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    Home » Tasty Recipes

    May 30, 2019 Chicken Recipes

    Baked Puerto Rican Chicken

    roasted chicken on a blue plate

    Juicy, bold, and flavorful Puerto Rican chicken also known as "pollo al horno" is the perfect chicken recipe to start off with if you're new to cooking Puerto Rican food!

    The first recipe I learned to make at age 10 is this Puerto Rican chicken recipe. It's simple, uses a lot of spices, and the flavor is out of this world. Enjoy it for dinner with a side of Spanish rice, kidney beans, sweet plantains, and avocado for the ultimate Puerto Rican dinner!

    roasted drumsticks on a blue plate

    What spices are used for puerto rican chicken?

    What makes Puerto Rican chicken stand out is the amount of spices and herbs used. Latin recipes in general is known for it's spices and bold flavors. We do not shy away from flavor, and welcome it with every meal. I say that if you have garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and pepper, you're set- but that's just the beginning!

    Ingredients used for Puerto Rican Chicken:

    • salt
    • pepper
    • oregano
    • garlic powder
    • sazon seasoning (you can replace it with turmeric if desired or ground annatto for color)
    • Homemade sofrito, completely optional -your Puerto Rican chicken will still taste great without it.
    • Some people like to add Adobo seasoning, but I think there's enough sodium here!
    Related Recipe: Cuban Pernil (Pulled Pork)

    raw chicken with seasonings in a bowl

    How To Make Puerto Rican Chicken In The Oven

    Once you've added your seasonings to your Puerto Rican chicken, it's time to mix it all up! Be warned, sazon seasoning colors your hands. Be sure to either wear gloves or wash your hands as soon as you're done seasoning your chicken. Growing up my mother would always score the chicken, but it's not necessary.

    For the ultimate flavor, you should let your seasoned Puerto Rican chicken sit in the refrigerator overnight -or at least two hours, before baking your chicken.

    Do you cover chicken when baking in the oven?

    Covering chicken when baking in the oven is done to keep the chicken as moist as possible. For this Puerto Rican chicken recipe with drumsticks, you don't have to, but you absolutely can! Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes so the skin can crisp up a bit.

    If you want completely crispy skin, skip the cover on the chicken while baking!

    How long to bake chicken in the oven?

    Once your chicken has marinated, you'll add it to a pan and bake it at 350 for an hour. Flip it halfway through, and if desired, you can brush BBQ sauce over it for the ultimate oven baked BBQ chicken recipe. I tend to do this to half of the chicken, this way the kids that want the naked baked chicken can enjoy it without BBQ sauce.

    For extra crisp, you can set your oven to like 425 for the last 5-10 minutes. I especially do this when I make BBQ chicken.

    For wings, reduce total baking time to about 40 minutes.

    For boneless chicken, depending on the size of the breasts, bake for 30-35 minutes.

    The best way to see if your chicken is done, is by looking for clear juices and checking that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

    What kind of chicken should I use for baked Puerto Rican Chicken

    The beauty of Puerto Rican chicken is that the seasonings can stay the same for the best flavor profile, regardless on the kind of chicken you're using and the method of cooking your chicken. Remember, bone in chicken will yield the juiciest results. We're huge on drumsticks here, but baked chicken thighs are amazing!

    Types of chicken for Puerto Rican chicken:

    • drumsticks (skin on or off -it's up to you)
    • thighs
    • wings
    • breasts
    • whole chicken (perfect for making a stuffed chicken recipe)

    roasted chicken on a blue plate with a blue background

    What should I serve with Puerto Rican Chicken?

    Traditionally, all Puerto Rican dinners consist of a protein, rice, beans, a side, and salad... typically! Here are some amazing Puerto Rican recipes to serve with your oven baked chicken:

    Puerto Rican Potato Salad with Apples

    Easy Puerto Rican Kidney Beans

    Pizza Empanadas

    Here is the ultimate list of Puerto Rican Recipe Ideas

    roasted chicken drumsticks on a blue plate

    roasted drumsticks on a blue plate

    Puerto Rican Chicken

    Fully flavored, this Puerto Rican chicken recipe is the perfect oven baked recipe to have on hand!
    4.16 from 108 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: Puerto Rican
    Keyword: baked chicken, chicken
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Marinate: 2 hours
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories:
    Author: Neyssa

    Ingredients

    • 3 pounds of drumsticks
    • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon of salt
    • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
    • 1 packet of Sazon seasoning
    • 2 tablespoons of sofrito optional

    Instructions

    • Toss chicken and remaining ingredients together into a large bowl, gently mix to coat chicken with seasonings.
    • Allow chicken to marinate 2-24 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Arrange chicken on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, flip chicken over, bake another 20 minutes before raising heat to 400 degrees for the final 5-10 minutes.
    • Serve.

    Notes

    For a bolder flavor profile, feel free to double the garlic powder and oregano! 

