United by Taste
Recipe photo for Pepián de Pollo

Pepián de Pollo

by United by Taste

Pepián de Pollo

by United by Taste

🇬🇹 Guatemala ·North America
Prep
Cook
Total
6 portions
Pepián de Pollo is one of Guatemala's most iconic dishes, a rich and deeply aromatic chicken stew thickened with a paste of toasted seeds and dried chiles. Dating back to Mayan times and fused with Spanish colonial influences, this earthy, smoky stew is considered one of the country's national dishes. The signature flavor comes from toasting pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, dried chiles, and vegetables until charred, then blending them into a velvety, complex sauce served over chicken with potatoes and güisquil.

Ingredients

Chicken & Broth

1361 g bone-in chicken pieces thighs, drumsticks, breast
8 cup water to cover
0.5 piece white onion for broth
2 clove garlic for broth
1 pinch salt to taste

Toasted Sauce Base

0.5 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitoria) hulled, unsalted
0.25 cup sesame seeds
4 piece Roma tomatoes
3 piece tomatillos husked
1 piece white onion halved
4 clove garlic unpeeled
2 piece dried guaque chiles stemmed and seeded
2 piece dried pasa (ancho) chiles stemmed and seeded
1 piece corn tortilla for thickening

Spices

1 piece cinnamon stick about 2 inches
3 piece whole cloves
6 piece black peppercorns
0.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp achiote (annatto) paste optional, for color

Vegetables

3 piece potatoes peeled and quartered
1 piece güisquil (chayote) peeled and cubed
1 cup green beans trimmed
1 piece carrot sliced

To Serve

1 pinch white rice for serving
1 pinch corn tortillas for serving
1 pinch fresh cilantro chopped

Ingredients

6 portions

Chicken & Broth

1361 gbone-in chicken pieces thighs, drumsticks, breast
8 cupwater to cover
0.5 piecewhite onion for broth
2 clovegarlic for broth
1 pinchsalt to taste

Toasted Sauce Base

0.5 cupraw pumpkin seeds (pepitoria) hulled, unsalted
0.25 cupsesame seeds
4 pieceRoma tomatoes
3 piecetomatillos husked
1 piecewhite onion halved
4 clovegarlic unpeeled
2 piecedried guaque chiles stemmed and seeded
2 piecedried pasa (ancho) chiles stemmed and seeded
1 piececorn tortilla for thickening

Spices

1 piececinnamon stick about 2 inches
3 piecewhole cloves
6 pieceblack peppercorns
0.5 tspground cumin
1 tspachiote (annatto) paste optional, for color

Vegetables

3 piecepotatoes peeled and quartered
1 piecegüisquil (chayote) peeled and cubed
1 cupgreen beans trimmed
1 piececarrot sliced

To Serve

1 pinchwhite rice for serving
1 pinchcorn tortillas for serving
1 pinchfresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

Cook the chicken

  1. 1

    Simmer the chicken

    Place the chicken pieces in a large pot with the water, half onion, 2 garlic cloves, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the chicken and reserve the broth — you will need it to blend the sauce and finish the stew.

Toast the sauce base

  1. 1

    Toast the seeds

    In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds separately, stirring constantly until golden and fragrant — about 3-4 minutes each. Watch carefully as they burn quickly. Set aside to cool.

  2. 2

    Char the vegetables

    In the same dry skillet, char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion halves, and unpeeled garlic over medium-high heat until blackened in spots and softened, turning occasionally — about 8-10 minutes. The charring is essential for the smoky depth that defines pepián. Peel the garlic once cool.

  3. 3

    Toast the chiles and tortilla

    Briefly toast the dried guaque and pasa chiles in the skillet for 20-30 seconds per side until fragrant — do not burn or they turn bitter. Toast the tortilla until lightly charred. Soak the chiles in hot water for 10 minutes to soften.

  4. 4

    Toast the whole spices

    Lightly toast the cinnamon stick, cloves, and peppercorns in the dry skillet until aromatic, about 1 minute. This releases their oils before blending.

Blend and cook the sauce

  1. 1

    Blend everything

    Add the toasted seeds, charred tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, softened chiles, toasted tortilla, toasted spices, cumin, and achiote to a blender. Add about 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth and blend until completely smooth. Blend in batches if needed.

  2. 2

    Cook the sauce

    Pour the blended sauce through a fine sieve into a large pot for the smoothest texture. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until it thickens and the raw flavor cooks off. Add more broth to reach a velvety, gravy-like consistency. Season with salt.

Finish the stew

  1. 1

    Add vegetables and chicken

    Add the potatoes, güisquil, carrot, and green beans to the simmering sauce. Cook for 15 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Return the chicken pieces to the pot and simmer everything together for another 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked and infused with the sauce.

  2. 2

    Serve

    Adjust seasoning. Serve the pepián hot in bowls with a piece of chicken, plenty of sauce and vegetables, alongside white rice and warm corn tortillas. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Credits & Inspiration

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