Pollo con Tajadas (Chicken with Fried Plantains)
Pollo con tajadas — often called pollo chuco — is arguably Honduras' most beloved street food. It layers crispy fried green plantain tajadas with pieces of fried or grilled chicken, a tangy cabbage salad, a special pink sauce and a shower of dry cheese.
You will find it sold from carts and roadside stands all over the country, piled high in a paper-lined basket or foil, meant to be eaten with your hands. The combination of crunchy plantains, juicy chicken and cool, vinegary cabbage is completely addictive.
The pink sauce is a signature touch — a creamy blend of mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard that ties everything together, similar to the sauce on other Honduran street foods. A sprinkle of salty dry cheese finishes it off.
Pollo con tajadas is proof that Honduras' best flavors often come from the simplest street-corner combinations, right alongside baleadas and pastelitos.
Pollo con Tajadas Recipe
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 25 min · Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 chicken pieces, seasoned and fried
- 3 green plantains, thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1/2 cup grated dry cheese
- Oil, for frying
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Toss the shredded cabbage with the vinegar and a pinch of salt and set aside.
- Fry the thin green plantain slices in hot oil until golden and crisp, then drain and salt.
- Fry or grill the seasoned chicken until golden and cooked through.
- Stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard to make the pink sauce.
- Layer the crispy tajadas on a plate, top with chicken and cabbage salad.
- Drizzle with pink sauce and finish with grated dry cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pollo con tajadas?
Pollo con tajadas, also called pollo chuco, is a Honduran street food of fried chicken served over crispy green plantain tajadas with cabbage salad, pink sauce and dry cheese.
What is the pink sauce on pollo chuco?
It is a creamy blend of mayonnaise, ketchup and a little mustard, drizzled over the chicken and tajadas to tie the flavors together.
Are the plantains sweet or savory?
They are savory. Pollo con tajadas uses thin green plantain tajadas fried until crisp, giving a crunchy, chip-like base rather than sweet ripe plantains.
Why is it called pollo chuco?
'Chuco' is Honduran slang meaning messy or dirty, a playful nod to this deliciously messy, eat-with-your-hands street food.