A Mexican restaurant favorite that tastes just like the original! Copycat Garcia’s Pollo Fundido is so easy to make and a meal the whole family will love.
Photos updated: August 7, 2018
Every now and then I go to Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant with my family. I love starting a meal out with chips and salsa, then excitedly welcoming my dinner as it gets placed in front of me. Oh heavens, do I love Mexican food! One of my favorite dishes at Garcia’s is Pollo Fundido, so when I was able to successfully make a copycat version at home I was SO excited. I found the original recipe over at Recipe Addiction and we’ve been making it ever since.
What is Pollo Fundido?
Pollo Fundido is a chimichanga-style dish that means exactly what it translates: “chicken molten”. Each one is loaded with a semi-spicy chicken mixture, rolled up and baked or fried, then topped with a jalapeno cream cheese. The last step of the molten goodness is a slab of cheddar cheese melted on top. This particular dish is one of the most popular dishes at Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, and it’s easy to see why!
Normally this dish would be a little spicy inside, but I like to make it more mild so my kids will eat it and enjoy it. You can go mild, medium, or spicy.
Whenever I make this recipe I always have enough jalapeno cream cheese to make the dish again. We made it two Sundays in a row recently and my kids were in heaven. It was so easy being able to just make the chicken the second time around!
You can totally make the chicken ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you want to make up your Pollo Fundidos. All you’ll need to do is heat up the chicken before filling the tortillas. [insert high five emoji]
More Mexican Dinners
Mini Shredded Beef Chimichangas | Sweet Pork Nachos | Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce | Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme | Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas | Shredded Beef Burritos | The Easiest Taco Dinner Ever | Mom’s Chicken Enchiladas
Copycat Garcia's Mexican Restaurant Pollo Fundido
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, frozen or thawed
- 2 c. salsa, any heat level you prefer
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 c. milk
- 2 Tbsp jalapeno, chopped
- 1 tsp. chicken base paste
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
- 8 flour tortillas, burrito size
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
- 16 slices jalapeno, optional garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken inside a crock pot. Cover with salsa and drop chicken bouillon cubes on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Prepare the jalapeno cream cheese while the chicken is cooking. Combine cream cheese, milk, chopped jalapeno, chicken base paste, and garlic salt in a chopper or food processor until smooth. Keep in the fridge until time to use.
- Remove chicken from crock pot and place in a bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken, then place back in the crock pot with the liquid and stir together.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place a tortilla on a plate and add 1/3 c. chicken to the center. Fold the sides in and roll the tortilla to form a chimichanga. If excess liquid starts to ooze out, pour it into the crock pot or a bowl.
- Place chimichangas onto a greased cookie sheet seam side down and repeat to make eight. Lightly spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove chimichangas from the oven and carefully spread jalapeno cream cheese over each one. Top with a slice of cheese and two jalapenos slices. Place back in the oven until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Kitchen Tools and Gadgets Used for This Recipe
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The Allen Family says
Yum!! I can’t get enough cream cheese so I CANNOT wait to try these. Thanks. One question thought… what is ‘chicken base’?
Karen says
Chicken base is usually a wetter version of chicken bouillon. It usually comes in a jar and you scoop it out with a spoon. It is very thick. Restaurants use it a lot. You can buy it at grocery stores in the same aisle you buy the buillion cubes usually.
Hartman Fam says
So excited I came across your blog with is recipe…as I eat my leftovers from the restuarant last night!). Thanks!
Emmah Hesch says
I’ve made these multiple times now from this recipe, mostly for my boyfriend and I but also for my clients at an adult foster care home. All around it has been well-received and enjoyed! A Mexican resturant in our area used to be the go-to place to get these, but now that I can make them at home? Sweet!
Thanks for providing an easy to follow and delicious recipe (:
Daisy Jane says
This was my favorite thing at Garcia’s – my family and I loved the restaurant in Myrtle Beach, but it’s long gone now. I thought they were all out of business. Alli, thank you for printing that photo of pollo fundido! Brings back sweet memories (and cravings).
Paula says
I used to get this at Garcias too. Only the cream cheese was inside, not outside and they dont roll the shells they make them like a ball. Im making these tonight. I have been craving it for years.
Bonnie Thomas says
For chicken base look on the bullion aisle for”Better than bullion”. It’s in a small glass jar. There are about 10 different flavor varieties including: chicken, beef, ham and vegetable. I would grab 1 of each as they are very flavorful without the over saltiness I hate in regular bullion.it’s a paste form which makes it much more easy to use instead of those rock hardsalty cubes!
Olivia says
I loved this, they tasted great and really did remind me of garcias!
Allison Miller says
That’s great, Olivia! Thanks for the comment!
Carol Day says
is this from the original Garcia’s located at 35th Ave & Encanto in Phoenix? Or the receipt from one of the other corporate Garcias restaurants that the original Garcias sold some of their recipes to?
Allison Miller says
This recipe isn’t the original, but it was created based off the flavors from a Garcia’s in Idaho.
Abigail says
This sounds pretty good but I would leave out the cream cheese. The Mexican restaurant where I am from just melts a little white cheese on top so there is not a lot of cheese. It is very delish! I am trying it tonight but I used my home made salsa in the chicken. And I also uses some of the liquid from the crock pot to make my Spanish rice to go with it. Can’t wait.
Annie says
My husband made this last night for me for dinner. He used green Chile sauce w/ avacado and he oven fried them. Boy were they fantastic!!!! I’ll be making them more often. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Alli says
That sounds wonderful, Annie! Thanks so much for your comment!
Lisa says
These were fabulous!!!! All of my kids loved them and asked me to make them again. Totally a keeper!! I used store-bought jalapeño cream cheese as a time saver, but next time I’ll spend the extra time and use your cream cheese recipe. 🙂
Alli says
Lisa, I’m so glad your family loved this recipe! That makes me so happy! Also, there is such a thing as store-bought jalapeno cream cheese?! My eyes have been opened! haha Thanks so much for your comment!
Chris says
Does anyone have a more real recipe for Pollo fundido ive been looking everywhere. Cheddar cheese is not used in Mexican food it should be cotija cheese and some others. If anyone has one please let me know
Alli says
Hi Chris! Sorry you don’t approve of this recipe. This is just a copycat version of the recipe, which means it’s a version of the recipe but not THE recipe. Cheddar is a common household cheese and I used it for that reason. I like to make my recipes as easy as possible with ingredients that aren’t hard to find or unfamiliar. Feel free to search the web for something that fits your taste!
Tara says
It needs A LOT of tweaking!
Alli says
I’m sorry you feel that way! The recipe isn’t meant to be exactly the same as the restaurant. It’s a copycat version that’s easy to make at home with common ingredients. But thank you for the feedback!
Sonny says
Hi Alli great recipes, i love Garcia’s , do yoy by chance know their salsa recipe
Alli says
I don’t! But I have tried a few restaurant style salsas that are super good. This is one of my favorites! https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/restaurant-style-salsa-recipe-2109390
Barbara says
Garcia’s in Arizona deep fries their pollo fundido. And that’s what I intend to do.
Alli says
Ooh that is such a good idea! Our Garcia’s doesn’t do that but I really need to try it!