Sandwiches de pollo Salvadoreños (Salvadoran chicken salad sandwiches)
Get ready to to fall in love with a new type of chicken salad sandwich
There are plenty of chicken salad sandwich recipes on the internet but don't discard this one just yet. I consider this recipe a snack, let me explain why. This sandwich is typically made for special events such as family gatherings, birthday celebrations and throughout the holidays. It's that snack that you either have before you eat your main meal, or eat one or 4 throughout the evening after dinner. Don't judge. The best sandwich de pollo I've ever had is my tia Ana's. Her chicken salad is so simple but full of flavor, I think many people in our family strive to make it as good as hers but they've all just kind of given up and we all depend on her to make them. Now it's my turn to try until I get it down. And yes, I asked her for her recipe! So here we go!
What are Sandwiches de pollo Salvadoreños? (What is a Salvadoran Chicken salad sandwich?)
I've grown up knowing it as a "Sandwich de pollo," although the name may change a bit depending on the region. In some regions what I know as "Panes rellenos" or "Pan con pollo," is known as "Sandwiches de pollo." I'll share the "Panes Rellenos" recipe later, not to worry! Sandwiches Salvadoreños are made with seasoned shredded chicken (or left over turkey), and a mix of cooked shredded cabbage and carrots. This is all mixed in with mayonnaise and a little bit of mustard. It's then assembled into a white bread sandwich and wrapped up in a napkin ready to eat. Yes, a napkin. No dirty dishes here.
How to make Sandwiches de pollo Salvadoreños? (How to make Salvadoran Chicken salad sandwich?)
You can be creative and save time on this recipe or you can choose to go all out and make everything from scratch! My goal with this recipe was to use a minimum amount of dishes and time! This makes 14 well filled sandwiches (as they should be).
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
Ingredients (14 sandwiches)
Whole chicken: I buy a rotisserie chicken if I want to save time but you can cook your own whole chicken as well. You can boil it with salt, pepper, bay leaves, and chicken bouillon or you can bake it in the oven, up to you. You also have the option of only using white meat (chicken breast) but I prefer a mix.
1 green bell pepper
1 white onion
3-4 roma tomatos
1 tbsp chicken bouillon
1 tbsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1 whole medium cabbage
2 carrots
1 tbsp of olive oil
4 tbsp of butter
1/2 cups of water
Sandwich bread: Typically white bread is used, but use your preference.
Instructions:
Prepare the vegetables for the chicken: Cut the pepper, white onion and tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces
Place a pan on medium heat and once it's hot add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter
Immediately add the cut up veggies to the sauce pan and add 1/2 tbsp of garlic powder and salt & pepper to taste
Stir and cover, lower heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 15 mins until the vegetables are tender
In the mean time, shred your chicken. Remove skin, cartilage, fat and bones, you only want the clean meat finely shredded.
Once the vegetables are throughly cooked, add in the shredded chicken and season with 1 tbsp chicken bouillon, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste and 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth. Mix well and taste test, adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes on medium low heat.
While that cooks peel your carrots and shred both the carrots and cabbage.
Once your chicken is done, move it to a big mixing container and let it cool
In the same sauce pan that you cooked the veggies and chicken now add the other 3 tbsp of butter. once the butter is melted down add in your shredded cabbage and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook it down until the color on the cabbage is translucent, do this on medium low heat and stir constantly to avoid burning it.
Once the cabbage and carrot is fully cooked down, add it to the same container you placed your chicken in. Mix it well and let it cool for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes add in the mayonnaise and mustard. Mix it until everything is evenly coated, taste test and add any salt, pepper, mayo or additional mustard to taste. Cover it and place it in the fridge for about 15 minutes.
Now it's time to assemble the sandwich. You can place it straight on a plate and enjoy it. I personally have to wrap them in napkins just like they do in El Salvador.
Tip: One day old sandwiches taste amazing, you can reheat them in the air fryer! Store any leftovers in the fridge and enjoy the next day cold! Also, if you want to save time you can buy already shredded cabbage and carrots.
If you try please let me know how you like it! As always for daily recipes follow me on IG or TikTok: @flouwishwithg and sign up for our email list.
