Last Updated on November 21, 2024 by Catrina

Pollo a la Mexicana (or Mexican style chicken) is a super versatile chicken dish and is one of our family favorites. This version uses shredded chicken and eliminates spicy chile peppers to make this dish kid-friendly. Bonus…this delicious Mexican recipe can be on your table in just under 20 minutes.

Pollo a la mexicana served on a blue pottery platter

We eat a lot of chicken. Like a lot. Chicken is just one of those meats that everyone in our family enjoys. But because we eat a lot of chicken, we have to have different chicken recipes in the line up, otherwise this meat can become, well, boring.

Pollo a la Mexicana or Mexican style chicken is just one way that we cook chicken to shake things up a bit in our house. What I love about this dish is it is great for using up any leftover chicken (like rotisserie, grilled, baked, etc.).

And this dish is versatile. You can use it to top tostadas, serve over rice, serve over salad, use for tacos (like in this taco buffet), to fill quesadillas or make a torta (a Mexican sandwich). The possibilities are limitless!

Pollo a la mexicana served over a tostada, drizzled with Mexican cream and shredded white Mexican cheese on a blue plate

Here in Mexico, foods that are cooked “a la Mexicana” use red tomatoes, white onions, and green chiles… the colors that represent the Mexican flag. While we call this dish “pollo a la Mexicana”, I leave out the green chiles to make it completely spice-free and kid-friendly.

Pollo a la mexicana ingredients. Shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, sliced onions, chopped garlic, salt, and oil

What’s in pollo a la Mexicana?

vegetable oil
white onion
garlic clove
tomatoes
cooked, shredded chicken
salt
chicken broth

Please see the recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

Spice it up!

I intentionally make this dish without any spicy chiles to make this dish kid-friendly. But if you like spicy foods, feel free to make this a true “a la Mexicana” dish by adding in diced serrano or jalapeño pepper to give this a kick.

If you are going to cook this dish with chile peppers, I would add them to the pan with the onions.

Another way to spice this is up is to make a delicious homemade salsa to top this dish!

Fresh Salsa Verde, in a bowl with a colorful Mexican rebozo and a wooden spoon — Salsa verde

Close up chile morita salsa in a blue pottery dish on a colorful Mexican rebozo — Salsa verde

Change the oil

I tend to use a mild, vegetable-based oil for cooking, but if you want to use a different oil, like olive oil, you can substitute that here for equal amounts.

Adjust the amount of vegetables

I have tested this recipe using different amounts of onions, tomatoes, and garlic. I personally prefer the ratio in this recipe, but if you want your dish to have a more pronounced and flavorful tomato sauce, add in more tomatoes.

If sauteéd onions are your thing, then add more in! This recipe can be adapted to your personal preferences.

Add in other seasonings

Adding other seasonings like a bay leaf, Mexican oregano, fresh cilantro, black pepper, or garlic powder instead of or in addition to fresh garlic allows you to personalize this dish even more to your particular tastes.

Other cooked chicken vs. shredded chicken

We typically make this dish with cooked, shredded chicken, a texture that is perfect for topping tostadas or filling up a cheesy quesadilla.

But maybe you grilled some boneless, skinless chicken breasts a couple of nights ago and have leftovers you don’t know what to do with. Or you have half a rotisserie chicken hanging out in the back of your fridge.

Chop or shred your leftover chicken meat and use what you have on hand in this recipe!

How to make pollo a la Mexicana step-by-step

Start cooking the vegetables

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Once the oil is hot, add in the sliced onions. Cook until they start to become transparent, stirring frequently.

Next add in the garlic. Stir to mix the ingredients and let that cook for a couple more minutes. Lastly, add in the diced tomatoes.

The tomatoes will start to soften and release their juices. None of the vegetables should cook until golden brown or crispy. We want soft, flavorful vegetables that will release their juices and meld their flavors with the chicken.

Sliced onions frying in a non-stick skillet

Sliced onions and diced tomatoes frying in a non-stick skillet

Add in the chicken and seasonings

Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the chicken. Stir to mix all of the ingredients and allow the flavors to blend. Add salt to taste. Warm everything through.

Shredded chicken, sliced onions, and diced tomatoes cooking in a non-stick skillet

Pollo a la Mexican cooking in a non-stick skillet

At this point, most of the natural juices from your vegetables will have cooked off. I like to add in a bit of chicken broth to keep everything moist. About 1/2 cup chicken broth does the trick for me, but adjust the liquid as you see fit! Once everything is heated through, check one last time for salt and add if needed.

Serve warm with corn tortillas for tacos, tostada shells, or with Mexican rice and refried beans!

Pollo a la mexicana on a blue pottery plate with a red, green and white rebozo in the background

FAQs and Tips

What does “a la Mexicana” mean?

A dish that is made with tomatoes, green chiles, and white onions…or the three colors that represent the Mexican flag!

There are lots of Mexican recipes that use these 3 ingredients as staples, like bistec a la Mexicana (Mexican style steak), huevos a la Mexicana (scrambled eggs Mexican-style), calabacitas a la Mexicana (Mexican style squash) and we even make our tuna salad “a la Mexicana” with tomatoes, white onions, and chile peppers!

What can I eat with pollo a la Mexicana?

We love to eat this dish served over tostadas with a drizzle of Mexican cream, shredded queso freso (or cotija), shredded lettuce, and a spicy salsa.

You could also fold this chicken into a warm tortilla with melted cheese for a hearty quesadilla. Or wrap this up in a burrito filled with other Mexican flavors like rice, beans, and avocado for an on-the-go meal.

Making a Mexican food buffet for your next party or get-together? Why not make this as one of the dishes in your taquiza?

Or simply serve this with Mexican rice, refried beans, or whole black beans for a complete meal.

Related recipes

Looking for some of our other favorite Mexican chicken dishes? Check out these options below.

White plate with chicken Milanesa served with a side of white rice, guacamole, and lime wedges. — Breaded Mexican Chicken (Milanesa)

A large silver plate with chicken fajitas, which included strips of chicken, red onions, and red and yellow bell peppers — Breaded Mexican Chicken (Milanesa)

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star-rating and a comment!

Pollo a la Mexicana (Mexican Style Chicken) Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 17

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

1/8 cup vegetable oil I used canola oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced ∼1 1/4 cups sliced or 6.5 oz (190g)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 medium roma tomatoes, diced ∼2 cups diced, or 12 oz (340g)
4 cups shredded chicken cooked
salt to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions

Heat oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet until shimmering, about 2 minutes
1/8 cup vegetable oil
Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until transparent and they start to soften, about 2 minutes
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
Add in the garlic and stir to incorporate. Cook for another 2 minutes.
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir to mix together. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. The tomatoes will start to release their juice and soften.
4 medium roma tomatoes, diced
Add in the chicken and salt. Stir again to incorporate all of the ingredients. Allow the chicken to heat through and all of the flavors to blend. This takes about 5-7 minutes to blend all of the flavors and heat the chicken through.
4 cups shredded chicken cooked, salt to taste
Lastly, add in the chicken broth. Stir to incorporate all of the ingredients. The addition of the chicken broth helps keep this dish moist, but not overly watery. Once everything is warmed through, remove the pan from the heat and serve.
1/2 cup chicken broth

Keyword Chicken, easy, gluten-free, kid friendly

The below nutrition label is included as a courtesy. Our terms and conditions explain our nutrition policy.