Guatemalan · beginner
Guatemalan Chicken Guisado With Chayote And Carrots
Pan-browned chicken thighs slow-simmered with sweet chayote squash and carrots in a rich, toasted seed and tomato recado sauce.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 35 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Toast the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden, then transfer to a blender.
- 02
Char the plum tomato halves in the same dry skillet for 5 minutes until blackened in spots, then add to the blender with half a cup of chicken broth and blend until smooth.
- 03
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the chicken thighs for 4 minutes per side until deeply browned.
- 04
Pour the blended tomato recado and remaining chicken broth into the pot with the chicken, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.
- 05
Add the chayote squash, carrots, ground coriander, and salt to the pot, bringing the liquid to a simmer.
- 06
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, lower heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 25 minutes until chicken is tender and vegetables are soft.
- 07
Serve hot ladled over warm steamed rice.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Dry-Charring Vegetables and Seeds
Toasting seeds and searing tomatoes without oil concentrates natural sugars and deepens aromatics before blending into traditional recados.
Notes from the kitchen
- Toasting pumpkin and sesame seeds enhances their rich nutty oils, giving the recado sauce authentic Guatemalan depth.
- Chayote squash absorbs seasonings well while retaining a pleasant texture.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Guatemalan; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.