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Estofado de Pollo Yucateco (Yucatecan Chicken Stew)

Name: Estofado de Pollo Yucateco (Yucatecan Chicken Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 tbsp Capers; 1 raja Cinnamon stick; 100 g Green olives; 50 g Raisins; 300 ml Chicken stock; 2 Cloves; 1.5 kg Chicken pieces; 1 Sour orange; 2 Tomatoes

65 min (20 prep + 45 cook) Medium 6 servings Yucatán

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Yucatecan chicken stew in sweet-sour sauce with olives, capers and raisins.

About this recipe

Yucatecan chicken stew in sweet-and-sour sauce with olives, capers, raisins and spices. Spanish influence is palpable in every bite of this exceptional mestizo dish.

History & Origin

Estofado yucateco is one of the most fascinating examples of culinary mestizaje in Mexico. While most Yucatecan cooking retains a strong Maya component with ingredients like achiote, cochinita pibil and habanero chillies, estofado clearly shows Spanish influence - specifically the Sevillian and Andalusian cuisine that arrived in Yucatán during the colonial era. The Spanish colonisers brought their tradition of escabeches and stews with olives, capers, raisins and sweet spices like cinnamon and cloves. These preparations hybridised with local ingredients and Yucatecan cooking techniques, giving rise to estofado as we know it today: a complex stew where the sweet-sour of raisins and capers coexists with spices and thyme. Estofado yucateco is the star dish of family celebrations in Yucatán - served at weddings, baptisms and quinceañeras, prepared in vast quantities. Today it is considered culinary heritage of Yucatán and appears in the region's most representative restaurants as an example of the sophisticated syncretism of its cuisine.

Estimated cost

£9.00

Total cost

£1.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

360

Calories

34g

Protein

18g

Carbohydrates

16g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Marinate the chicken pieces (1.5kg) with salt, pepper, sour orange juice (or orange-lemon mix), thyme and marjoram for 30 minutes.
💡 Sour orange is key; mix 2 parts orange to 1 part lemon juice if unavailable.
2
Brown the chicken in olive oil in a large casserole, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
3
In the same casserole, sauté 1 sliced onion, 3 garlic cloves and 2 chopped tomatoes for 8 minutes.
4
Add 100g pitted green olives, 2 tablespoons capers, 50g raisins and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir.
5
Add the browned chicken, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and 300ml chicken stock. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 35 minutes.
6
Adjust salt and pepper. Serve with white rice and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.