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The search ends here for the best Puerto Rican Roasted Chicken ever! My recipe for Pollo al Horno is generously seasoned with sofrito, sazon, butter, fresh citrus juices, and a whole head of garlic. Roasted to juicy perfection, it’s the perfect dish to serve at the center of your table.

A cut whole roasted chicken on a plate.

This Puerto Rican roasted chicken is perfect for an easy weeknight meal, a fancy dinner party, or even as the entree at your holiday table.

If you’re anything like me, cooking an entire bland ass turkey is not a part of your annual Thanksgiving or Christmas festivities. Instead I like to opt for easier, more delicious entrees like roasted pork or lamb, seafood rice, or a perfectly cooked chicken (like this Pollo al Horno).

Plus, you can practice and enjoy this recipe all year round. The leftovers go great with rice and beans or make an excellent filling for sandwiches and burritos!

A roasted Puerto Rican seasoned chicken.

Ingredients:

A platter with bowls of spices, sofrito, and more.

Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

Step by Step

A dry raw whole chicken in a pot.
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Dry the whole chicken with paper towels to make sure the seasonings stick well and set inside a dutch oven or roasting pan.
Butter with spices and sofrito in a bowl.
Mix the butter, sofrito, sazon, salt and pepper in a bowl to form a compound butter. 
A whole chicken rubbed with compound butter.
Rub the butter mixture on the chicken, making sure to get under the skin over the breasts. Add the inside the citrus carcasses, garlic and fresh herbs to the inside of the chicken before tying the legs together with cooking twine. Add juices to the base of the pot.
A roasted Puerto Rican seasoned chicken.
Roast the chicken until it reaches a temp of 165°F. Cover the chicken with foil as soon as it’s out of the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Perfect Roast Chicken, Every Time

  • Pat the chicken dry: This small step ensures the seasonings stick well to the bird and allows the skin to get nice and crispy in the oven.
  • Load the bird with flavor: Rubbing the skin with compound butter and stuffing flavorful ingredients like garlic and fresh citrus in the carcass infuses the meat with flavor from the inside out.
  • Tie the legs off: Tying the legs together helps to ensure the chicken cooks evenly.

Perfect Pairings

While your Puerto Rican style chicken roasts in the oven, here are a couple easy side dishes to try:

10 Minute Ensalada Verde

Arroz Con Habichuelas (Rice with Pinto Beans)

Puerto Rican-Style Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)

Puerto Rican Style Stewed Black Beans (Habichuelas Negras)
A cut whole roasted chicken on a plate.

Buen provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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A cut whole roasted chicken on a plate.

Pollo al Horno (Puerto Rican Roasted Chicken)

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  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree, Main Dish
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin, Caribbean, American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

The search ends here for the best Puerto Rican Roasted Chicken ever! My recipe for Pollo al Horno is generously seasoned with sofrito, sazon, butter, fresh citrus juices, and a whole head of garlic. Roasted to juicy perfection, it’s the perfect dish to serve at the center of your table.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 (3-4 lb) whole chicken, giblets removed
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp sazon seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt per pound of chicken
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup sofrito
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half
  • 5–8 sprigs of culantro and/or cilantro
  • 1 tbsp orange juice, plus orange carcass
  • 1 tbsp lime juice, plus lime carcass

Instructions

  1. Pat dry the chicken and preheat oven. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels and set inside a dutch oven or roasting pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Prep the butter & seasonings. Add the butter, sofrito, sazon, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix well until a compound butter forms.
  3. Rub & stuff the chicken. Rub the compound butter all over the chicken, taking time to get it under the skin over the breasts and in all the nooks and crannies. Stuff the inside of the chicken with the citrus carcasses, garlic and fresh herbs. Tie the legs together with cooking twine. Pour the citrus juice into the base of the dutch oven.
  4. Roast, rest & serve. Roast the chicken uncovered, until the thickest part of the meat reads 165°F. This takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes in my kitchen, but will vary based on your oven. Cover the chicken with foil directly out of the oven and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving and serving.

Equipment

Notes

Individual Cuts of Chicken? If you’re working with pre-cut chicken pieces, simply marinate with the rub, nestling the garlic amongst the pieces. Roast skin side up (if using skin-on meat) until the thickest cuts of chicken read 165°F. Rest as directed above.

Enjoy this recipe?

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