Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Pollo Encacahuatado

Chicken thighs in a velvety peanut sauce with chipotle, tomato, and cinnamon, topped with toasted peanuts.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg chicken thighs
• 150 g roasted peanuts
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
• 400 g tomatoes
• 1 white onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 600 ml chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 corn tortilla
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry, season with salt and pepper, and sear in 2 tbsp oil in a wide pot over high heat for 8 min. until golden brown all over, then remove.
2. Roughly chop the onion and garlic and sauté in the same pot for 5 min., add the diced tomatoes, and simmer for 6 min. until thickened.
3. Blend 120 g of the peanuts with the torn tortilla, the chipotles, the cinnamon, and 300 ml broth until very smooth — the longer it blends, the silkier the sauce.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the pot, stir in the purée, and fry it for 5 min., stirring, until it darkens and starts to smell fragrant.
5. Pour in the remaining broth, add the chicken thighs, cover, and braise over low heat for 25-30 min. until the meat is tender and the sauce coats the spoon.
6. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the roughly chopped remaining peanuts and cilantro, and serve with rice.