Carne de Pollo Para Pasteles

No ratings yet

This easy Carne de Pollo Para Pasteles is a delicious chicken filling for Puerto Rican pasteles that's full of traditional holiday flavor and cooks in under an hour!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Holiday Dishes, Pasteles Filling

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings: pasteles

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Ingredients

Chicken

2 chicken breasts cut into ½-inch cubes
2 boneless chicken thighs cut into ½-inch cubes

Seasoning for Chicken

adobo sprinkled
garlic powder sprinkled

Spices for Pasteles Broth

3 tablespoons sofrito
3 tablespoons garlic paste
1 tablespoon oregano
1 envelope sazon with annatto
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon ground pepper
⅓ cup tomato sauce
5 tablespoons achiote oil

Other Ingredients

1 medium potato peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup chickpeas
2 whole roasted red peppers (pimientos morrones) roughly chopped
½ cup pimiento stuffed olives
¼ cup brine juice from olives
handful fresh cilantro rinsed and chopped
2 cups water
¼ cup dry white wine optional

Instructions

Sprinkle the chicken with adobo and garlic powder.
In a caldero or other large pot, add the achiote oil and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken, stir and cook for a few minutes.
Add all the spices for the pasteles broth plus the olives, tomato sauce, pimiento peppers and the water. Stir everything and cook for 25 minutes.
Add the potatoes, chickpeas, cilantro and stir. Cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fork tender.
Top with ¼ cup more of cilantro and set aside to cool a little before using filling for pasteles.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

Chicken:Use chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix of both. Any combination works well, so choose what you prefer.

Chicken Skin: You can remove the skin or leave it on. I like to chop it and cook it with the meat for extra flavor.

Achiote Oil/Annatto Oil: If you don’t have achiote oil or prefer not to make it, you can use annatto powder for color instead.

Raisins: Some families like adding raisins to their pasteles filling for a touch of sweetness and extra texture. I personally skip them, but feel free to include them if you like raisins in your pasteles.

Chicken Filling: This chicken filling can also be used in pasteles de yuca and empanadas de yuca (although we traditionally exclude the chickepeas for emapanadas de yuca).

Vegetarian Version: You can also make this meat filling “vegetarian” by excluding the meat completely and adding more potatoes, chickpeas and other veggies like carrots, frozen peas, bell peppers and onions.

How many days in advance can I make the chicken filling for pasteles?

Up to 3 days in advance.

Can this "carne de pollo" be frozen?

Yes, freeze in a freezer safe container or use freezer grade plastic bags for up to 3 months.

Nutrition