Cuban Pollo a la Plancha (Easy Griddled Chicken Breast)
Growing up in a Cuban family, chicken breast was never dry and boring. Period. Full stop.
Chicken breast is often the unpopular choice because of its dry [bad] reputation. But I have to say… Cubans managed to find the perfect way to make them delicious, and I’m so here for it.
Enter pollo a la plancha. Think juicy, flavorful, garlicky, citrusy. All the best flavors of mojo marinade wrapped up into a pounded thin chicken breast.
We often poke fun at the fact that Mami NEVER makes a bad pollo a la plancha. Being the cooking legend she is, she always marinates and seasons the chicken breasts perfectly every time, but can never give you exact measurements when you ask for them.
But I can! Let me show you how to make it!
5 star review
“Probably one of the best chicken dishes I’ve made to date. I never leave reviews, but I felt compelled to share how much I love this recipe. So authentic, juicy and flavorful chicken. (I am also a Miami native) Definitely going to be making this a ton!”
—Dana
Making Pollo A La Plancha
If you’ve ever ordered chicken at a restaurant, you might’ve been served a tough cutlet. Mami is not a fan of chicken. Like at all. Because it’s usually dry, tough, and flavorless. But that’s not what this recipe delivers.
The key to making authentic pechuga a la plancha is pounding the chicken thin so it cooks evenly, then marinating it in a garlicky sour orange mojo that keeps it juicy.
When that chicken hits a screaming hot plancha or skillet, it sears in minutes, creating a golden crust while locking in the citrus-garlic flavor.
The last step is my favorite – pouring all the pan juices right over the chicken, then topping with onions and a squeeze of lime. Que rico! That’s how you get pollo a la plancha that’s tender, juicy, and never dull.
Recommended For This Recipe
Large Skillet
A 10-inch skillet perfect for cooking all kinds of dishes! It’s non-stick, with a wide flat bottom for frying, sautéing, or browning.
So the next time someone calls chicken breast boring, make them this recipe. It’s honestly one of my favorite Cuban dinner recipes. Between the sour orange mojo, that beautiful golden sear, and those garlicky pan juices, it’s anything but boring.
Pollo a la plancha is quick enough for a weeknight dinner but special enough to serve with all your favorite Cuban side dishes. Trust me, this one won’t disappoint.
Cuban Pollo a la Plancha (Easy Griddled Chicken Breast)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup mojo marinade, (or use storebought)
- 2 teaspoons homemade sazon completa
- 2-3 tablespoons neutral oil, or unsalted butter for pan frying
- Sliced sauteed onions, optional
Instructions
- On a cutting board, place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, slightly pound the chicken breasts until they're 1/4-inch thin. Don't skip this step! Pounding chicken breasts tenderizes the meat which helps it cook evenly and results in a juicier texture.
- In a shallow dish, add the chicken breasts. Pour the mojo marinade and season with homemade sazon completa on both sides. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- In a griddle, grill pan, or large skillet, heat oil at medium heat. Working in batches, remove chicken breasts from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and place them on the pan.
- Cook them for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve with white rice, black beans, and/or sweet plantains. Enjoy!
The marinade was outstanding! The chicken turned out so flavorful and juicy. Thanks for sharing! We will be making this a weekly staple!
Thank you for your comment, Melanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Very flavorful and tender, absolutely will be making this again!
This recipe is simply amazing! I was shocked at how well the flavors came through with a short marinade time. I marinated the chicken about 30 minutes along with your marinade recipes as well. The flavors popped and the chicken was perfectly tender and juicy. I served this along with your recipe for Cuban black beans and rice and everyone absolutely loved the meal. It was so much better than anything from our local Cuban restaurant! Thanks for the great recipes. We will be having this often and it will make it’s way into our regular rotation!
So happy to hear that, Craig! Thank you for sharing your experience! :)
Sorry for missing clicking the 5 stars on the comment because it is certainly 5 stars!
Made this for dinner tonight, I didn’t read directions thoroughly before making it as I thought if I let it marinate all day the flavor would be more intense it was so good not tough, my husband had a health issue a couple of years ago and so now we mainly eat plant based foods but I was raised in Key West and I miss my Cuban food so really enjoyed it, very filling too, I prepared 2 breast and we ended up splitting one, so will cook the other tomorrow and hopefully it will turn out as good since it will have been marinating a long time. One thing I noticed is yours looks more brown then mine and maybe that’s what happens when you marinate to long but we really enjoyed it. Served with Cuban black beans and rice pilaf (wanted a little more flavor than white rice gives me and try to stay away from yellow rice since it has a lot of sodium
Glad you loved it, Cathy! Thank you for your comment!
