An unnamed source at Pollo Tropical® has told us about a new Tampa twist the brand has begun serving up. Pollo is introducing a crispy take on their citrus marinated chicken breast that's trending in a big way at all 10 Tampa locations…
There are so many ways to chicken, what’s the twist on Pollo?
We really wanted to take bite-sized chicken to another level. In terms of flavor, freshness, preparation… we believed we could take our level of love for chicken, our unique Pollo Tropical flavorful focus and apply this philosophy, talent and resources to creating amazing, bite-sized chicken.
What went into that promise?
We went into our own development kitchen and started from scratch, much like our restaurants do every day of the week as they begin cooking for the day’s guests. The only difference is that we focused on making from scratch one item, a chicken bite. We focused the bite on our signature, award-winning citrus marinade we are famous for. We then created individual recipes for our unique crispy batter. We developed hundreds of recipes and combinations over time until arriving at the final Pollo Tropical Crispy Pollo Bite recipe.
Why are they so different?
First of all, the Crispy Pollo Bites are made from fresh-never-frozen, no-antibiotics-ever, hormone-free chicken. They are made entirely in-house in the kitchens of all of our Tampa locations. The whole chicken breast is citrus marinated with our secret recipe, then it’s hand cut and lightly battered before it’s made crispy. This level of attention and detail, combined with its resulting flavor, is what makes the new Crispy Pollo Bites so mouthwateringly great.
How does the bite make a meal?
We asked ourselves that question too, early on. We knew we had a big hit on our hands and we needed to pair it with some of our unique side dishes so it could be enjoyed with a complementing flavor. What we found was that all of our side dishes offer their own unique complimenting flavor to the bites.
Where does it go from here?
Our best feedback comes from our beloved Pollo Tropical fans. They love the Crispy Pollo Bites, and message us on anything and everything Crispy Pollo Bites-related, ranging from best Pollo sauces to enjoy them with to combining the bites with our other menu items like the Mango Chicken Salad, Tropichop® bowls and so many other great suggestions.
Take a taste-test of your own of the Pollo Tropical Crispy Pollo Bites. Find the location nearest you here.
This article appears in Mar 1-8, 2018.