every weekend, my family would buy a big bucket of their chicken along with flour tortillas and black beans. Nothing really beats it for me.
If you haven’t tried El Pollo Loco chicken, it’s kind of hard to describe. The combination of citrus and charred skin really make it stand out from other chicken, along with the bright yellow color. I’ve been trying to perfect a lighter copycat recipe for years. This one definitely captures the flavor but with MORE citrus-and-garlic goodness.
Serving Suggestions
Citrus Marinated Chicken is perfectly delicious on its own. But think of it like Pollo Asada–great as taco meat, in a burrito, on top of nachos, etc.
To get even closer to the El Pollo Loco experience, you should pair this with my Easiest Refried Beans. You could just keep the beans whole instead of mashing them, like I did here:
WHy are the points so low when there’s oil in the MARINADE?
Counting points for marinade is kinda tricky. Some say don’t count at all since most of the oil is discarded when you cook it up I usually play it safe and count 2 thin chicken breasts as 1 SP.
When I created the recipe, I weighed out the marinade before adding the chicken and then again after I removed the chicken, just to see how much actually soaked in. On the nutritional breakdown, I’ve included 2 tablespoons of oil for the entire recipe, since that’s what I estimate actually went into the chicken. This is all just guess work on my part, so please don’t think this is scientific in any way.
Do I have to grill it?
Citrus Marinated Chicken is my absolute favorite way to eat chicken, especially if it’s grilled. All of the citrus really stands up to the char of BBQ. Of course, you could just bake the chicken and it would still be delicious.
Here is some feedback about the recipe from a subscriber, Dale:
I’ve now made it both ways – on the grill and baked. I must say, and my family agrees, that we like it much better baked as I’ve baked it in the marinade and then you get all of that delicious sauce! It’s definitely a keeper!
I can’t vouch for the method, but I’m certainly ready to try Dale’s suggestion! If you bake it that way, in the marinade, I would probably count 2 SP for each piece since the oil would bake into the breasts. But, once again, it depends on how much chicken you put in the marinade.
Tip: Don’t skimp on the turmeric! That’s what gives it the bright color and a little something different than just an average citrus marinade. Plus, turmeric is incredibly good for you. Definitely worth purchasing a small bottle if you want to make this again and again.
One extra tip: Make sure you saved your juiced fruit rinds to add to the marinade. The last time I made this, I threw them out as I was juicing them, by habit, before I realized I needed to add them into the marinade. The chicken was still good this way, but it wasn’t as flavorful as when I’d included the rinds in the past.Â
More recipes like Citrus Marinated Chicken
If you’re looking for more flavor-packed chicken dishes, check out these other great recipes:
- Peruvian Chicken Breast with Green Sauce
- Air Fryer Blackened Chicken Strips
- Halal Cart Chicken Bowls
- Chicken Shawarma with Garlic Sauce
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you make it, be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@litecravings) and use the hashtag #litecravingsrecipes. I sometimes miss a tag here or there, but I always check in on the hashtag.
Citrus Marinated Chicken (El Pollo Loco Copycat)
Ingredients
- 2 +lbs thinly sliced chicken breast, or regular chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise (I’ve done up to 4 lbs with this amount of marinade)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice OR 1 cup of fresh pineapple, pureed
- 2 lemons, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 large limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 minced garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except chicken, including the juiced fruit rinds, in a large Ziploc bag. Add in chicken and marinate overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove chicken and discard marinade. Grill chicken for about 5 minutes a side over medium-high heat, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
What do you prefer? Pineapple or OJ?
I prefer the pineapple, but it is really great both ways.
Do you put the citrus through a juicer with the rinds on, or do you juice them and then slice up the rinds and put in the marinade?
I juice the fruit and then just throw the juiced rinds in with the marinade. No need to slice them up.
I made this with bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Made the recipe exactly as described with the squeezed orange juice, but also added about 1/4 cup crushed pineapple for extra flavor. Cooked it on the grill and it was DELICIOUS! Tasted just like El Pollo Loco! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
I live in ap apartment – no grill, sadly, which is a bummer since I love the char taste from the grill. Do you think some aspects of that could be obtained with a cast iron skillet or an air fryer?
Absolutely! Cast iron would be the best.