    More Tasty Recipes

    • Frituras de Malanga | Malanga Fritters
    • Coffee Flan
    • Camarones Enchilados | Shrimp Stew
    • Spaghetti with Pork Chops

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. James says

      June 12, 2019 at 3:35 pm

      Hi, which version of sazon does this recipe need? I found several different versions. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        June 12, 2019 at 7:07 pm

        You can use whichever. I use the orange package one that says "with azafron". Let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    2. Michael S. says

      June 20, 2019 at 8:23 am

      5 stars
      I made Puerto Rican Chicken a few days ago, added basil and grape tomatoes. I sealed the chicken in a pan just before the oven. It was very tasty, all my family loved it! Thank you, Neyssa, for this recipe! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        June 23, 2019 at 12:59 pm

        Awesome Michael! I am so happy to hear this. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Liz says

      August 07, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      Is the cooking time the same if I’m using a whole chicken for this recipe? This sounds so delicious. I’m excited to try it!

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        August 11, 2019 at 3:47 pm

        Hey Liz, for a whole chicken, I would cook it around an hour or until the juices run clear. Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    4. Jody Holmes says

      October 14, 2019 at 6:05 pm

      I enjoy different cultures, especially with food. Can't wait to try this.

      Reply
      • Latina Mom Meals says

        October 15, 2019 at 6:38 pm

        I hope you enjoy it Jody. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Sandy says

      December 30, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      What do you think about substituting the spices with Badia Sazon Complete Seasoning? I will be using chicken leg quarters.

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        January 04, 2020 at 3:14 am

        Go for it! One of my favorites!

        Reply
        • Sandy says

          February 25, 2020 at 3:03 pm

          5 stars
          It turned out fabulous!!! Thank you!!! Made a few times already... I am Italian, but love Puerto Rican food!!!

          Reply
          • Marley says

            March 21, 2020 at 1:56 am

            Have you had issues with the chicken being dry? I want to try this but I was maybe gonna add some olive oil to the marinade?

            Reply
            • Neyssa says

              March 27, 2020 at 9:35 pm

              You absolutely can! What I often do is create a tent with aluminum foil and a tablespoon of water added to the baking dish for extra moist baked chicken!

    6. Sandy says

      February 25, 2020 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      Neyssa,

      Turned out so fabulous... made a few times already exactly as you said, exception, I added sazon, because I had no Sofrito and I love it... Thank you for sharing this keeper recipe!! I am Italian and am trying to learn Puerto Rican cooking... Perfect!!

      Reply
    7. Kat says

      March 28, 2020 at 8:15 pm

      Super excited to try this recipe. Is it possible to use either chicken breasts or thighs? Hoping the grocery store has chicken legs tomorrow though.

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        March 31, 2020 at 12:30 pm

        Yes, you could use either one. Adjust the cooking time, especially with chicken breasts. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Suzanne says

      March 31, 2020 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      ¡Muy bien!

      Reply
    9. Diana says

      April 07, 2020 at 8:48 am

      5 stars
      I didn’t have time to bake it so i cooked my chicken thighs on the stove and turned out fabulous. I’m sure it’s even more if baked. Thank you for the recipe. This is a saved recipe.

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        April 09, 2020 at 3:22 pm

        Aww, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this. I'm sure cooking it on the stove made it super juicy! Thank you for the lovely comment.

        Reply
    10. Jamie says

      May 05, 2020 at 3:39 am

      What kind of sofrito?

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        May 05, 2020 at 12:45 pm

        Homemade or store bought. Your preference.

        Reply
    11. Max says

      May 13, 2020 at 9:14 am

      In the instructions you don't mention covering the chicken, but in the article above you say why it's good to cover the chicken but in this recipe you can uncover it. Just wondering if I should be covering it. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        June 23, 2020 at 10:31 pm

        It's up to you. 🙂 Either way works. Covering it makes it more juicy, but less crispy.

        Reply
    12. Michelle says

      June 21, 2020 at 10:44 pm

      Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I used Baja brand sazon. Doubled the rest of the spices as I had a lot of bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Not a hot spicy person ( though I wish I could) but girl,this was so flavorful. What a great recipe!

      Reply
    13. Maria Noskey says

      December 22, 2020 at 5:48 am

      5 stars
      Made it for people at work. One was from PR and really loved it!!!! So happy with recipe. Its definitely a keeper!

      Reply
    14. Mary says

      January 20, 2021 at 11:45 am

      Do you think this would work for a whole turkey breast?

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        February 04, 2021 at 1:18 pm

        Yes, just adjust time, if needed.

        Reply
    15. Justine says

      November 12, 2022 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is absolutely amazing! My whole family including all my in laws loved the chicken. Instead of baking it though I grilled it. Now everyone asks for me to make this recipe.

      Reply

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    Guided by taste, not measurements, I strive to recreate classic Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes treasured by those that have come before us. Read more about me!

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