Pollo Saltado (Chicken Stir-Fry) – Sacred Flavors For Sacred Days

pollo-saltado-7-800This week is sacred in Peru. Easter week. And by sacred we don’t necessarily mean religious, because non-believers worship the 4-day weekend they get from these celebrations too. People of faith, however, not only go to mass and watch religious movies on TV (the same ones they used to show when I was a kid…I wonder why they don’t make new ones?). Another important aspect of this Catholic date is the almost all-fish diet, banning beef and pork from daily dishes. Fish is eaten everywhere during these last few hot days of summer, and in the markets its price rises to the clouds.

pollo-saltado-1-1024x768But for those who don’t like fish so much, but can’t do without an animal protein in every meal (most Peruvians can’t), chicken is also believed to be a kind of sinless meat, and can be eaten without guilt. Maybe because it´s a bird? I really don´t know. I assume the answer is in the Bible!

pollo-saltado-2-1024x649Taking advantage of this I decided to share with you another version of our beloved lomo saltado, but this time with chicken (because we can never get enough of this Chinese-inspired dish). Like in most of our recent posts, I shot the photos at my brother´s restaurant, (Roberto Cuadra), as I spent a few days in En Salvador with him and decided to take advantage of his wonderful kitchen and of their daily preparation of these Peruvian favorites (less hassle and spending on ingredients for me too).

pollo-saltado-4-1024x677This is usually quite easy to make at home -in Peru people cook versions of this entree all the time-, but the only problem is that unless you have a powerful exhaust fan in your kitchen, this may end up being a very “loud” dish. In Peru we don´t have fire alarms in most houses, and usually the kitchens have good sized windows that remain open most of the time, so the smoke is not a problem.

pollo-saltado-3-1024x707If you are a very religious person (although I don’t know if there are many of those left out there), and will be more comfortable eating fish or seafood during this week, feel free to indulge in our saltado de camarones con gnocchi de papa amarilla, (stir fried shrimp with yellow potato gnocchi).

jenny-haciendo-pollo-saltado-1024x768Here are the steps for a successful pollo saltado:

1.- Have the sliced chicken breast ready, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and some chopped garlic, if you want.

2.- Put the pan over the highest heat. It should start to smoke. At this point add the oil.

3.- Ideally, when you add the chicken, the pan should get on fire and give the meat a delicious smokey flavor. But BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL with this, and only do it if you’re an expert in the kitchen. Otherwise, just make sure it’s hot but not to the point of flames when you add the chicken (don’t let the pan and oil smoke like in the pictures if you want to avoid this).

4.- Add garlic and onions as the pan continues to smoke while the chicken gets golden.

5.- Add vinegar and soy sauce to the pan.

6.- Add tomatoes and cilantro, chili pepper, salt and pepper.

pollo-saltado-5-1024x7687.- Serve the saltado with all its juices, white rice and French fries. This may sound like too much food, but you will understand the importance of these side dishes when you eat them together and see how they absorb the juices of the chicken stir-fry and make the perfect ensemble.

salchipapas-21-800Note: This photos were taken in a restaurant kitchen. Be very careful when you attempt to do this at home, and if you’re not sure about the method, just make a regular stir-fry (without the flames!)


Pollo saltado... Peruvian-style stir fried chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: Entrée
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. chicken breast, skinned, bonned, and cut in thin slices
  • 2 garlic cloves finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 red onion cut in thick slices
  • 2 tomatoes cut in thick slices
  • 1 seeded and ribbed aji amarillo chili pepper cut in thin slices (you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of aji­ amarillo paste, or with any chili pepper you can find)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cups French fries
  • White rice as a side dish
Instructions
  1. Season the chicken stripes with salt and pepper.
  2. Put a wok or a pan over very high heat. When it is smoking, add the oil, let smoke again, add and saute the chicken, a few slices at a time so they don't steam but remain golden instead (about 10 minutes, depending on how strong the flame is).
  3. In a home stove it´s almost impossible to get that kind of heat, besides, the fire alarm will alert the Firefighters and all the experience will be a mess.
  4. Add garlic, onion, tomato, chili pepper, and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce and vinegar on the sides of the pan and mix everything. Season with more salt and pepper.
  5. Take off the heat, add chopped cilantro and serve at once with French fries and white rice.


