Easy Pan con Pollo
Pan con Pollo, also known as Panes con Pollo, is a variation of the well-known Panes con Pavo Salvadoreños that originated in El Salvador. This traditional Salvadoran Sandwich offers a different and delicious way to use chicken. Over the years, I've made countless chicken stew recipes for Pan con Pollo, from the simplest to the most time-consuming, and this one is one of our favorites.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 5 fresh tomatoes , chopped
- 1- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil , olive oil, canola, or vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion , chopped
- 1 Poblano pepper or bell pepper (any color), chopped
- 8 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Kosher salt , to taste
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Chile Ancho
- 1 Chile Guajillo or Chile California
- 1 Chile Pasilla
- 3 Chile Arbol optional ( For a spicier sauce)
- 1 packets sazon goya culantro y achiote
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon knorr chicken flavor bouillon adjust to taste
- 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken ,Disassemble the chicken into large pieces or leftover turkey from Thanksgiving
To Assemble:
- 12 or more large hoagie rolls, bolillo, or telera , as needed
- ½ cabbage , shredded or 16 leaves remain lettuce
- 1 bunch Watercress
- 2 English cucumbers , unpeeled and sliced in thin slices
- 10 radishes , thinly sliced
- 1 large white or red onion , cut in half, and thinly sliced
- 2 large firm tomatoes sliced
- yellow mustard , as needed
- Mayonnaise , as needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the chile arbol, chile guajillo, Chile Pasilla, and chile ancho and saute, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes or until the oil begins to turn a bit orange from the chiles.
- Add the garlic, fresh tomatoes, poblanos pepper, and onion, and cook over medium-low heat until the fresh vegetables soften, occasionally stirring about 10 minutes. Add the crushed canned tomato, rinse the can with 2 cups of hot water, and add the water to the pan; season with chicken bouillon and sazon goya culantro y achiote, sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to low, stirring and constantly scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Using an immersion or standard blender, process the mixture in batches until smooth enough for your taste. (If using a standard blender, take care not to fill the jar more than half full per batch, leave the hole in the lid open, and cover with a clean dishtowel to allow the heat to escape), and pour it back into the saucepan.
- Add the disassembled bone-in rotisserie chicken and bay leaves to the saucepan to help the sauce develop more flavor, and bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, occasionally stirring, until it has deepened in color and reduced slightly, about 30 minutes (if the sauce begins to scorch, lower the heat). The sauce is done when the sauce is thickened and no longer watery.
- Discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Using two forks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Taste and adjust the season with salt and pepper, if needed. Remove the bay leaves.
How to Assemble Pan con Pollo
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, assemble all vegetables. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400° F
- Toast your Bolillo Rolls on the middle rack of the oven, either on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or directly on the grates, for about 10 minutes, flipping it halfway through.
- Place toasted Bolillo Rolls on each plate, cut lengthwise, and spread mayonnaise on one side of the bread. On the other side, spread mustard and top each piece of bread with shredded cabbage or two pieces of lettuce, cucumber slices, a couple of onions, fresh tomatoes, and radish slices.
- Mound the shredded chicken into each bread, scoop a small spoonful of sauce onto each Pan con Pollo, and top with watercress or cilantro. Repeat the process with the remaining Bolillo Rolls. Buen provecho! 😋🍻
Notes
How to Store & Re-Heat
- To store: Leftover Pan con Pollo sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: The chicken stew sauce can be reheated gently on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until thoroughly heated.
- How to disassemble a Rotisserie Chicken: Place the chicken breast side up, run a knife down the center of the chicken, and find the bone. Cut just off to one side and slice top-to-bottom down the bone. Next, run the knife down the other side of the breast, along the leg and wing, cutting between the leg/wing and breast.
- The whole breast should be removed easily now. Repeat on the other side. Gently pull the leg from the joint until it separates. If it doesn't come easily, you can use your knife and place a little pressure on the joint to help it come free. Repeat the process for the wings. Alternatively, you can pull the meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and bones before adding it to the sauce. However, I highly recommend disassembling the chicken and leaving the bone to help develop more flavor in the sauce.
- Store leftover Pan con Pollo sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three days.
- When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters and pulse until smooth.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Pan con Pollo
Amount per Serving
Calories
417
% Daily Value*
Fat
25
g
38
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.04
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
10
g
Monounsaturated Fat
7
g
Cholesterol
56
mg
19
%
Sodium
827
mg
36
%
Potassium
802
mg
23
%
Carbohydrates
31
g
10
%
Fiber
8
g
33
%
Sugar
13
g
14
%
Protein
21
g
42
%
Vitamin A
2416
IU
48
%
Vitamin C
63
mg
76
%
Calcium
129
mg
13
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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