Cuban-Style Pollo a la Plancha (Marinated and Griddled Chicken) Recipe

Quick, Cuban-style chicken cutlets marinated in citrus juices and spices.

By
Aaron Hutcherson
Aaron Hutcherson is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Aaron Hutcherson
Aaron Hutcherson is a writer and recipe developer for The Washington Post food section. Previous to joining the paper in 2020, he worked as a freelancer and blogger behind The Hungry Hutch, which was a 2019 Saveur blog award nominee and features a delicious variety of savory and sweet recipes.
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Updated March 17, 2023

Why It Works

  • Just 30 minutes is needed for the marinade to flavor the chicken, and that short amount of time also prevents the meat from becoming mushy due to the acidic ingredients.
  • Using the same skillet to brown the onions as the chicken adds flavor to the onions, since the browned bits left in the pan can be deglazed using the water released by the onions as they begin cooking.

Pollo a la plancha is a classic dish in many Latin American countries. Sometimes also called pechuga a la plancha, thereby denoting the chicken part used (the breast), the dish name translates to chicken cooked on a flat top grill or griddle. The exact preparation seems to vary based on who you ask and which country they're from, but the Cuban version of this dish requires marinating the chicken in Cuban-style adobo or mojo.

A plate of Cuban-style pollo a la plancha topped with caramelized onions, and served with white rice, black beans, lime wedges, and cilantro.

Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

The Cuba's version of this sauce includes garlic, sour orange juice, cumin, and oregano, and, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, ground allspice. Fresh sour oranges can be hard to come by in the US—though fresh and frozen options are often available at Latin American grocers—but you can use an equal mix of orange and lime juices as a substitute to approximate their flavor. Serve with Cuban black beans and rice for a complete island meal.

April 2020

Recipe Details

Cuban-Style Pollo a la Plancha (Marinated and Griddled Chicken) Recipe

Prep 25 mins
Cook 30 mins
Active 45 mins
Marinating Time 30 mins
Total 85 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 6 medium cloves garlic

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 1 orange)

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

  • Kosher salt

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 10 ounces; 285g each) or 8 chicken cutlets

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil such as canola or vegetable, plus more as needed

  • 1 large white or yellow onion (about 3/4 pound; 340g); sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick rings

  • Cooked long-grain rice and black beans, for serving

  • Picked cilantro leaves, for serving

  • Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Using a blender or food processor, purée garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, black pepper, allspice (if using), and 2 teaspoons kosher salt until well blended. (Alternatively, to make with a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with the salt to form a paste, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively, finely grate or mince the garlic and stir together with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.)

    A container of puréed garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, black pepper, allspice with a spoon in the container.

    Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

  2. If using chicken breast halves, cut into cutlets following our instructions here, pounding to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. (If desired, you can butterfly the breast halves by not fully cutting all the way through, so that they open like a book; butterflied breasts also need to be pounded to an even thickness.)

    Skinless chicken breasts between plastic wrap, pounded thin with a wooden rolling pin.

    Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

  3. Place chicken cutlets in a large zipper-lock bag or shallow baking or glass storage dish. Add marinade, making sure it coats chicken evenly all over. Press out excess air and seal zipper-lock bag, or cover dish with plastic or a lid. Refrigerate for 30 minutes; if chicken is in a dish, turn it once halfway through.

    Raw skinless chicken breasts in a container, coated with marinade.

    Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

  4. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and wipe off any excess. In a stainless steel skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, if necessary, to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken cutlets and cook until golden brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer cooked cutlets to a platter and cover with foil or place in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil if the pan gets too dry.

    Seared boneless marinated chicken breasts in a skillet.

    Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

  5. In the same skillet that you cooked the chicken, add more oil if the pan is dry and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion rings, season with salt, and sauté until the onions have softened a bit and started to brown, 7 to 10 minutes; lower heat and/or add a small splash of water if the contents of the pan threaten to burn.

    Caramelized sliced onions in a skillet.

    Serious Eats / Aaron Hutcherson

  6. Arrange cutlets on serving plates and top with browned onions. Serve with black beans and rice and garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

Special Equipment

Blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle; meat pounder; stainless steel skillet

Make-Ahead and Storage

The marinade can be blended in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 hours before using. However, it is best not to marinate the chicken for much longer than the recommended 30 minutes.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
442Calories
13gFat
10gCarbs
68gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories442
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g17%
Saturated Fat 3g13%
Cholesterol 182mg61%
Sodium 397mg17%
Total Carbohydrate 10g4%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 68g
Vitamin C 8mg39%
Calcium 58mg4%
Iron 3mg15%
Potassium 712mg15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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