Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Pollo Pibil

Yucatán-style chicken marinated in achiote and bitter orange, cooked in banana leaf and served with pickled red onions.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 chicken thighs
• 60g achiote paste
• 1 orange
• 2 limes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 banana leaves (or parchment paper)
• 2 red onions
• 150ml vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 corn tortillas

Instructions

1. Stir the achiote paste smooth with the juice of the orange and limes, chopped garlic, oregano and cumin, and marinate the chicken thighs in it for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, in the fridge.
2. Cut the red onions into thin rings, mix with the vinegar and bay leaf, and let sit for at least 1 hour, until they turn deep pink and crisp-tart.
3. Soften the banana leaves briefly over a flame or in hot water and line a baking dish with them, letting the leaves overhang the edges generously.
4. Layer in the chicken along with the marinade, fold the leaves over the top, and seal the dish tightly with foil so no steam escapes.
5. Bake in a preheated 160°C oven for 75–90 min., until the meat pulls easily off the bone with a fork.
6. Shred the meat roughly in its juices and serve with the pickled onions and warm corn tortillas.