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Pan con Pollo Recipe

A crusty roll piled high with shredded sofrito-braised chicken, lettuce, tomato, and avocado, cut in half to show the filling.
Photo by Aakash Shabeer on Pexels

Braising bone-in flavor into boneless thighs with sofrito, tomato sauce, and broth gives the shredded chicken deep flavor in under 40 minutes, and simmering the sauce down before shredding means the meat gets coated instead of watery.

Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Servings
4

Ingredients

Servings4
  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 leaf bay leaf
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 rolls crusty rolls, split (pan de agua or telera)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 cup lettuce, shredded
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced
  • 1 medium avocado, sliced

Nutrition per serving

Calories
414
Protein
17g
Carbs
46g
Fat
19g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

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Instructions

  1. 1Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until softened.
  2. 2Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  3. 3Stir in the tomato sauce, sazon (or cumin and achiote), bay leaf, and salt. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
  4. 4Add the chicken thighs and chicken broth. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken; add a splash more broth or water if needed.
  5. 5Bring to a simmer, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken shreds easily with a fork.
  6. 6Remove the chicken to a bowl and shred it with two forks. Discard the bay leaf.
  7. 7Increase the heat under the remaining sauce to medium-high and simmer uncovered for 4-5 minutes, until it thickens slightly and reduces by about a third.
  8. 8Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to coat it in the reduced sauce. Taste and adjust salt.
  9. 9In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and ketchup.
  10. 10Split and lightly toast the rolls. Spread the mayo-ketchup sauce on both cut sides.
  11. 11Pile the saucy shredded chicken onto the bottom half of each roll, then top with lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Close the sandwiches and serve warm.
How Long to Boil Chicken Breast

Tips & variations

  • Bone-in, skin-on thighs work too and add even more flavor to the braise; just discard the skin and bones before shredding and add 5-10 minutes to the simmer time.
  • For a Peruvian-leaning version, swap the mayo-ketchup sauce for a blended aji amarillo mayo.
  • Leftover rotisserie chicken can stand in for the raw thighs: skip the simmering step and just warm the shredded meat in the sofrito-tomato sauce for 5-10 minutes.
  • A layer of fried plantain slices (maduros) inside the sandwich is a common Puerto Rican addition.

Storage & reheating

Store the shredded chicken and sauce separately from the assembled sandwich fixings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water until warmed through, then build sandwiches fresh so the bread doesn't get soggy. The chicken also freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Toasting the rolls before saucing them keeps the bread from turning soggy under the shredded chicken.
  • If the sauce looks thin after shredding the chicken, keep reducing it in a wide skillet rather than the deep pot, it evaporates faster with more surface area exposed.

FAQ

What is pan con pollo?

It's a Puerto Rican and broader Latin American sandwich of seasoned, sofrito-braised shredded chicken served on a crusty roll, typically with a mayo-ketchup sauce, lettuce, tomato, and sometimes avocado or fried plantains.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

Yes, but breasts dry out faster in the braise; check for doneness closer to 18-20 minutes and shred as soon as the meat reaches 165°F to avoid a stringy texture.

What bread is traditionally used?

Pan de agua, a crusty Puerto Rican white bread similar to a small baguette, is traditional. A telera roll, ciabatta roll, or any sturdy sandwich roll with a firm crust works as a substitute.

Can I make the chicken ahead of time?

Yes. The sofrito-braised shredded chicken keeps well and actually tastes better the next day once the flavors settle; refrigerate it in its sauce and reheat gently before assembling sandwiches.

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