A homemade Cuban Chicken with Onions that tastes just like your favorite restaurant's Pechuga a la Plancha! Pan-fried chicken flavored with lime & mixed with sauteed onions & garlic comes out moist, tender, and flavorful! Dinner never tasted better!
Living for a long time in South Florida gave my husband and me a great appreciation for Cuban food. The Cuban influence is strong there and the number of excellent restaurants never ceases to be a joy to visit.
One such restaurant makes the most fantastic Pechuga a la Plancha, which translated means, chicken breasts cooked on a flat-top grill or griddle. This dish is definitely at the top of my all-time favorite list.
Since our move to Georgia, I have learned to make my own versions of Cuban food, like Crockpot Ropa Vieja and Crockpot Mojo Pork, as well as this fantastic Pollo a la Plancha. (I need my Cuban food fix, you know!) This particular Cuban chicken with onions recipe is super simple to make, takes only 30 minutes, and always comes out tender and moist.
Tips & tricks
- This chicken is great with just a squeeze of lime and some cumin but it can also be marinated in a mojo-style sauce. See recipe notes for marinade ingredients.
- Use the same skillet as the onions are cooked in to add extra flavor. It takes this chicken dish to the next level.
- This Cuban chicken is also awesome grilled. I suggest using the mojo sauce for marinating if preparing it this way.
How to make pechuga a la plancha
Gather the simple ingredients you'll need - chicken breasts, onion, lime, garlic, cilantro, cumin, olive oil, all-purpose flour, and salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken breasts in a gallon-sized resealable bag and pound to an even thinness. The bag helps contain all the juices and makes this a much easier cleanup job.
- Squeeze lime over the pounded chicken breasts.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. If marinating, omit seasoning and place in a large resealable bag with marinade and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Place flour on a flat dish and dredge chicken breasts until well covered. If marinating, remove chicken from marinade, dry off, then dredge in flour. Set aside.
- Slice a large onion. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add onions and cook for about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic to the onions and cook for another couple minutes or until onions are browned and soft.
Don't those onions just have your mouth watering? It's my favorite part of the recipe. I always ask for extra onions whenever I order this dish out.
- Remove the onions from the skillet and add the floured chicken breasts. Brown on both sides. If necessary, a little extra oil can be added to the pan to keep the chicken from sticking.
- Place cooked chicken on a platter, squeeze more lime over the top, then spread on the sauteed onions. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
This Cuban Chicken with Onions takes just 30 minutes, from cutting board to table. It's a great last-minute recipe to make for dinner and, bonus, cleanup is a breeze! A win-win in my book! And it's perfect for the entire family! Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
- Traditionally served with seasoned black beans and rice.
- Slice the chicken and serve as a taco filling with warm tortillas.
- This chicken makes a mean topping for a tossed salad too!
- Try topping the grilled version of this chicken with onions with avocado salsa or pineapple salsa.
More favorite chicken recipes
Baked Salsa Chicken couldn't be easier. Chicken covered in salsa and topped with cheese makes a quick & delicious meal for any night of the week.
Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Tacos is a citrusy-flavored grilled chicken with a splash of tequila that is perfect served with all your favorite taco fixins'.
Chicken & Orzo is a quick all-in-one skillet dinner with garlic, tomatoes, and spinach.
Find lots more chicken skillet recipes here on 2CM!
Cuban Chicken with Onions – Pechuga a la Plancha
Ingredients
- 1 to 1-½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts ( 4 small breasts or 2 thick breasts cut in half lengthwise)
- 1 lime
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Cumin
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 large onion sliced thin (I use Vidalia sweet onions)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Place chicken in large Ziploc bag and pound with mallet until thin (about ¼”-⅜” thick). Remove from bag and pat dry with paper towel.
- Sprinkle with a little lime juice then season on both sides with salt, pepper and cumin.
- Place the flour on a large plate and dredge the chicken breasts lightly with flour.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook onions for 8 minutes then add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes or until onions are soft and beginning to turn golden. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Turn heat on pan up to medium-high and add chicken. Cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Cut into one of the breasts to make sure that there is no pink inside.
- Place chicken breast on serving plate, cover with onion-garlic mixture and squeeze some fresh lime over it then garnish with cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated and was first published on August 24, 2014.
My family love this! It's pretty straight forward to make. Yes Im from Miami sonit goes great with rice, black beans and platano.
Yay! So glad everyone loved it. And yes to the rice, black beans, and platano. I'll be right there! lol
I just whipped this up last night. I searched for an easy chicken dish and I had all these ingredients on hand. Turned out great and the whole family loved it. I'm also in South Florida (Miami) so it's a very familiar flavor. My family said it was like Pollo Tropical.
Hi fellow Floridian! That's some compliment from the fam! Glad everyone like it.