Guatemalan Pepián de Pollo: Authentic Chicken Stew Recipe

Serve it with fluffy white rice and warm corn tortillas to soak up every last bit of the flavorful sauce.

• 18 cups water
• 3 lbs bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Quarter bunch of cilantro
• 4-5 roma tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2-3 tomatillos, husked and quartered
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 4 small dried guajillo chilies, seeds and stems removed
• 2 dried ancho chilies, seeds and stems removed
• 1/4 cup raw pepitas
• 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
• 1 burnt tortilla
• 2 medium carrots, cut into rounds
• 2 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large chayote, cut into chunks
• 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and halved
• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Start by placing the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a large pot with 18 cups of water, a generous pinch of salt, and the quarter bunch of cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Meanwhile, dry roast the roma tomatoes, red bell pepper, tomatillos, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Roast until the vegetables are softened and charred on the edges, taking care not to burn them to avoid bitterness.
• In a separate dry pan, lightly toast the guajillo and ancho chilies over medium heat until fragrant. Remove them from the heat and set aside.
• Using the same pan, toast the pepitas and sesame seeds just until they begin to color and release their aroma. Watch them closely so they don’t burn.
• Add the roasted vegetables, toasted chilies, pepitas, sesame seeds, and the cilantro from the cooked chicken into a blender. Include one charred (burnt) corn tortilla and about 2 cups of the hot chicken broth. Blend until completely smooth to form the pepián sauce.
• Pour the blended sauce back into the pot with the chicken and broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
• Add the carrots, potatoes, and chayote to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in the green beans and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
• Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the pepián hot with white rice and warm corn tortillas. Buen provecho!

Notes