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Chacales de Chihuahua

Name: Chacales de Chihuahua
Prep time: 480 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 570 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cdas Vegetable oil; 400 g Dried cracked corn (chacales); 3 Dried ancho chilli; 250 g Cooked pinto beans; 300 g Dried shredded beef (machaca); 1 White onion; 4 cloves Garlic; 1 cdta Ground cumin; 6 Dried guajillo chilli; 2 leaves Bay leaf

570 min (480 prep + 90 cook) Medium 6 servings Chihuahua

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 26 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Dried cracked corn stewed with red chilli, beans and dried beef from the Chihuahua highlands.

About this recipe

Chacales are a northern Mexican stew of dried cracked corn cooked with red chilli sauce, beans and dried shredded beef. This sustaining dish from the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains has fed cowboys and ranchers for generations, concentrating the roughest and most authentic flavours of northern Mexico.

History & Origin

Chacales are one of those dishes born from the need to preserve food in arid, remote areas. The dried cracked corn known as chacal comes from cacahuazintle maize left to dry in the sun and then broken by hand or on a grinding stone. This preservation technique allows the grain to be stored for months without spoiling - essential for ranchers of the Sierra Tarahumara who spent weeks away from settlements. Dried beef, another pillar of northern cooking, is sliced thin and salted in the sun for days until stiff as leather. When simmered together with red chilli and beans, both ingredients rehydrate and fuse into a thick, comforting broth that tastes of tradition. The Tarahumara people and northern mestizo communities shared this survival cooking, which today remains part of the gastronomic identity of Chihuahua, Sonora and Durango.

Estimated cost

£7.00

Total cost

£1.17

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

420

Calories

28g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Soak the cracked corn in cold water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
2
Remove the seeds and veins from the guajillo and ancho chillies. Toast them on a dry griddle for 30 seconds each side, then soak in hot water for 20 minutes.
3
Blend the soaked chillies with garlic, half the onion and a cup of soaking water until smooth. Strain and set aside.
4
In a large pot heat the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the remaining chopped onion for 3 minutes. Add the chilli sauce and fry for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5
Add the shredded dried beef, drained cracked corn, beans, bay leaves and cumin. Cover with 1.5 litres of hot water and bring to the boil.
6
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and cook for 60–75 minutes until the corn is tender and the broth is thick. Season with salt and serve hot.