Pan Con Pollo

Panes Con Pollo Salvadoreños Recipe – These irresistible sandwiches feature a quick and easy chicken stew nestled in Romaine lettuce leaves, then loaded onto hoagie rolls with a cabbage slaw and lots of crunchy fresh veggies.

Why We Love Pan Con Pollo

Panes con Pollo is an El Salvadoran specialty that you’ll want on the regular! This classic South American street food recipe is easy to make at home, and a fun twist on basic sandwiches for dinner.

Traditionally, Pan con Pollo is made with stewed chicken piled on sub rolls and slathered in a zesty sauce. Since we like to make our recipes as user-friendly as possible, we combined these two steps into one. The chicken is cooked IN the sauce ingredients. Then when you take the chicken out to shred it, simply purée the liquid and vegetables in the pot with an immersion blender or a standard blender. Shred the chicken and place it right back in the sauce to omit the need for extra cooking time and cooking vessels.

We LOVE experimenting with global cuisine, and know this recipe will be an instant favorite for you as well!

Ingredients You Need

• Butter – unsalted
• Chicken – boneless and skinless thighs
• Onion – peeled and chopped
• Bell pepper – seeded and chopped
• Cilantro – chopped
• Garlic – minced
• Sazon seasoning – a traditional Latin American cuisine spice blend that includes coriander, achiote, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt and pepper
• Chicken base – or chicken bouillon
• Rotel – your choice of mild or spicy hot

For the Slaw –

• Cabbage slaw mix – a combo of thinly shredded green cabbage, purple cabbage, and carrots
• Lime juice – freshly squeezed is best
• Salt – a pinch to taste

For the Sandwiches –

• Hoagie rolls – or other substantial sandwich roll bread
• Romaine lettuce – choose large, sturdy leaves
• Other veggies – thinly sliced roma tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes

Pan con Pollo Recipe Equipment

• Large pot – 6 to 8-quart sauce pot
• Blender – either an immersion or standing blender

How to Make Panes Con Pollo Salvadoreños

Set a large 6 to 8-quart sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped onions, chopped bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic. Sauté the vegetables for 3-5 minutes to soften. Then add the chicken pieces, Sazon seasoning, chicken base, Rotel, and water to the pot. Stir well and push the chicken thighs down into the liquid.

Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, just a little, and keep simmering for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the liquid has reduced by half.

Meanwhile, set out a small mixing bowl for the slaw. Combine the slaw mix, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Toss well to coat. Then slice the tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes very thin.

Use tongs to take the chicken thighs out of the pot. Place them on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken thighs into small chunks.

With an immersion blender, purée the remaining ingredients into a thick sauce.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour the ingredients into a standard blender. Carefully open the vent and purée until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot. 

Place the shredded chicken back into the pot. Stir well to cook the chicken in the sauce. Taste, the add salt and black pepper if needed.

To Assemble the panes con pollo: Place one large romaine leaf in each hoagie roll to act as a liner for the bread. This chicken is extra saucy!

Get the Complete (Printable) Panes Con Pollo Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Arrange slices of tomato, radishes, and cucumbers around the sides of the lettuce leaves. Scoop the chicken into the Romaine leaves.

Serving Suggestions

Top with fresh cabbage slaw and serve hot!

A loaded sammie is a meal all on its own – but they do pair well with other sandwich-friendly staples, like fries and salads. Try our terrific homemade french fry, potato wedges, or papas bravas for a hearty lunch or fun dinner!

Pan Con Pollo Recipe Variations

• Protein – This authentic panes con pollo Salvadoreños recipe is made with chicken thighs, which are super rich and juicy. But you can also use leaner chicken breast, turkey, or pork, if you prefer.
• Gluten- free – Use your favorite GF-friendly sub rolls!
• Low carb – Swap the bread for an extra layer or two of romaine lettuce around the outside of the sandwich. You might want to drain the chicken from the sauce a bit more to cut down on mess.
• Other veggies – Load up other fresh vegetables you like! Try sliced bell peppers, alfalfa sprouts, white onion, watercress, or slices of avocado.
• Condiments – If you want extra layers of flavor on the sandwich, consider adding mayonnaise or mustard to the bread before filling, or a little hot sauce over the top.
• More uses – The savory chicken stew is delicious in all sorts of dishes! Use it as a protein on fresh green salads, in grain bowls, on tacos, or in burritos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking for More Sandwiches Recipes? Be Sure to Try:

• Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich
• Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)
• Choripan Argentino (Chorizo Sandwich)
• Cheesy Enchilada Meatball Subs
• Chopped Beef Brisket Sandwich

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