Pollo Asado Entero al Horno con Elote (Roast Chicken with Street Corn)
A flattened whole chicken roasted deep gold in an achiote citrus marinade, with charred corn on the cob in creamy elote sauce.
Made with Pollo asado marinade and Elote sauce (street corn crema). Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 45
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.16 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Place the spatchcocked chicken in a large dish. Rub 180 ml of your ready made pollo asado marinade (see the base recipe) all over and under the skin. Cover and chill for 6 to 12 hours.
360 min - 2
Take the chicken out of the fridge 45 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- 3
Lay the chicken skin side up on a rack over a roasting tin. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 75C with clear juices.
55 min - 4
Rest the chicken loosely covered for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the corn in salted water for 6 minutes, drain, then toss in the oil.
6 min - 5
Char the corn on a hot griddle or under the grill for 6 to 8 minutes, turning, until blackened in spots.
7 min - 6
Brush the corn with your ready made elote sauce (see the base recipe), then scatter with crumbled cotija and coriander.
- 7
Carve the chicken and serve with the corn and lime wedges.
Tips
- Spatchcocking, which means removing the backbone and flattening the bird, cuts the roasting time and crisps the skin evenly.
- Get the butcher to spatchcock it, or use strong kitchen scissors to cut along both sides of the backbone.
- Use a meat thermometer. 75C in the thickest part of the thigh is the safe point.
Storing and freezing
Carve leftovers once cool and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
What does spatchcock mean?
It means removing the backbone and pressing the bird flat. It roasts in much less time than a whole bird and gets crisp skin all over.
Can I use chicken portions instead?
Yes. Use 1.5 kg bone in thighs and drumsticks and roast for 40 to 45 minutes at 200C.
Can I make the elote without dairy?
Use a dairy free version of the elote sauce base, and skip the cotija cheese or replace it with a squeeze of lime.
More made with pollo asado marinade
Chilaquiles Verdes con Pollo Asado (Green Chilaquiles with Grilled Chicken)
GFEFNFTacos Dorados de Pollo Asado (Crispy Rolled Chicken Tacos)
GFEFNFPollo Asado con Arroz Rojo (Citrus Achiote Chicken with Red Rice)
GFDFEFSopa de Tortilla con Pollo Asado (Tortilla Soup with Grilled Chicken)
GFEFNFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.