I used OJ in the marinade and the chicken on the grill was delicious. I love the color that the turmeric gave the chicken…l always wondered how EPL got that golden color 🤔 not to mention the health benefits it provides. I reserved about 2/3 c of the marinade before adding the chicken, and also added about 1/2 tsp corn starch to thicken it, and basted the chicken the last 10 minutes of cooking just to get double duty out of that wonderful marinade! Thank you for a wonderful healthy chicken recipe.
Simple, fresh and delicious. I am adding this marinade into my summer BBQ rotation. Great flavour with little effort!
Thank you!!
I want to bake the chicken. Suggestions on time and temperature. Also baked covered or uncovered. How about broiled?
I would bake at 425 for about 20 minutes. Let me know if you try it out!
I’m vegan but I am interested in making El Pollo Loco chicken for my 18 yr old weenie dog because she loves it so much. She’s not really interested in food unless it’s something she really likes and rather than giving her an appetite stimulant I’d rather give her something that gets her happy and motivated to eat. She’s brought me so much joy her entire life that I feel it’s the least I can do for her. I am aware that garlic and especially onion isn’t good for dogs but since they cause long-term problems instead of short-term, I’m hoping that if I reduce the garlic and onion in your recipe that it will be safe for her to eat. People ask me how I justify buying and cooking chicken for my dog since I’m a vegan and it’s definitely out of compassion for animals, not my health that I’ve chosen to be vegan but like all things, everyone has their price and my price is that I want my sweet, baby girl to enjoy what little time remains. I always add that it’s a good thing she doesn’t crave kittens because I don’t know how I would explain where all the kittens disappear to in my neighborhood. lol
I would not feed this to a dog. Kittens are probably gone because someone fed them the chicken.
I agree 100%. As delicious as this recipe is, it is not safe for dogs.
I have also always pampered my elderly pets with foods they love. As for the garlic & onion, I’d just leave them out entirely. I really don’t think your pup will notice and it might be easier on her digestive system too. In a pinch, I’ve also fed my elderly dogs canned salmon & canned chicken too. They’ve loved it! I include the bones from the salmon. They’re very soft and full of calcium.
You are an angel!! Senior dogs are life!!
I’m torn here bc I have never left chicken in a citrus based marinade for over 2 hrs as it is not advised bc the citrus will cause the chicken to breakdown and change the texture. Is this breakdown beneficial here with skin on?
Hi Nicholas, I haven’t had a real problem with the texture of the chicken marinating it for a longer period. It might be because these are whole breasts vs smaller pieces and that the small amount of oil acts as a buffer to prevent the acids from “cooking” the chicken. If you don’t feel comfortable with an overnight marinade, you can always try marinating them the morning of. I find they’re more flavorful the longer they marinade. Enjoy!
Great recipe. I make a very similar version, and this time, I followed your cue and added turmeric. Great addition, thank you! FYI: My marinade uses a small can of pineapple juice and freshly squeezed OJ, lemon zest, and scant lemon and lime juice. I add a splash of Franks Hot Sauce and the olive oil. In addition to the Garlic, Cumin, and Freshly Cracked Pepper, I add a pinch or two of Mexican Dried Oregano and use Sumac instead of salt. My version is first baked, skin side down in the marinade, covered for 20minutes. I then remove from marinade, pat the skin dry so it will broil nicely over the grill. I do love to grill fresh pineapple to serve with this, and sometimes even add pineapple to guacamole and serve that along with this, great with corn on the cob and BBQ beans. Because I never measure my version, I sent my sister a link to yours. She was very pleased and didn’t add the hot sauce either. Love the turmeric inclusion….
Hi Donna – so glad you and your sister enjoyed it! 🙂
Hands down my favortie chicken marinade. I have made it numerous times but double the marinade and put some on the side to baste while cooking. Perfect for chicken tacos
Aw, thank you SO much, Jessica – such a wonderful compliment <3 😀
Wow!! We just tried this recipe and it is one of our favorite marinades for chicken. The chicken is so full of flavor and juicy. Looks and tastes just like El Pollo Loco! We used chicken thighs (large ones) with skin and bone-in. Heated up the gas grill to around 425 deg. and cooked for 10 minutes with skin side down and 10 minutes on the other side. Skin is not as crispy as we would like so next time 500 deg. to start for a few minutes to sear skin and lower to around 450 deg. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you for the stellar review and tips, Alex! I’m sorry to hear the skin wasn’t as crispy as you’d like. I don’t always leave the skin on, but if I do I like to pat the skin dry to help it crisp on the grill. Let me know if the high sear temp works for you though!