This Pollo Frito recipe will show you how to make finger licking good Cuban fried chicken. The mojo twist really brings such a great flavor and is the perfect compliment to the perfectly crispy chicken.
What is Pollo Frito- It’s Cuban Fried Chicken
Pollo Frito is literally fried chicken. However in this recipe we are making it with Mojo to give it a little Cuban twist. What we love about the addition of the mojo is that it brings such a subtle punch to the recipe. It’s a big flavor but pairs so perfectly with the crunch of the chicken.
The mojo marinade, especially if you marinate the night before, really helps really break down the chicken so it is so tender and juicy.
Why Use Our Pollo Frito Recipe
We here at this counter, believe that all Fried Chicken recipes are amazing. There is no wrong way to do it. However what makes our recipe different is the Mojo. Most Fried Chicken recipes call for egg, flour and breadcrumbs, but here we are using Mojo as the binding agent. There are no eggs and there are no breadcrumbs.
The mojo marinade does two things. First when you marinate it, especially if you marinate overnight, it really helps really break down the chicken. This helps keep it juicy while you are cooking it and juicy chicken is delicious chicken. Second the mojo brings a delicious flavor that balances everything out.
We decided not to use breadcrumbs, because we found that taking the chicken straight from the flour, really allows the chicken to get such a nice breading color. The breadcrumbs just felt unnecessary. The lack of breadcrumbs makes the chicken so light. It allows the the mojo flavor to really shine through.
We don’t want to say that this make this a “healthy” fried chicken recipe. We are frying this in oil. However if you want to make it a little healthier, you can stick them in the Air Fryer to achieve a similar result.
This Pollo Frito recipe is a special one. Cristy’s family has been making Fried Chicken using mojo as far back as she can remember. Her dad used to make this recipe every year to celebrate Abuela’s birthday.
We would make fried chicken for over 50 people! Can you imagine? The night before we would grab gallon zip lock bags and fill them with chicken and season them with salt and pepper and soak them in mojo. The smell would fill the house. It’s a smell that can bring a smile to anyone’s face.
Cristy
Try Our Mojo Recipe for even better results!
Our Tips for Making this Pollo Frito Recipe
What to use to fry your chicken. You can either use your stove top or your Deep Fryer.
- If you are using your stove top, get a wide pan and fill it with about 2 inches of oil. Let it get nice and hot before bringing your chicken in. Allowing the oil to get hot, will cut your cooking time and also allow you to get a good color on the chicken without burning or over cooking.
- If you are short on time, you can fry the chicken on the stove top, making sure to turn it over and get a great color all over. Then you can transfer the chicken to a sheet pan and cook them in the oven on 325 for 10-20 minutes depending on how much they cooked on stove top.
Allowing the chicken to marinate in the mojo is an easy step to do that will make a big difference. The mojo really tenderizes the chicken and allowing it time to penetrate is something so easy that will really help your chicken go from good to great! If you don’t have time give it at least 30 minutes! Trust us!
Use a big Ziplock Bag if you have one on hand and fill it with the flour and spices. Give it a big shake around and use this bag to dip your fried chicken. It’s such a quick and easy way to flour all the chicken without getting too much dirty.
The recipe calls for 12 drumsticks, however you can use this technique to do any cut of chicken you like. Feel free to sub in chicken thighs, boneless breasts, or even bone in breasts. The only thing that would change is the cook time as some of these cuts are smaller and others bigger.
Serve it with The Perfect White Rice and Tostones and don’t forget the lime!
Try Some of Our Other Delicious Chicken Recipes
Pollo Frito (Cuban Fried Chicken)
Course: EntreeCuisine: Cuban AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
12 Chicken Drumsticks*
2 cups of Abuela’s mojo
1- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons salt (kosher preferred)
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons Abuela’s Sazon (or a prepackaged Sazon of your choice)
Smart Balance Oil Blend (half canola half olive oil)
Directions
- 12- 24 hours before you plan on making the chicken, place the chicken in a big ziplock bag and season it with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Then cover it in Mojo marinade. Our Mojo is best, but any Mojo will do. If you don’t have 12 hours, try to let it marinade for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Begin heating oil until it gets to 375 degrees
- In another large zip lock bag or tray place the flour, remaining salt, pepper, and Abuela’s Sazon. If you do not have the sazon, use 1 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika and mix it into the flour.
- Bring the chicken out of the marinade and place into the flour mixture. Make sure it is covered all over. Remove the chicken from the flour mixture, dust it off and begin to fry for about 5-7 minutes (on medium heat) on each side or until golden brown and juices run clear. Drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, and some lime on the side.
Notes
- *or you can get a pack of drumsticks, wings, or just bone in chicken breasts- whatever your preference. We have even made this with boneless chicken breast and it’s delicious.
