Pollo con Tajadas (Honduran Fried Chicken with Plantain Chips)
Local name: Pollo con tajadas
In short: Lime and garlic marinated chicken fried until crisp, served with crunchy green plantain slices, a cabbage salad and tomato sauce. It takes about 1 h 20 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Resting
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Pollo con tajadas is the Honduran fried chicken plate, sold at roadside stalls and food courts and made at home on weekends. Chicken is marinated in lime and garlic, dusted with seasoned flour and fried until deep golden, then piled over tajadas, thin slices of green plantain fried until crisp. A tangy cabbage and tomato salad cuts the richness. It is simple food with a lot of crunch and works well for a crowd.
Instructions
- Mix the lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 8 hours in the fridge.
- For the salad, toss the cabbage, tomatoes, onion, lime juice and salt. Chill until serving.
- Peel the plantains and slice them lengthwise or on a sharp diagonal into very thin slices, about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Pat them dry.
- Heat 4 cm (1 1/2 in) of oil in a deep skillet to 175°C (350°F). Fry the plantain slices in batches for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Pat the chicken dry. Toss each piece in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.
- Lower the oil temperature to 165°C (325°F). Fry the chicken 4 pieces at a time for 12 to 15 minutes, turning, until deep golden and 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part. Drain on a rack.
- Pile the chicken on plates with the tajadas and cabbage salad, and serve with ketchup or hot sauce.
Tips
- Use very green, firm plantains and slice them thin. Yellowing ones turn sweet and soft instead of crisp.
- For a lighter version, bake the floured chicken on a rack at 220°C (425°F) for 40 minutes, turning once, and air-fry the plantain slices.
Questions and answers
What are tajadas?
Fried plantain slices. With fried chicken they are cut thin from green plantains and fried crisp, while ripe plantain slices fried until sweet are also called tajadas.
Can I prepare Honduran fried chicken in advance?
Marinate it up to 8 hours ahead and fry just before serving. Leftover chicken can be re-crisped in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 10 minutes.
What do you serve with pollo con tajadas?
A cabbage salad, tomato ketchup or sauce, and a squeeze of lime or hot sauce are the standard partners.
How long does it take to make Pollo con Tajadas (Honduran Fried Chicken with Plantain Chips)?
About 1 h 20 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pollo con Tajadas (Honduran Fried Chicken with Plantain Chips)?
About 680 kcal per serving, with 34 g of protein, 60 g of carbohydrates and 34 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 680 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Fat | 34 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 1400 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
