Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by Carne Diem
Protein:
Origin: El Salvador, Central America
Method: Stovetop
Jump to RecipeOne of El Salvador's most famous dishes, pollo en crema consists of tender seasoned chicken, onions, and peppers in a rich and flavorful sour cream sauce made with Salvadoran sour cream.
Pollo en Crema is a hugely popular dish in Central America, especially El Salvador and Guatemala. While there are variations between countries, the dish typically consists of chicken smothered in a silky cream sauce with differing vegetables. My friend first introduced me to this dish at a Salvadorian restaurant in Pasco, Washington, and I was hooked. This version of chicken in cream sauce is based on my original experience with Salvadoran Pollo en Crema and consists of sautéed peppers and onions.
Table of contents
Making the Salvadoran Pollo en Crema
Sourcing your ingredients
For the veggies in the dish use your favorite type of tomatoes. Our personal favorite are vine ripened tomatoes, but you do you. Any bell peppers will work in the dish but we like to use a variety for the added color to the dish.
Crema Salvadorena
The most important ingredient in Central American chicken in cream sauce is the Crema Salvadorena or Salvadorian cream. This can often be found in Latin markets and is kind of like a luscious cross between sour cream and heavy cream with a little bit of sweetness.
Cacique Crema Salvadorena is also sometimes carried by Walmart. If you can't find the Salvadoran cream then Crema Mexicana would be a good substitute, and it is almost always available at Walmart. If you absolutely cannot find the cream you can substitute a mix of 50% sour cream, 25% cream cheese, and 25% heavy cream.
Prep your ingredients
Slice the chicken into thin slices. Season with the adobo seasoning. If you desire a little more flavor you can season the chicken with a little taco or fajita seasoning, but this is not traditional and do not use too much as you do not want the flavor to take over the dish.
Cut the onion and peppers into slices. Dice the tomato and jalapeno and mince the garlic.
Cooking the Pollo en Crema
In a large skillet or pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When heated, add in the onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Push the veggies to one side of the pan and add in the seasoned chicken. Brown the chicken slices on all sides, until there is no pink visible on the outside of the chicken slices, then mix the peppers and chicken together. This typically takes about 5 minutes.
Next, stir in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Stir well and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the crema until well combined and then simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste, before serving .
Serving the Salvadoran Pollo en Crema
The Pollo en Crema can be served several ways. It is fantastic on its own, along with your favorite sides of rice and refried or charro beans.
The dish also works well as a taco filling with corn or flour tortillas. One of my favorite ways to enjoy this fabulous dish is using corn tortillas to sop up all of the creamy sauce as I eat. My wife loves the Pollo en Crema served on top of rice or even quinoa.
If you are looking for more Latin inspired dishes then give some of these a try:
- Steak Empanadas
- Uruguay's Chivito Steak Sandwich
- Peruvian Loma Saltado
- Spicy Mango Margarita
- Peruvian Papas a la Huancaina
- Authentic Peruvian Green Sauce: Aji Verde
Frequently Asked Questions
While crema from El Salvador is a type of sour cream, it has a more assertive and tangy flavor than American sour cream.
Leftovers should be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days.
While the version from Guatemala often includes ingredients such as potato, chayote, or loroco (edible green flowers native to the region) the version in El Salvador is more likely to contain peppers and onions.
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📖 Recipe
Easy and Delicious Salvadoran Pollo en Crema
Equipment
- Large pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 2 Tablespoon Olive or Vegetable Oil
- 1 teaspoon Adobo Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Taco or Fajita Seasoning optional
- 2 Bell Peppers Assorted colors
- 1 Medium white onion or half large onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Jalapeno
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Salvadorian Cream Crema Salvadorena
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the chicken into thin slices. Season with the adobo seasoning. If you desire a little more flavor you can season the chicken with a little taco or fajita seasoning, but this is not traditional and do not use too much as you do not want the flavor to take over the dish.
- Cut the onion and peppers into slices. Dice the tomato and jalapeno and mince the garlic.
- In a large skillet or pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. When heated, add in the onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Push the veggies to one side one the pan and add in the seasoned chicken. Brown the chicken slices on all sides, until there is no pink visible on the outside of the chicken slices, then mix the peppers and chicken together. This typically takes about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Stir well and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the crema until well combined and then simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste, before serving.
Freya
What a delicious recipe, I can’t wait to give this a try!
Stacy
Can't wait to try this recipe. It looks absolutely delicious
Linda P.
Tried this for the family this last weekend. Kids are picky eaters but once we got temp to take a thank you bite they loved it and asked for more. So glad we tried it!
Carne Diem
So happy everyone enjoyed it! We have a kid or 2 that falls into the picky eater category as well, lol.
D
Just a side note, ingredients listed on a label are almost always in order of most to least. The label for the Salvadorian Crema is Heavy Cream, Cream Cheese, then Sour Cream. So the percentages, if you want to make your own, should be somewhere more in the area of, Heavy Cream 40%, Cream Cheese 35%, Sour Cream 25%.
Carne Diem
Thank you, that is helpful. I will try to edit the post to reflect that.