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–+ servings
Chicken Guajillo Recipe.

Chicken Guajillo

author Maricruz Avalos Flores
4 servings
Chicken guajillo is a delicious and comforting Mexican traditional dish made with a delicious sauce prepared with guajillo peppers and spices. It is a perfect prep meal for any day of the week.
prep 10 minutes
cook 40 minutes
total 50 minutes
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Ingredients 

  • 8 small chicken legs (or 4 large chicken thighs)
  • 6 medium guajillo dried peppers
  • 2 medium tomatoes (cut into chunks)
  • 1 small onion (cut into chunks)
  • 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp black peppercorns
  • ½ small stick cinnamon (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 1 orange (juice)
  • 1 lime (juice)
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions
 

  • Clean the guajillo peppers removing first the stem, then cutting them in half and discarding seeds and membranes.
  • Place them in a medium bowl and cover them with hot water. Allow soaking for 10 minutes.
  • After chilies are nicely soft, drain them and add them to a blender along with tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, peppercorns, and cinnamon.
  • Add 1 cup of water, orange juice, lime juice, and salt. Blend at high speed until you'll have a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
  • Place a strainer over the pan you will use to cook the pollo guajillo and strain the sauce.
  • Add about 1 cup of water and mix well, then add the chicken legs and make sure they're slightly covered by the sauce.
  • Bring to a simmer and cover the pan.
  • Cook for 40 minutes, checking from time to time making sure the chicken is always slightly covered with the sauce.
  • Once chicken is cooked through and the sauce has ben thickened a bit, adjust seasonings and turn off the heat.
  • Serve over steamed rice, Mexican rice, noodles, or with warm tortillas.

Notes

  • You can use boneless chicken to make this stew, so make sure to adjust cooking times accordingly. Breasts also cook faster and need less liquid, so add less sauce and use leftovers to make other dishes or freeze it for up to 3 months.
  • This is an amazing meal prep recipe, it stores for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • You can use leftovers to make chicken tacos or quesadillas.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 240mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 908mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2243IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg