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This one-pan Pollo a la Crema is a flavorful mix of tender chicken, veggies, and a creamy sauce! Perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal!
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My friend was telling me about her weekend with her mom and how they always order this delicious creamy chicken whenever they go out for Mexican food, and I was like, hold up, what creamy chicken?! I’ve seriously never heard of it!
We ended up chatting all afternoon about what it must be made with, what it’s really called (was it pollo con crema, pollo a la crema or pollo de crema?!), and then I laid awake, like always, unable to get the recipe out of my head.
It’s become one of our new staples, and I cannot comment enough on how easy this dinner recipe is. If you want fast, cheap, affordable, delicious, and family-friendly, it’s all about the creamy chicken!
What is Pollo a la Crema?
Pollo a la crema, or creamed chicken, is a South American dish that consists of tender chunks of chicken, sauteed bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms all cooked in a creamy, flavorful sauce. It is usually served with warm flour tortillas.
Ingredients Needed for Pollo a la Crema
These ingredients are simple and easy to find. The only one that might be less common is Mexican crema, which you can find in the refrigerated section, along with Mexican specialty foods like fresh salsa and chorizo. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Chicken
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless and skinless for easy, lean protein that cooks quickly and stays tender.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder add savory depth with a hint of smoky warmth.
- Olive Oil: Helps sauté the vegetables and keeps the chicken juicy while cooking.
For the Rest of the Dish
- Green Bell Pepper: Adds a fresh, slightly grassy flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Orange or Red Bell Pepper: Brings sweetness and bright color to balance the savory ingredients.
- White Onion: Provides a mild, slightly sweet base flavor as it softens and caramelizes.
- Baby Bella Mushrooms: Add an earthy, meaty texture. White button mushrooms work just as well, or simply omit if you’re not a mushroom fan.
- Mexican Crema: Creates a smooth, tangy richness—see section below for more details.
- Sour Cream: Adds creaminess and a gentle tang to the sauce.
- Smoked Paprika: Gives the crema a subtle smoky depth.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Enhances and balances all of the flavors.
- Cilantro: Finishes the dish with freshness and a pop of color.
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
What is Crema?
Crema is the Mexican version of French crème fraîche, a little bit tangy and creamy. It is a slightly soured and thickened cream, milder and less thick than American sour cream. The flavor is a lot milder, in my opinion, and a touch buttery. You will find it in the meat and Mexican ingredients section of your grocery store. There’s not really a great substitute for it in this recipe, so try your best to find it!
How to Make Pollo con Crema
This recipe is super simple! I just love it! Here are the basic steps:
- Season: Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
- Sear: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté: Cook the bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms in the same pan until softened and lightly golden.
- Stir: Add the Mexican crema, sour cream, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, mixing until smooth.
- Simmer: Return the chicken to the pan and cook gently until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Finish: Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Keep scrolling to the end of the post to see these instructions in complete detail. You can also save or print the recipe there.
Pollo a la Crema Tips
Even Pieces: Cut the chicken into similar-sized chunks so they cook evenly and stay tender.
One Pan Cooking: Prepare everything in the same pan so all the flavors build together. As a bonus, you will have fewer dishes to clean.
Uniform Slices: Cut the bell peppers and onion into similar-sized slices, so they soften at the same rate.
Scrape the Pan: While sautéing the vegetables, scrape up the browned bits left from cooking the chicken. They are packed with flavor.
What to Eat with Pollo a la Crema
This pollo a la crema recipe is perfect on its own, but it’s even better when paired with something that can soak up the creamy sauce. We love serving it with warm tortillas so you can wrap it up into a burrito or spoon it into tacos. It’s also delicious alongside Spanish rice or cilantro lime rice, refried beans or simple black beans, a crisp green salad to balance the richness, or Mexican street corn for a little extra texture and flavor.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover pollo a la crema in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for up to five days.
Freeze this dish easily by letting it cool completely, then placing it in an airtight container or zip-top bag. It will stay good in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
For the best results, reheat this dish on the stovetop with a little extra crema and possibly some chicken broth to keep it from drying out. For a single serving, microwaving works just fine!
Tender, seasoned chicken and sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms are all bathed in a creamy and smoky sauce that will have your taste buds begging for more! This easy pollo a la crema is a chicken dinner recipe that always wins!
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Watch How this Recipe is Made…
One Pan Pollo a la Crema
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, cut into chunks
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
For the Rest of the Dish
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 Red or Orange Bell Pepper, sliced
- 1 White Onion, sliced
- 1 Cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Cups Mexican Crema
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Mix the seasonings together and sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.3-4 Chicken Breasts, Salt and Pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Sauté chicken until browned on each side. Remove to a plate.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Add peppers and onions with a little more oil. Sauté until onions are tender and translucent and peppers are softened. About 5 or 6 minutes.1/2 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Red or Orange Bell Pepper, 1 White Onion
- Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned then season with salt and pepper to taste.1 Cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, Salt and Pepper
- Add the chicken, crema, sour cream, and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.2 Cups Mexican Crema, 1/2 Cup Sour Cream, 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- Remove from heat and serve with fresh cilantro!Cilantro
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Awful. The amount of Crema is way too much. Followed the recipe exactly but it wound up a creamy mess. No flavor other than cream. I have pics if any wants them. Reduce the amount of crema by at leatn3/4 I’d say.
Such a huge fail. The amount of creama is outrageous. It turned out a white creamy mess. It looked nothing like the picture. Scale the creama back by at least 3/4. Choked it down as best we could. The excess of creama gave it no flavor.
This dish is amazing! Took no time to put together, and I served it with Refried Beans and White Rice. My sister and I are looking forward to enjoying leftovers for a few days! Thank you for sharing!
Yay! Thank you so much Shawnae!! Love to hear this! And it makes great leftovers!!
I love your recipes and look forward to new ones. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. The 2 cups of Crema completely overpowered the spices that were added and made it very dense. I will try it again with half the crema.
Thank you so much for the feedback Angie! You can definitely reduce the amount of crema if desired!
Completely agree. It was a creamy mess. Looked nothing like the pictures. Won’t make again.
We have a really good friend who is Mexican. She makes this dish for us all the time .. the only difference in hers is that she uses roasted poblano peppers instead of regular bell peppers. I’m sure they would both work really well though! This is one of my all time favourite Mexican dishes!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Diane! Poblano peppers would be amazing in this as well! That’s a great tip! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment!
Delicious and simple to make dish, and a very creative use of Crema, which I usually only put on Mexican food and chili. I did use more olive oil for the vegetables and sauteed them longer than called for, so they turned out perfect for us. Definitely one I’ll be making again!
Yay! Thank you so much Helen!
This looks delicious and I’m looking forward to making it! In your photo, it looks like you cut the chicken breasts into chunks; however, the recipe doesn’t reflect that.
Hi Suzie! Thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment! You’re going to love this recipe! On the recipe card, for the chicken breasts, it says, “cut into chunks” in the little note next to that item in the ingredient list. I hope this helps!