A traditional Honduran dish — pollo chuco is the gloriously messy signature plate of San Pedro Sula: crispy fried chicken piled on a bed of golden tajadas and buried under tangy cabbage slaw, fresh chismol, pickled red onions, and stripes of ketchup and pink sauce. Born in the industrial north, it has become one of Honduras’s most beloved street foods.
Pollo Chuco
A traditional Honduran dish — pollo chuco is the gloriously messy signature plate of San Pedro Sula: crispy fried chicken piled on a bed of golden tajadas and buried under tangy cabbage slaw, fresh chismol, pickled red onions, and stripes of ketchup and pink sauce.

Step by stepInstructions
- Marinate the chicken with the garlic, cumin, oregano, lime juice, salt, and pepper for at least thirty minutes
- Make the curtido by tossing the cabbage with the vinegar and salt, and pickle the red onion separately in vinegar with a pinch of salt
- Make the chismol by dicing the tomatoes and onion and mixing with the culantro, lime, and salt
- Mix the mayonnaise and ketchup into a pink sauce and set aside
- Soak the plantain slices in salted water, drain, and fry in hot oil until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels
- Dredge the chicken in the flour and fry over medium heat until deep golden and cooked through, about twenty minutes
- To assemble, spread the tajadas on a platter, top with the chicken, and bury everything under the curtido, chismol, and pickled onions
- Finish with bold stripes of pink sauce and ketchup, and serve immediately with lime wedges
💡 Chef tips & storage
The assembly is the show — everything should tumble together messily. Pickled red onions keep for a week in the fridge and are worth making ahead for any Honduran-style plate.

Join the conversation
Only members can comment — it takes a few seconds to create a free account.
Log in Create an account