My family would eat this at least 3 times a week if I let them. They are also just as crazy about arroz con pollo a la chorrera, Can’t say enough about these 2 DELICIOUS recipes
Fantastic and delicious recipe ! I keep it save to cook it over and over again ! Muchas Gracias ! ***My only question is, what can I do with the rest of the mojo marinade ?
So much! You can use mojo marinade for chicken wings, palomilla steak, or pollo asado. Here’s the full recipe with recipe ideas. :)
We had this tonight and it was delicious! It’s definitely a keeper for sure.
This was a very good recipe. My brother and I really enjoyed this chicken recipe. However, I did find the recipe for the mojo marinade a little confusing to follow. Also the recipe says to marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. In the other information about the recipe it states you can marinate the chicken for hours. As I do not cook much Cuban food, I wish the recipe would tell me exactly how long to marinate the chicken to get the best taste. I would think it would be better to season the chicken hours before you marinate it as the marinade would wash off the seasoning. It is great that you put in the main recipe the recipe for the marinade and the seasoning mix so I did not have to go out and buy it. As I am just starting to cook some Cuban dishes, it is nice not to have to buy ingredients before you know if you like something or not. I will keep looking for other Cuban dishes to make as I have really enjoyed the Cuban dishes I have made so far. This is a dish I will keep making. Great taste and a fast meal.
Hey Chris, so glad you and your brother enjoyed it. I really appreciate your feedback on the instructions. I’ll take another look to make sure everything is clear. For the best flavor, marinating the chicken breast for no more than 2 hours max is what I recommend. But if you’re short on time (which most people are and why I included that timeframe in this recipe), 20 minutes is suffice since the chicken is already thin. That’s enough time for the marinade to infuse into the thin chicken breasts. You don’t want to marinate them for too long since the citrus can start to break down the meat (mushy meat is no bueno). Hope that helps!
Bright citrus flavour, for a moment i was in Cuba as i ate it! Not difficult to make, other than making the mojo and sazon, which will be good in the fridge for a few days until i make this delicious recipe again. 5 points! thank you, and feliz año!
This was fantastic! Easy to make and marinate ahead + super juicy! I used store bought sazon completa because I didn’t have all the spices! This will be a weekly go to from now on! I made with white rice and your black bean recipe!
I was thinking of making this but I wanted to ask you if I could marinate the chicken overnight or would it be too much for it? I know citrus can “cook” meats and seafoods but I’d rather be able to prep everything and just be able to grill it the next evening and I’d love to marinate it as long as possible! Thank you!!
Hi! No, I don’t recommend marinating chicken overnight. Chicken breasts and chicken wings are leaner cuts so they should only be marinating in the mojo marinade for 1-2 hours max.
Hi Jaime. I don’t see the Mojo marinade anywhere. I want to make this real soon
Within the recipe card, you will see the the word “mojo marinade” under ingredients. Click on the word/link to visit the recipe page. You may also use store-bought mojo marinade if you prefer.
Pollo a la plancha is another winning recipe. I tried it out last night and was blown away by how good it came out. Whenever I try a new recipe, I always hope to get close to what my local Cuban restaurant would do, but in this case, I think the pollo a la plancha is better than what I had at the restaurant. I used Iberia Mojo Marinade bought on Amazon, olive oil for cooking the chicken, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly, and the chicken was incredibly moist and flavorful. And so easy. The prep time for this dish is minimal. Going forward, Pollo a la plancha will definitely be featured regularly at my household.
Probably one of the best chicken dishes I’ve made to date. I never leave reviews, but I felt compelled to share how much I love this recipe. So authentic, juicy and flavorful chicken. (I am also a Miami native) Definitely going to be making this a ton!
This made my day, Dana! So happy you loved the recipe!
Great recipes Thank you
You’re so welcome, Daysi!
Fantastic recipe!!! Thank you so much, this was a hit with the whole family.
So happy to hear! Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious!! I honestly was not sure because there are so few ingredients but that ended up being the best part. it was super easy and I am making it again this week.
So happy to hear! Thank you!
Great dish. Easy. Served with black beans, rice and plantains. Have shared with several friends!
. You wife’s family is from Cuba, and we frequently make great things from there. We have the store bought MOJO, but was wondering if the homemade taste about the same?
Hi Nathan, it’s a matter of preference. I prefer homemade because I know what is in it and like the taste of fresh citrus. Hope that helps!