StewsHardFree

Chanfaina (Mexican Offal Stew)

Name: Chanfaina (Mexican Offal Stew)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 135 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 White onion; 2 tbsp White vinegar; 1000 g Mixed pork offal (liver, kidney, heart); 4 cloves Garlic; 2 Dried pasilla chilli; 1 tsp Cumin; 4 Tomato (charred); 1 raja Mexican cinnamon; 3 Dried ancho chilli; 2 tbsp Pork lard

135 min (45 prep + 90 cook) Hard 6 servings Centro

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Pork offal braised in ancho chilli sauce with spices, a traditional stew of Arab-Spanish heritage.

About this recipe

Chanfaina is one of the oldest and most authentic stews in Mexico, made with pork offal (liver, kidney, lung and heart) braised in a sauce of ancho chilli and spices. It is a dish of Arab-Spanish origin that arrived in Mexico during the viceroyalty and was adopted by the kitchens of central and southern Mexico, especially Puebla, Oaxaca and Hidalgo. Its preparation requires skill and patience: the offal must be properly cleaned and blanched to remove any bitterness, and the ancho chilli sauce must balance the intense flavours of the offal with sweet and sharp spices.

History & Origin

Chanfaina comes directly to Mexico from Arab-Spanish cuisine: in Extremadura and Andalusia there is a similar 'chanfaina' made with lamb offal in paprika sauce, a legacy of Arab cooking that remained in Spain after the Reconquista. The Spanish colonisers, many of them from Extremadura, brought this preparation to the New World where it adapted with Mexican chillies (ancho, mulato, pasilla) replacing the paprika, and local spices. In the markets of central Mexico, especially Mercado de la Merced in Mexico City and the markets of Puebla, chanfaina is a dish of the early morning hours, served in large clay pots as workers' breakfast since the 17th century. Its complex preparation makes it a dish of respect, reserved for experienced cooks.

Estimated cost

£10.00

Total cost

£1.67

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

310

Calories

36g

Protein

10g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

Fibre

540mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Clean all the offal under cold water and remove any membranes, visible fat and ducts. Cut into 3 cm pieces. Blanch in boiling salted water with white vinegar for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
💡 Blanching is essential to remove bitterness and the strong smell from the offal. Do not skip this step.
2
Toast the ancho and pasilla chillies on a dry comal. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes. Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Blend everything together with cumin, cinnamon, pepper, oregano and stock until smooth.
3
In a clay pot or wide casserole, heat lard or oil and fry the sauce over high heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring constantly until it darkens and thickens. Season with salt.
💡 Frying the sauce in pork lard gives the authentic flavour of traditional chanfaina.
4
Add the blanched offal to the fried sauce. Mix well, cover and cook over very low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The stew is ready when the offal is tender and the sauce thick. Serve with corn tortillas and chopped onion.
💡 Taste the seasoning at the end: it may need more salt or a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance.