Dominican Yautía and Sofrito Chicken Pastelón with Sweet Plantain Layer and Fried Cheese

Dominican Food

Intermediate

Dominican Yautía and Sofrito Chicken Pastelón with Sweet Plantain Layer and Fried Cheese

Name: Dominican Yautía and Sofrito Chicken Pastelón with Sweet Plantain Layer and Fried Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Dominicana
Ingredients: 21 oz skinless chicken breast, diced small; 2 lb yautía, peeled and cut into chunks; 2 whole ripe plantains; 7 oz Dominican frying cheese; 1 cup red onion; 3 oz sweet peppers; 1 tbsp garlic; 1 cup tomato; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 0.5 cup fresh cilantro; 1 tsp dried oregano; 4 tbsp sour orange juice; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tbsp butter; 0.5 cup evaporated milk; 1 whole egg; 1.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 2 cups water

An original Dominican-inspired pastelón featuring a creamy mashed yautía base, savory chicken stewed in traditional sofrito, a layer of golden sweet plantain, and seared fried cheese, baked until juicy inside and lightly browned on top.

30 minPrep

45 minCook

75 minTotal

6Servings

Gluten-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

600 g skinless chicken breast, diced small (for the relleno)
900 g yautía, peeled and cut into chunks (for the base)
2 units ripe plantains (cut thinly sliced largas)
200 g Dominican frying cheese (en slices finas)
150 g red onion (slice fina)
80 g sweet peppers (chopped)
15 g garlic (majado or chopped)
180 g tomato (chopped diced small)
30 g tomato paste
15 g fresh cilantro (chopped)
2 g dried oregano
60 ml sour orange juice (or mezcla of orange and lima)
45 ml vegetable oil (divided)
30 g butter (for the yautía)
120 ml evaporated milk (for the yautía)
1 unit egg (beaten)
8 g salt (or to taste)
2 g black pepper (or to taste)
500 ml water (approximate for hervir the yautía)

Nutrition facts

per serving

472 kcal

Calories

31 g

Protein

29 g

Carbs

26 g

Fat

4 g

Fiber

25 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

DairyEggs

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F / 190 °C. Lightly grease a medium baking dish with a little of the vegetable oil.
2
2. Place the yautía in a pot with the water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Boil over medium-high heat for 18 to 20 minutes, until very tender. Drain well.
3
3. While the yautía cooks, season the chicken with half of the garlic, the oregano, half of the sour orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
4
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the plantain slices for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden. Remove and set aside on a plate.
5
5. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil and sear the frying cheese for 30 to 45 seconds per side. Remove and set aside.
6
6. Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to the skillet. Sauté the red onion and sweet peppers for 3 minutes. Stir in the rest of the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
7
7. Add the chopped tomato, tomato paste, and the remaining sour orange juice. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until a thick sofrito forms.
8
8. Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until fully cooked and juicy. Add the chopped cilantro, adjust salt if needed, and remove from the heat.
9
9. Mash the hot yautía with the butter and evaporated milk until thick and smooth. Let cool slightly for 2 minutes, then quickly mix in the beaten egg so it blends evenly. Add a pinch of salt if needed.
10
10. Spread half of the mashed yautía in the baking dish. Evenly distribute all of the sofrito chicken on top.
11
11. Arrange the browned sweet plantain slices over the chicken, then place the seared frying cheese in a single layer.
12
12. Cover with the remaining mashed yautía, smoothing the top with a spoon.
13
13. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes at 375 °F / 190 °C, until set and lightly golden on top. For deeper color, broil for 2 extra minutes, watching closely.
14
14. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving so the pastelón holds its shape.

Chef tips

For cleaner slices, let the full pastelón rest for the full 10 minutes. If you want a glossier top, lightly brush the final layer with a little evaporated milk before baking.

Substitutions

You can use boneless chicken thighs instead of breast. If sour orange is unavailable, use equal parts orange juice and lime juice. Malanga can replace yautía with a similar texture.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
View on Amazon
Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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