Vaca Frita de Pollo (Cuban Shredded Chicken Recipe)
Are you ready for one of the easiest chicken recipes you’ll ever make?
This is one of my favorite meals to make whenever I’ve had a busy day and I just want something DELICIOUS and easy (just like my Cuban Pollo a la Plancha (Easy Griddled Chicken Breast).
I present to you… vaca frita de pollo aka Cuban cripsy shredded chicken!
Looking for my shredded Cuban beef recipe? Here is my Vaca Frita (Cuban Crispy Shredded Beef)!
Why is called vaca frita de pollo?
Well, technically, the word vaca frita translates to “fried cow”.
So why is this called vaca frita if it’s not made with beef? Because the way authentic way to make vaca frita is by shredding the beef and pan frying it until crispy.
In this context/recipe, we’re using the term vaca frita as more of the cooking style for the chicken than an actual crispy beef dish. And I must say, it’s delicious! The crispy shredded chicken tastes citrusy and fresh yet crispy with sautéed onions.
5 star review
“Oh my….this was delicious! I’m from Miami and it never occurred to me chicken vaca frita would be so good! Thank you for this recipe!”
—Val
Ingredients You’ll Need
Yep, just 3 ingredients!
- Chicken breast. You can either cook the chicken, use up leftover chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken.
- Mojo marinade. You can use my recipe for mojo marinade or use store-bought mojo.
- Onions. I like using white onions and slicing them thin so they incorporate perfectly with the shredded chicken.
Recommended For This Recipe
10 Inch 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.
How To Cook Chicken Breast
There are several ways to cook and shred chicken breast however I have two favorite ways. No need to season the chicken breasts since we will be doing that later. Trust me.
Slow Cooker Method
Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker for 6-7 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high until fully cooked. It’s ok if it looks dry, you will marinate them later.
Stovetop Method
Place the chicken breasts in a large pot with 3/4 cup of water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook the chicken breasts for 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked and no longer pink. The chicken is done when it reaches 165ºF on a food thermometer.
Grab a store-bought rotisserie chicken
Listen, if you don’t feel like cooking shredded chicken, feel free to stop by the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken on your way home. That’s my favorite shortcut and I promise your secret is safe with me.
How To Shred Chicken Breast
There are two ways you can shred cooked chicken breasts.
- Use two forks. Once the chicken breasts have cooled, place them on a cutting board or on a plate then use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Use a mixer. If you have a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, you can shred chicken quickly. Place the cooled chicken breasts in the bowl, and shred with the mixer on low until all the chicken is shredded.
How To Make Cuban Vaca Frita De Pollo
- Marinate the shredded chicken. Once you have cooked and shredded the chicken, you need to marinate the chicken. I know it sounds weird to marinate already cooked chicken but stay with me. Promise it will be good. Transfer the cooked, shredded chicken to a bowl and add the marinade. Let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes or longer. The longer, the better.
- Crisp up the chicken. When you’re ready to start cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions for 2 minutes until they’ve softened and are translucent. Add the chicken and cook at medium-high heat for 10 minutes, flipping over occasionally so all sides of the shredded chicken get crispy. You want it crispy not burned so keep an eye on it.
- Serve with your favorite side. Once your shredded chicken is crispy, serve with white rice, black beans, congri, or salad. Don’t forget to squeeze some lime on top!
That’s all folks. See how easy that was? Dinner in 10 minutes! Can’t beat that!
Cuban Vaca Frita de Pollo (Shredded Chicken Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (~3 lbs)
- 1 1/2 cups mojo marinade
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup sliced white onions
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the cooked shredded chicken and toss with the mojo marinade. Marinate for at least 20 minutes. The longer the better.
- In a skillet, add olive oil and sauté onions at medium heat until translucent. Add the marinated shredded chicken. Pan fry for about 10 minutes until brown and crispy. Careful not to burn it!
- Transfer the crispy shredded chicken to a plate. Serve with rice, salad, or black beans and rice. Don't forget the squeeze of lime! Enjoy!
Hello Jamie, back again.
I have made beef vaca frita before, but I did not use mojo; I used lime juice, onions, garlic, etc. It was always good.
So yesterday (3/22), we were hosting a party, and my wife said, “Why don’t you order or make some Chicken Vaca Frita?” This was on top of three Picanha roasts.
All of a sudden your recipe appeared in my inbox. I made 7 lbs of it. :-)
I also used your Mojo recipe. Let’s just say that it was fantastic as I was receiving accolades from everyone.
Now at the same time, I also received another email about “shredding” meats. OMG, what a savior. I pulled out my $15 mixes and in no time, I had all 7 lbs of chicken shredded perfectly.
Note: as a good Cuban that I am, I know about marinades, and the longer the better. I marinated for no less than 5 hours, if I had more time, I would have done it overnight. WOW, So Good.
Very little leftovers.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing, Max! Sounds like your house must smell delicious!
WOW, after cooking a whole chicken for soup broth then shredding, this rejuvenated into super moist chicken meat that we’ve used in simple toasties, salads, wraps, and great with rice and vegies on the side as a main dinner meal.
Thank you for sharing, I was dubious at first but make it regularly now because of the flavour and versatility.
Cheers
So happy you loved it, Stephen!
Tried this a few weeks ago and it was delicious! So simple and flavorful.
Aloha – just made this for family dinner last night, everyone loved the flavor! only small issue was the chicken breasts got a little dry from the stove top method. Next time I will double the marinade (mojo) so that some can be used as a sauce on the rice in addition to it marinating the cooked chicken.
Hoping to make this for a family celebration. Any tips on making it for a crowd? I don’t want to spend much time the day of preparing or slaving over the stove. Suggestions?
Boil the chicken breast ahead of time (or buy a bunch of rotisserie chickens at the supermarket) then shred them all. Place the shredded chicken in a bowl with mojo 1 day in advance. You can also have the onions sliced and prepped beforehand so they are ready to go too. On the day of, pan fry the shredded chicken on the stove with the sliced onions. This crispy chicken vaca frita dish is best served immediately off the skillet. Hope this helps!
This recipe rocks! So simple, yet sooo delicious. My son liked it so much that there aren’t any leftovers. (Poor me). I did add some sazon sprinkles. Thanks so much for a perfect recipe.
So delicious! Having a hard time getting the chicken to crisp up in the pan without overcooking it. Do you need to drain the marinate really well? Any other suggestions?
Yeah, you gotta keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn and flip it a few times if necessary until you get your desired crispy texture. If all else fails, you can try to spread out the shredded chicken on a greased baking sheet and broil it for 5 minutes, again keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Hope that helps!
Oh my….this was delicious! I’m from Miami and it never occurred to me chicken vaca frita would be so good! Thank you for this recipe!
So happy you loved it!!
Everything’s is awesome
Jamie, I followed your recipe, instead of what I thought it should be like, and it was a hit! ¡Delicioso! It will now be in my weekly rotation. Thanks so much. I know I should know how to prepare Cuban dishes with my eyes closed, but I’ve never had the inclination or talent (bad Cuban, I know), but I want to make sure my grandchildren enjoy our classic dishes, as well as the new classics, like the Vaca Frita de Pollo. Thanks again!
This comment made my day! Thank you so much!
Can I pressure cook the chicken breast instead of the slow cook method?
Sure!
I’m thinking of buying a already cooked chicken, can i shredded it and marinate it the night before and place it in the fridge. Then the next day saute the onions a fry the shredded chicken?
Yes you can!
So simple and so delicious! This will be a regular in my house for dinner!!!
Tasty
Can I use red onions instead of white ones or will it not complement the recipe?
Thanks
You can!