Easy Pan con Pollo
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
12
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Calories
417 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Salvadoran
Easy Pan con Pollo
Description
This recipe prepares a vibrant sauce by sautéing a blend of dried chiles in olive oil to color the oil, then simmering fresh tomatoes, poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and crushed tomatoes with spices including oregano, bay leaves, and a chicken bouillon seasoning. The mixture is blended into a smooth, red sauce and combined with shredded rotisserie chicken, simmered to meld flavors.
The assembled sandwiches use hoagie-style rolls filled with the saucy chicken mixture and topped with a variety of fresh vegetables such as cabbage, watercress, cucumber, radish, onion, and tomato slices, complemented by yellow mustard and mayonnaise for creaminess and tang.
The balance of spicy, smoky sauce and crisp vegetables makes this a hearty yet refreshing sandwich option. It suits casual meals where a flavorful protein and fresh textures are desired. Multiple fresh vegetables add texture and brightness against the rich sauce.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, and both chicken and sauce freeze well for up to 3 months. Preparing components in advance simplifies assembly. Gently reheat sauce and chicken before serving and add fresh vegetables right before eating to maintain crispness.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 5 tomato chopped, fresh
- 1- 28 oz crushed tomatoes canned
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil , olive oil, canola, or vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped, large
- 1 poblano pepper any color), chopped, or bell pepper
- 8 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper ground
- kosher salt , to taste
- 3 teaspoons oregano dried
- 2 cups water hot
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 chile ancho
- 1 guajillo chile or California chile
- 1 Pasilla chile
- 3 Chile Arbol optional ( For a spicier sauce)
- 1 sazon goya culantro y achiote
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon adjust to taste, Knorr brand
- 1 rotisserie chicken Disassemble the chicken into large pieces or leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, store-bought
To Assemble:
- 12 hoagie roll bolillo, or telera, as needed, large, or more
- ½ cabbage shredded or 16 leaves remain lettuce
- 1 bunch watercress
- 2 cucumber unpeeled and sliced in thin slices, English
- 10 radish thinly sliced
- 1 large white onion cut in half, and thinly sliced, or red onion
- 2 large tomato sliced, firm
- yellow mustard , as needed
- mayonnaise , as needed
Instructions
Prepare the Sauce:
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add Chile Árbol, Chile Guajillo, Chile Pasilla, and Chile Ancho. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until the oil takes on an orange hue.
- Add garlic, fresh tomatoes, Poblano pepper, and onion. Cook stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Rinse the can with 2 cups of hot water and add the liquid to the pan. Season with chicken bouillon, Sazón Goya, sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking or burning at the bottom of the pan.
- Use an immersion blender or standard blender to process the mixture until smooth (blend in batches if using a standard blender, leaving the lid vented for heat to escape). Return the blended sauce to the saucepan.
- Add the disassembled rotisserie chicken and bay leaves. Simmer over medium low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and develops deeper color.
- Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Assemble Pan con Pollo:
- Arrange all prepared vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Toast Bolillo rolls on a sheet pan or directly on the oven grates for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Place toasted rolls on plates and cut them lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise on one side and mustard on the other.
- Layer the sandwich with shredded cabbage or lettuce, cucumber slices, onion, tomato, and radish.
- Mound shredded chicken onto the bread, add a spoonful of sauce, and top with watercress or cilantro.
- Repeat for remaining rolls.
Notes
- Store leftover chicken stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Chicken and sauce can be prepared ahead and reheated gently before assembling sandwiches.
- Vegetables can be prepped and stored separately to keep fresh until serving.
- The chicken and sauce freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat with a splash of water as needed.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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