Chicken in Pumpkin Seed Sauce — Pollo en Pipian Rojo
Mexican stew of chicken thigh in a thick red pipian of toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, ancho and guajillo chiles, tomato, and warm spices, served with rice and warm corn tortillas.
Mexican
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Halve white onion (reserve half for poaching, chop quarter for pipian). Smash 6 garlic cloves for poaching, peel 2 for pipian. Stem and seed ancho and guajillo chiles. Roughly chop tomatoes and quarter onion for pipian. Measure spices, salt, seeds, oil, and reserve 1.2L broth space.
Simmer
Place chicken thighs in a large saucepan with 2 tsp salt, halved onion, smashed garlic, bay leaves, and 1.5L water. Cover, simmer over medium-low 20–22 minutes until opaque and pulling from bone. Strain, reserve 1.2L broth.
Toast
In a dry skillet over medium, toast pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until pale golden and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. Toast dried chiles in the same pan 30 seconds per side until pliable. Soak in hot water 8 minutes, then drain.
Char
Char chopped tomatoes, onion, and garlic in the dry pan over medium-high 5–6 minutes until blackened in patches and tomato collapses. Blend charred aromatics with toasted seeds, drained chiles, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, oregano, salt, and 480ml (2 cups) broth until very smooth.
Build
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high 1 minute. Strain pipian into oil, cook 4–5 minutes stirring constantly until brick red and bubbling thickly. Add remaining 720ml (3 cups) broth, reduce over medium-low 8–10 minutes until coating a spoon richly.
Finish
Add poached chicken to pipian over medium-low, warm 4–5 minutes basting constantly. Meanwhile, char corn tortillas over a flame 20 seconds per side until pliable and charred.
Plate
Spoon rice onto plates, ladle chicken thighs with pipian over top. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds, finely diced onion, and fresh cilantro. Serve with charred tortillas alongside.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.