Comments

  1. I love chicken stir fry! 🙂

  2. This sounds delicious!!!! Although I have to try the no flame version( :

  3. Interesting. I don’t I knew que salteado se serve con french fries. It’s such a good dish that I don’t think I’d really need much in the way of a starch. Less starch means mas pollo!

  4. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm looks delicious! I may need to make this soon.

  5. Que hambre! All I could think of was some of that rice with the yummy flavoring from the chicken. Must eat!

  6. It looks fantastic. We have 5 fire alarms in our home that keep us running from room to room when things get too hot in the kitchen. Builds our appetite.

  7. This post made me feel so much better because I’ve been eating chicken on Fridays, even though eating meat is supposed to be a no-no. This looks yummy!

  8. Una deliciosa manera de comer el pollo.. las fotos están muy buenas!!

  9. This looks so good! I think I’m going to have to make it for lunch today. And I’ll be sure to include the french fries. 🙂

  10. Yeay!!! Felicidad total :)))))

  11. My firm alarms don’t work which is a big fail over here but this looks so good!! Thanks for sharing!

  12. ¡Ay! Thanks for all the warning. I’ll just show up at your house for this dish with a fire extinguisher. Quick Q: do you have to turn down the heat when you’re adding the soy sauce? I’m afraid the chicken will burn in 10 minutes if the pan/wok is this hot. It goes without saying, wonderful recipe and pics!

    • Yes, as soon as the chicken is in the pan, turn down the heat, but remember that this preparation is made very quickly over high heat. It should be ready in a matter of minutes. Glad you like it!

  13. I made this dish last night for the 2nd time and it was DELICIOUS!!! The recipe is pretty authentic. I played a little with the chili paste and soy sauce measurements and added a little bit of cumin. The chili paste is what makes this dish so tasty!! The first time I made it, I didn’t have it and it still came out delicious. But adding the paste just takes the dish to another flavorful level! I’m going to check your website for other recipes that I can use it because I love the flavor.
    Is it the same steps to make lomo saltado? What kind of beef should be used?
    Thanks so much for sharing!!

    • Thanks for your nice comment! Lomo saltado is made with sirloin steak, and you can find the recipe on the blog. It´s pretty similar to pollo saltado. Enjoy!

  14. I made this to use up some leftover aji amarillo paste and it was absolutely delicious. Love the combination with the French fries and rice. I will definitely have to make Lomo Saltado next.

  15. I would like to try this with fresh ginger(kion) instead of garlic for a more asian twist. How would you go about it? I’m peruvian but raised in the USA!

  16. I just found a Peruvian restaurant last night and immediately ordered the lomo saltado. I was delighted to see many other Peruvian dishes that I am familiar with in the menu and will go back to check out the rest. It even had lucuma ice cream and I had not eaten that since I departed Peru 43 years ago at the age of 18. I posted it on FB with photos and my youngest Daughter (35y) posted that her favorite Chicken dish was Pollo Saltado. I just about fell off my chair. I had no idea she ever tried the dish. Apparently where she lives in Seattle there is a Peruvian restaurant and knowing that I grew up there she stopped in and tried it out and loved it. Life works in a mysterious circle.

  17. Thanks a lot for the article post.Really thank you! Fantastic.

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  18. Put the pan over the highest heat. It should start to smoke. At this point add the oil.

  19. wow nice

  20. This post made me feel so much better because I’ve been eating chicken on sundays, even though eating meat is supposed to be a no-no. This looks yummy~

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