Cuban-Style Pollo a la Plancha (Marinated and Griddled Chick

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

6 medium cloves garlic

1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 1 orange)

1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

Kosher salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 10 ounces; 285g each) or 8 chicken cutlets

1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral oil such as canola or vegetable, plus more as needed

1 large white or yellow onion (about 3/4 pound; 340g); sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick rings

Cooked long-grain rice and black beans , for serving

Picked cilantro leaves, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Using a blender or food processor, purée garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, black pepper, allspice (if using), and 2 teaspoons kosher salt until well blended. (Alternatively, to make with a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with the salt to form a paste, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively, finely grate or mince the garlic and stir together with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.)

If using chicken breast halves, cut into cutlets following our instructions here , pounding to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch. (If desired, you can butterfly the breast halves by not fully cutting all the way through, so that they open like a book; butterflied breasts also need to be pounded to an even thickness.)

Place chicken cutlets in a large zipper-lock bag or shallow baking or glass storage dish. Add marinade, making sure it coats chicken evenly all over. Press out excess air and seal zipper-lock bag, or cover dish with plastic or a lid. Refrigerate for 30 minutes; if chicken is in a dish, turn it once halfway through.

Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and wipe off any excess. In a stainless steel skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, if necessary, to prevent crowding the pan, add the chicken cutlets and cook until golden brown on each side, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer cooked cutlets to a platter and cover with foil or place in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil if the pan gets too dry.

In the same skillet that you cooked the chicken, add more oil if the pan is dry and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion rings, season with salt, and sauté until the onions have softened a bit and started to brown, 7 to 10 minutes; lower heat and/or add a small splash of water if the contents of the pan threaten to burn.

Arrange cutlets on serving plates and top with browned onions. Serve with black beans and rice and garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: Serves 4
• Calories: 442 kcal
• Total Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 182 mg
• Sodium: 397 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 10 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 68 g