Entree Campos Family recipe

Salvadorian Pan con Pollo (Chicken Bread Sandwhich)

This recipe is important to me as it is a holiday tradition within my family and in El Salvador. Usually we do this with left over holiday chicken or turkey, but now we just go straight into the Pan con Pollo making for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think what makes this recipe great is that it can be done as a quick main meal for the holidays or an easy way to eat leftovers. If you try it, I hope you enjoy!

SERVINGS: 8
PREP TIME: 25 Minute(s)
COOK TIME: 1 Hour(s)

Ingredients

CHICKEN

  • 1 (4 lb) whole chicken, jointed (bone in, skinless)
  • ¾ tsp Salt
  • ¼ cup yellow Mustard
  • 2 tsp ground Cumin
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 5 Roma tomatoes
  • ½ white onion
  • 2 dried Guajillo Chiles, soaked in water
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 3 Cloves
  • 1 tsp achiote
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • ⅓ cup almonds
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 bay leaves

DRESSING INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ tsp ground Cumin
  • ⅛ tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 ½ tsp white vinegar

ASSEMBLY INGREDIENTS

  • 3 Tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 English Cucumber, sliced into rounds
  • 1 head Romaine lettuce
  • 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
  • 4 Radishes, sliced into rounds
  • 1 bunch watercress leaves
  • 8 bread hoagies

Steps

  1. Add the whole chicken into a large bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with ¾ tsp salt, ¼ cup mustard, 2 tsp cumin, and ½ tsp black pepper. Stir around with your hands to fully coat the chicken, then set aside momentarily.
  2. Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil to the bottom of a dutch oven pan and allow it to heat up. Add the chicken into the pot and fry in the oil for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until they are browned on each side.
  3. To make the sauce, blend 5 roma tomatoes, ½ a yellow onion, 2 guajillo chilies, 3 garlic cloves, 3 cloves, 1 tsp achiote, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, ⅓ cup almonds, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup water. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth.
  4. When the chicken has fried, add the sauce you made in the blender and 2 bay leaves. Add a lid and put the pot over medium heat. Let it cook for an hour.
  5. After an hour, turn off the heat. Use tongs to remove the chicken meat from the bones. Discard the bones but keep the chicken in the sauce.
  6. Once the bones have been removed, leave the chicken covered on the stove (turned off) while you prepare the sauce.
  7. Add all of the dressing ingredients into a bowl and use a whisk to combine.
  8. Prepare the sandwiches by cutting a slit in the top of the bun and opening the bun from the middle. Spread the dressing around inside the bread.
  9. Use a piece of lettuce to line the inside of the bun. Then add the chicken & sauce into the lettuce. Place the veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, watercress leaves, etc) inside the bun.
  10. Repeat until the sandwiches are assembled and enjoy!