Guatemalan · intermediate
Guatemalan Chicken Jocón With Green Tomatillo And Sesame Sauce
A beloved Guatemalan comfort dish where tender chicken is simmered in Jocón, a bright green recado sauce crafted from toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame, tomatillos, and fresh cilantro.
- PREP TIME
- 20 min
- COOK TIME
- 35 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the raw pepitas and sesame seeds for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Transfer to a blender.
- 02
In the same dry skillet, scorch the whole tomatillos and scallions for 5 to 7 minutes until blistered and softened. Transfer them to the blender along with the fresh cilantro, corn tortilla pieces, and 1 cup of halal chicken broth.
- 03
Blend the green mixture on high speed until completely smooth to form the green recado base.
- 04
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until lightly browned.
- 05
Pour the blended green recado sauce and the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth over the chicken. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- 06
Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook gently for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit (74 Celsius). Serve hot with warm rice.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Recado Thickeners
Using toasted seeds and soaked tortilla paste to create a rich, glossy thickener traditional to Mayan and Guatemalan cookery.
Notes from the kitchen
- Toasting the seeds dry unleashes essential oils that naturally thicken and give body to the recado without adding excess fats.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while simmering, add an extra splash of chicken broth to maintain a velvety gravy consistency.
- 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.