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Guatemalan Pepián de Pollo (Spiced Chicken Stew)

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Guatemalan pepián de pollo in a rich roasted chile and seed sauce with rice and corn tortillas.
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Pepián de pollo is Guatemala’s deeply flavored chicken stew, built from roasted tomatoes, chiles, seeds, and spices blended into a velvety sauce.

Roasting the vegetables and seeds first gives the sauce its dark, complex flavor, while a gentle simmer keeps the chicken tender.

Guatemalan pepián de pollo in a rich roasted chile and seed sauce with rice and corn tortillas.

Toast the seeds carefully and stir constantly; they can turn bitter quickly once they begin to brown.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with white rice, warm corn tortillas, avocado, and a little fresh cilantro.

Tender chicken coated in thick Guatemalan pepián sauce beside rice and a corn tortilla.

Recipe Notes

The sauce thickens as it cools. Add a splash of chicken stock when reheating leftovers, which keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Guatemalan pepián de pollo in a rich roasted chile and seed sauce with rice and corn tortillas.

Guatemalan Pepián de Pollo

Tender chicken simmered in a roasted tomato, chile, sesame, pumpkin seed, and spice sauce.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Guatemalan
Calories: 590
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Chicken
  • 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil
  • 2 cups chicken stock
Pepián sauce
  • 6 medium tomatoes halved
  • 2 tomatillos husked
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 dried ancho chile stemmed and seeded
  • 1 dried guajillo chile stemmed and seeded
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup pepitas raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 corn tortilla torn into pieces
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp annatto ground

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven
  • Cast-iron skillet
  • Blender
  • Fine-mesh sieve
  • Tongs

Method
 

Roast and blend:
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chiles on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
  2. Toast the sesame seeds, pepitas, and tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Watch the seeds closely.
  3. Blend the roasted vegetables, toasted seeds, tortilla, cumin, cinnamon, annatto, and 1 cup of stock until smooth. Strain the sauce.
Cook the chicken:
  1. Season the chicken with salt. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and brown the chicken on both sides.
  2. Pour in the strained sauce and remaining stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 35 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
  3. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce, rice, and warm tortillas.

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 46gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 980mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10g

Notes

  • Straining the blended sauce gives pepián its characteristic smooth texture.
  • Add a little stock if the sauce becomes thicker than you like during the simmer.

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