Jake Harper
El Pollo Loco is a restaurant chain that serves fire-grilled chicken with bold, smoky flavours. With approximately 500 restaurants in the Southwestern United States and 10 in the Manila metropolitan area, the chain has become well-known for its unique cooking methods and flavourful recipes. The name El Pollo Loco translates to The Crazy Chicken in English, and the restaurant has certainly made a name for itself with its signature style of chicken. While the exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, home cooks have attempted to recreate the famous dish with various cooking methods, including grilling, oven-roasting, and air frying. In this article, we will explore the different ways people have tried to replicate the famous El Pollo Loco chicken and the key ingredients that make this dish so special.
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What You'll Learn
El Pollo Loco's cooking method
El Pollo Loco is a US-based company that operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants, primarily in the Southwestern United States. It also has a subsidiary in the Philippines with 10 company-owned restaurants within the Manila metropolitan area. El Pollo Loco is famous for its chicken dishes, which are cooked over an open fire or grilled.
There are several recipes for El Pollo Loco chicken available online, with slight variations in the ingredients and cooking methods. However, the basic premise remains the same: a whole chicken or chicken pieces are marinated in a blend of citrus juices (typically orange, pineapple, and lime) and a mix of spices, including garlic, paprika, onion, cumin, coriander, oregano, turmeric, and peppercorns. The chicken is then cooked either over an open fire, in an oven, in a skillet, or in an air fryer.
One popular recipe involves cutting a whole chicken into pieces and marinating it in a blend of citrus juices and spices. The chicken is then placed in a zip-loc bag with the marinade and refrigerated for 24 hours or overnight. It is then cooked over an open fire or grilled to perfection, resulting in juicy, tender, and flavourful chicken with a beautiful brown colour and a warm orange tint.
Another recipe variation includes boneless, skin-on chicken thighs marinated in the same blend of citrus juices and spices. The chicken is then cooked in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, resulting in a hassle-free meal that is bursting with flavour. This recipe is perfect for those who want a quick and easy option that doesn't require a grill or oven.
Regardless of the specific recipe or cooking method chosen, the key to El Pollo Loco's chicken lies in the combination of juicy, tender meat and a bold blend of citrus and spice flavours that create a signature smoky and savoury taste profile. By marinating the chicken and using a variety of cooking techniques, the final dish embodies the essence of El Pollo Loco's culinary offerings.
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Recipe for El Pollo Loco grilled chicken
El Pollo Loco's grilled chicken is famous for its bold, smoky, and nostalgic flavours. The chicken is marinated in a blend of spices, citrus, garlic, and pineapple juice, and then cooked over an open flame. The exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but that hasn't stopped people from trying to recreate it at home. Here is a recipe for El Pollo Loco grilled chicken that you can try yourself.
Ingredients
- Chicken (with skin on)
- Orange juice
- Pineapple juice
- Lime juice
- Garlic cloves
- Whole peppercorns
- Ground ancho
- Paprika
- Ground onion
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Oregano
- Turmeric
- Salt
- Oil
Instructions
- Add the orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, garlic cloves, and whole peppercorns to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture into a medium bowl and whisk in the ground ancho, paprika, ground onion, cumin, coriander, oregano, turmeric, salt, and oil until fully combined.
- Place the chicken in a zip-lock bag or a bowl and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the chicken, skin side up, in a cast-iron grill pan.
- Cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Using potholders, carefully transfer the pan to the stovetop and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the skin is crispy.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Tips
- For a more authentic experience, you can cook the chicken over an open flame on a grill or barbecue.
- El Pollo Loco also offers a dry seasoning packet that you can use as an alternative to the marinade.
- You can add a few drops of yellow food colouring or turmeric to give the chicken a more vibrant colour.
- If you don't have a grill, you can rotisserie the chicken or cook it in an air fryer.
- Serve with tortillas, rice, or beans for a complete meal.
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Locations of El Pollo Loco restaurants
El Pollo Loco, which translates to "The Crazy Chicken" in Spanish, is the name of three independent restaurant chains specialising in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The chain was founded by Juan Francisco Ochoa, who opened the first El Pollo Loco restaurant in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1974. Ochoa expanded the chain to the United States in 1980, opening his first US restaurant in Los Angeles, California. In 1983, Ochoa sold his American restaurants to Denny's, retaining ownership of the Mexican locations.
