This Mojo Chicken Torta recipe (aka Torta de Pollo) is inspired by a marriage of Mexican and Cuban cooking. It is delicious and very filling.
The full recipe appears complicated, as it uses its own marinade, slaw, and salsa. For the real deal, use the complicated version. It seriously tastes fabulous! But it can also be made simple!
Read on not just to learn about the full recipe but to also see how to make a simple version. So first off, what is a chicken torta (torta de pollo), and what is a mojo chicken torta?
What is a chicken torta (torta de pollo)?
Tortas are often referred to as a Spanish, Mexican, or Cuban sandwich. In the United States it usually consists of a bread roll or flour tortilla piled with marinaded chicken and various slaws or salsas.
So, a basic chicken torta is simply an easy to make chicken sandwich with some extra spice!
What is a mojo chicken torta?
Mojo is a Cuban Garlic-Citrus Marinade and is a staple in Cuban cooking. It is often used with pork, but works well with all meats, especially chicken.
A Mojo chicken torta combines the best of both world, but making a tasty chicken sandwich using mojo inspired marinade and sauce.
Mojo Chicken Tortas, Notes on the Full Version
For the full and more complicated recipe the chicken is first marinaded with the mojo marinade.
Meanwhile, a mojo inspired creamy charred salsa is prepared along with a carrot slaw to serve on the sandwich.
For the bread, use a nice crusty roll, or a soft roll if you prefer. You can also use fresh flour tortillas or pita bread.
Simplified version: How do you make a basic chicken torta?
This is your basic chicken torta without the mojo marinade and fancy sauce and carrot slaw.
For the basic chicken torta made with a fried chicken breast sandwiched between two pieces of bread follow these simple steps:
1: Take a boneless, skinless chicken breast and cut it into thin strips.
2: Pour about ¼ cup of vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat it on medium-high heat. Once the oil gets hot, add the chicken strips and stir them continuously for about 5 minutes or until they become golden brown in color. You can also grill the chicken.
3: Remove the chicken strips from the pan and drain off excess oil using a paper towel. Let the chicken strips cool down for a minute or two and then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
4: Spread some mayonnaise on one slice of bread and top it with some lettuce or coleslaw and perhaps some salsa to taste. You can also add cheese.
5: Arrange the pieces of chicken on top of the bread.
6: Put the second piece of bread on top of the chicken. Now, take a sharp knife and cut the sandwich into halves.
7: Slice the sandwich in half again so you will have four equal parts.
8: Serve the sandwich immediately or wrap it in aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for a later use.
Simplified Mojo Chicken Torta
To make the chicken torta mojo style, but simplified, use the spices classic in mojo, but skip the marinade and special slaw etc.
Mojo seasonings usually consist of oregano, cumin, garlic, black pepper, and various peppers. Ancho pepper is a favorite and powdered ancho will do, as will jalapeno. Or use an ancho pepper substitute.
Mojo should taste peppery but also have a strong onion and garlic bite. Make it spicy to taste with more hot peppers. Do not skimp on the garlic!
Season the chicken breasts with the seasoning mix before frying or grilling.
Replace the carrot slaw with regular coleslaw and the creamy charred salsa with regular salsa, preferably one made with ancho or chipotle peppers. Add mayo or sour cream.
What to Serve with Chicken Tortas
Try serving your mojo chicken with a few Cuban inspired side dishes such as these:
For complimentary appetizers try our Chicken Nacho Bite Appetizers or Gilled Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon.
Mojo Torta de Pollo Recipe
The full recipe is below. Enjoy!
Mojo Chicken Torta, Torta de Pollo Recipe
Mojo Chicken tortas (aka Torta de Pollo) is a combination of a Mexican torta and Cuban mojo seasoning. Made with a homemade marinade, salsa, and slaw, this sandwich is very special!
Ingredients
- For the mojo marinade:
- 1 ½ lb boneless chicken breasts, skinned and flattened into ½’’ thick pieces
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- Juice of 2 oranges
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- For the carrot slaw:
- 4 large carrots, grated
- ½ tsp agave nectar
- 3 tbsp white distilled vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For grilling:
- 2 bunches of scallions
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For sandwich:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise, Sour Cream, or Mexican Crema
- 1/3 cup charred salsa
- 4 soft Mexican (telera) rolls, buttered and griddled. Or substitute burger or sandwich buns, pitas, or tortillas.
- For the charred salsa:
- 12 oz large tomatillos, husks removed and cleaned
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1 poblano chile
- 1 small yellow onion, unpeeled and quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 dried ancho chile
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- Juice of 1 lime
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- 1/4 -1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream.
Instructions
For the salsa:
To make the salsa, warm up a large outdoor grill over hot charcoal fire.
Arrange the tomatillos, plum tomatoes, garlic, onion and chiles on top of the hot grate and grill for several minutes, turning them from time to time, until they char evenly and blacken.
Transfer the ancho chile into a bowl and pour hot water into it until the chile is covered.
Let it soak for 10 minutes or until they soften and chop off the stem.
Remove the seeds and dump it into a food processor.
Process the charred poblano in a similar fashion and place it into the processor.
Remove the skins and stem from the onion as well as garlic cloves and throw them into the same processor.
Add rest of both kinds of tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice as well as agave nectar, and crema or sour cream into the processor and pulse them into a smooth puree.
Sprinkle a dash of seasonings into the puree and scrap it out into a bowl; set aside until required.
For the Marinade:
To make the marinade, place the citrus juices, orange zest, onions, garlic, chili powder, salt and ground cumin into a bowl and drizzle the oil over them.
Stir them all together until well combined and pour it into a resealable plastic bag.
Stuff the chicken into it, seal and flip it several times to coat well; refrigerate overnight or at least one hour to marinate.
For the Slaw:
To make the slaw, toss all its ingredients into a bowl and give it a nice stir to mix properly; set aside.
Grill the chicken:
For grilling, reheat the grill to moderately high heat and grease the grate with a tbsp oil.
Drain the chicken out from the marinade and place them on the hot grill grate.
Cook each side for 6-8 minutes, or until the grill patterns on both sides and remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes and carve out thin slices.
Place the scallions in a bowl and pour 1 tbsp canola oil over it.
Sprinkle a pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper over them.
Toss them well together until well mixed and grill them until they are evenly seared; chop into thin slices.
Assemble the Sandwich:
To assemble the sandwich, spread a tbsp of mayonnaise onto the bottom half of the roll and arrange the sliced chicken on top.
Top it up with the prepared salsa as well as carrot slaw and sprinkle the grilled scallions on top.
Place the top half of the roll on top to cover and cut it diagonally into halves.
Serve right away.
Notes
For a traditional salsa, omit the crema or sour cream. You can also add the crema or sour cream separately or in place of mayo.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1049Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 199mgSodium: 2139mgCarbohydrates: 90gFiber: 11gSugar: 36gProtein: 71g
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