Guatemalan pepián is a hearty chicken stew with a savory, gently smoky sauce made from toasted chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, seeds, spices, and corn tortillas. Versions vary by region and household; this approachable version keeps the sauce’s distinctive roasted flavor and serves the chicken with tender vegetables and rice or tortillas.
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.36 kg) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 8 cups (1.9 L) water, for the chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, about 5 oz (150 g), quartered for the broth
- 3 garlic cloves, about 9 g, peeled and lightly crushed for the broth
- 1 tsp (6 g) fine salt, for the broth, plus more to taste
- 4 Roma tomatoes, about 1 lb (450 g), halved
- 2 tomatillos, about 4 oz (120 g), husked and rinsed
- 1 medium yellow onion, about 5 oz (150 g), cut into thick wedges for the sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, about 9 g, unpeeled for roasting
- 2 dried guaque chiles, about 8 g, stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried pasa chile, about 5 g, stemmed and seeded
- 1 cup (240 ml) just-boiled water, for softening the chiles
- 2 small corn tortillas, about 2 oz (55 g), torn into pieces
- ¼ cup (32 g) raw pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas
- ¼ cup (36 g) sesame seeds
- 1 tsp (2 g) coriander seeds
- ½ tsp (1 g) cumin seeds
- 1 small cinnamon stick, about 1 in (2.5 cm) or 2 g
- 2 whole cloves, about 0.2 g
- ½ tsp (1 g) whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral cooking oil
- 2 medium potatoes, about 1 lb (450 g), peeled if desired and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) chunks
- 2 medium carrots, about 5 oz (150 g), peeled and cut into ½-in (1-cm) slices
- 1 medium chayote, about 10 oz (300 g), peeled, pitted, and cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) chunks
- ½ cup (75 g) trimmed green beans, cut into 2-in (5-cm) lengths
- ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt, to start seasoning the sauce, plus more as needed
- ¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Set out the chicken, vegetables, spices, and seeds. Quarter the broth onion and crush its garlic cloves; keep these separate from the onion and garlic for roasting. Cut the potatoes, carrots, chayote, and green beans as directed. This organized start takes about 25 minutes and helps the stew cook evenly.
- Roast the sauce vegetables, 15 minutes. Heat a dry, heavy skillet or comal over medium heat. Add the tomatoes cut-side down, tomatillos, onion wedges, and unpeeled garlic. Turn the pieces every few minutes until softened and blistered in spots, about 15 minutes. Move smaller pieces off the hottest area if they begin to blacken before the tomatoes soften. Peel the garlic once it is cool enough to handle. A few dark spots add flavor; fully burnt garlic or blackened vegetable skins can make the sauce bitter.
- Toast the chiles, tortilla, seeds, and spices, then soften the chiles. In the same dry skillet, toast the guaque and pasa chiles briefly, turning them for about 20 to 30 seconds per side. They should smell fragrant, not smoky or scorched. Put them in a bowl, cover with 1 cup (240 ml) just-boiled water, and soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the torn tortillas until dry and lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns in small batches, stirring constantly; remove each batch as soon as it smells fragrant, usually 1 to 2 minutes. Watch the sesame and pumpkin seeds closely because they can burn quickly.
- Cook the chicken, 40 minutes. Put the chicken in a large pot with 8 cups (1.9 L) water, the quartered onion, crushed garlic, and 1 tsp (6 g) salt. Bring just to a boil, skim off any foam, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Partly cover and cook for 40 minutes, turning the pieces once if needed for even cooking. Check the thickest part of a thigh with a food thermometer without touching bone: USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. If any piece has not reached that temperature, continue simmering and check again. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and keep it covered; strain the broth, reserving it and discarding the spent onion and garlic.
- Blend the pepián sauce, about 5 minutes. Drain the softened chiles. Put them in a blender with the roasted tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, peeled garlic, toasted tortilla, seeds, spices, oregano, and oil. Add 2 cups (475 ml) of the reserved broth and blend until as smooth as your blender allows. Work in batches if needed, vent the lid carefully for warm ingredients, and hold a folded kitchen towel over the lid. The sauce should pour easily; add broth a little at a time if it is too thick to blend. For an especially smooth sauce, strain it through a medium-mesh sieve, though this is optional.
- Finish the stew, 20 minutes. Pour the sauce into the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer, stirring so it does not catch on the bottom. Add the potatoes, carrots, chayote, green beans, and ½ tsp (3 g) salt. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced but still hold their shape. Return the chicken to the pot during the last 5 minutes to warm through. If the sauce thickens too much, loosen it with reserved broth; if it seems thin, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes. Taste and adjust the salt before serving.
Tips
- Toast gently. The seeds and dried chiles should release a warm, nutty aroma, not turn black. Use medium or medium-low heat and keep the ingredients moving. If a chile gets scorched, replace it rather than blending in the bitter flavor.
- Look for the traditional chiles. Guaque and pasa chiles are sold in some Latin American grocery stores and online. If you cannot find them, use guajillo for guaque and ancho for pasa. The substitutes make a good sauce, but its flavor will be fruitier and less specifically Guatemalan.
- Adjust texture with broth. Pepián should coat the chicken and vegetables without becoming a paste. Add reserved broth in small amounts if it is too thick, and simmer uncovered briefly if it is too loose. Stir the bottom of the pot as the sauce reduces.
- Cut vegetables consistently. Similar-sized potato and chayote pieces cook at a similar pace, while thin carrot slices soften sooner. If your carrots are particularly thick, cut them smaller or add them a few minutes before the other vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pepián hot in deep bowls, with a chicken piece and a generous portion of vegetables in each serving. White rice is a classic, practical accompaniment: it catches the thick sauce and makes the meal more substantial. Warm corn tortillas are also excellent for scooping up the sauce. If you offer both, keep the rice plain so it does not compete with the roasted spices.
Finish with a little chopped cilantro if you like, and put extra tortillas and a small dish of salt on the table. Pepián is filling, so a simple side of sliced avocado, crisp lettuce, or lightly dressed cabbage is enough to balance the meal. Avoid adding a strongly flavored sauce at the table; the chile, toasted seeds, and warm spices are meant to remain the focus.
Variations
Some Guatemalan versions are darker or redder than this one, and the chile blend, vegetables, and thickness vary across cooks and regions. For a deeper color and a little more heat, leave some chile seeds in the sauce or use an additional guaque chile. For a milder stew, keep the chiles seeded and use a little less pasa chile. The dish should still taste roasted and savory rather than hot.
Chayote can be difficult to find. Substitute an equal amount of zucchini, adding it for only the final 8 to 10 minutes so it does not collapse; it will be softer and less firm than chayote. If you cannot find tomatillos, use ½ cup (120 g) additional tomato and add 1 tsp (5 ml) lime juice to the finished sauce for a touch of brightness. This is a useful pantry adjustment, but the sauce will lack the distinctive tart, green flavor of tomatillo.
For a meat-free version, replace the chicken broth with 8 cups (1.9 L) vegetable broth and omit the chicken. Simmer the sauce with the vegetables as directed, adding 2 cups (330 g) cooked chickpeas or white beans for the final 10 minutes. The result is a satisfying vegetable stew with the same toasted-seed character, though it is a variation rather than the chicken-centered version described here.
Storage and Reheating
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers. Keep the chicken, vegetables, and sauce together or divide them into meal-size portions. The stew keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The sauce may thicken as it chills, which is normal; loosen it with a splash of water or broth when reheating.
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring gently and adding liquid as needed, until the stew is steaming throughout and reaches 165°F (74°C). Check the center of a chicken piece with a food thermometer. In a microwave, cover loosely, heat in short intervals, and stir the sauce between intervals; confirm the same 165°F (74°C) temperature before eating. Freeze portions in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months for best quality, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Potatoes can soften somewhat after freezing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does pepián taste like?
Pepián is savory, earthy, and gently smoky, with a rounded flavor from toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds, chiles, spices, and corn tortilla. Tomatoes and tomatillos give the sauce a little brightness. Its heat is usually moderate and depends on the chiles and how many seeds are used.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes. Prepare and blend the sauce up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate it promptly in a covered container, and cook the chicken and vegetables when you are ready to serve. Reheat the sauce gently with broth before adding the vegetables. Refrigerate cooked sauce within 2 hours; do not leave it at room temperature for extended storage.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes, but boneless thighs cook faster and provide less broth flavor than bone-in pieces. Simmer them until a food thermometer reads 165°F (74°C), checking early rather than relying on the full 40-minute time. Remove them as soon as they reach the safe temperature, then return them to the sauce near the end so they do not become dry.
Is pepián very spicy?
It is not necessarily very hot. Guaque and pasa chiles contribute more flavor and color than sharp heat when seeded, though dried chiles vary. For a gentle version, use the listed amount, remove all seeds, and taste the blended sauce before adding the chicken. For more warmth, add a small piece of another toasted dried chile rather than pouring in a large amount at once.
What can I use if I do not have a blender?
A food processor can chop the roasted vegetables and toasted ingredients, although the sauce may remain slightly textured. Add broth gradually and process in small batches. A mortar and pestle also works for the seeds and spices, but mash the softened vegetables separately and expect a more rustic sauce. A fine sieve can smooth either version if desired.
Related
- Guatemalan Dessert Recipe: Rellenitos de Plátano
- Guatemalan Chow Mein Recipe with Chicken and Vegetables
- Guatemalan Refried Beans: Creamy Frijoles Volteados
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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