The American company, El Pollo Loco, Inc., is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California. As of January 2019, the company operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Louisiana. The company has experimented with expansion beyond these core territories, including attempts in Florida, Illinois, Oregon, and Virginia, but these locations ultimately closed.
The Mexican company, El Pollo Loco, S.A. de C.V., is still owned by the Ochoa family and operates over 50 locations within Mexico as of 2017.
The Filipino company, which began as a franchisee of the American company in 1991, later broke free of its contract and retained its trademarks within the Philippines in 2016. As of 2023, the company operates 10 company-owned restaurants within the Manila metropolitan area.
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Customer reviews of El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco has received mixed reviews from its customers. While some people have praised the food and service, others have complained about issues with their orders and poor customer service.
One customer shared a positive experience, highlighting the excellent service they received at the drive-thru, with a particular shout-out to Brian, who took their order with patience and professionalism. They also mentioned that the managers were nice and helpful. Another customer praised the food, specifically mentioning the good chicken and amazing guacamole.
However, there have been several negative reviews as well. One customer complained about the small portion sizes of chicken in their 3-piece chicken dinner and the lack of meat on the chicken breasts. They also mentioned that the service had declined, with long wait times and a lack of senior discounts. Similarly, another customer expressed disappointment with their order, stating that their crunchy chicken taco had no chicken at all, and the Chicken Avocado Taco fell apart. They were further frustrated by the lack of apology or resolution from the store manager.
Another review criticized the lack of chicken in the crunchy chicken taco and the overall poor customer service at the 43rd Ave Cactus store in N Phoenix. The reviewer mentioned that the manager showed a lack of concern for their complaint and that their wife's order was also mishandled. The reviewer stated that they and their family would not be returning to El Pollo Loco due to these negative experiences.
A separate review mentioned issues with an employee named Maria, describing her as "the most nastiest rudest and vile 'team leader'". The customer threw their food away after interacting with Maria and expressed hesitation about returning to the establishment due to their negative experience with her.
Overall, while some customers have had positive dining experiences at El Pollo Loco, there are also several accounts of unsatisfactory interactions with employees, missing items in orders, and disappointing food portions. These mixed reviews highlight areas where El Pollo Loco could improve to enhance customer satisfaction and consistency across all their locations.
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History of El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco, Inc. is a US-based restaurant chain specialising in Mexican-style grilled chicken. The company describes its chicken as "citrus-marinated and fire-grilled". The menu also offers Mexican-style food, including tacos, burritos, tostada salads, chicken bowls, snacks, salsas, sides, and quesadillas. The restaurant service consists of dine-in and take-out options, with some locations offering drive-through. As of January 2019, the company operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States.
The history of El Pollo Loco began on December 8, 1980, when Juan Francisco Ochoa opened his first US restaurant in Los Angeles, California. The first location was only 1,500 square feet, but it was highly successful, grossing more than $125,000 per month during its first year of operation. The initial menu was simple, offering a choice of a half or whole chicken with warm tortillas and salsa. A second location was opened in Santa Ana in the fall of 1981, and by 1983, the chain had expanded to 19 restaurants in Southern California. That year, Denny's acquired the American restaurants in the chain, with an agreement that the Ochoa family would continue to operate the restaurants in Mexico under the corporate name El Pollo Loco, S.A. de C.V.
Under Denny's ownership, the expansion of El Pollo Loco continued, with new locations in Southern California and Houston, Texas, most of which were franchise operations. In 1995, El Pollo Loco earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for building the world's largest burrito in Anaheim, California. The burrito was 3,112 feet long and weighed two tons. Despite this success, Flagstar, the parent company of El Pollo Loco and Denny's, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1997. The company was sold to American Securities Capital Partners in 1999 for $114 million and later to Trimaran Capital Partners in 2005 for $400 million.
In 2007, El Pollo Loco was featured on NBC TV's hit show The Apprentice: Los Angeles, and in 2010, it was recognised by the World Franchising Network as a Top Franchise for Hispanics. The company continued to expand, opening new locations in Georgia, Utah, Oregon, and Massachusetts. In 2018, Bernard Acoca was appointed as the new president and CEO of El Pollo Loco, replacing Steve Sather. As of 2022, the company has announced plans to open several new restaurants in the Denver metropolitan area and currently operates about 478 locations across the United States.
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