StewsMediumFree

Chicken in Walnut Sauce

Name: Chicken in Walnut Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 Fresh poblano chilli; 0.25 White onion; 1 cdita Salt; 200 g Shelled walnuts; 80 g Cream cheese; 2 cloves Garlic; 100 ml Soured cream; 1.2 kg Chicken thighs and breasts; 0.5 Pomegranate

65 min (25 prep + 40 cook) Medium 6 servings Puebla

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Chicken in creamy white walnut sauce with poblano chilli and soured cream.

About this recipe

Chicken in walnut sauce is a festive and elegant dish from Puebla: chicken thighs and breasts are bathed in a creamy white sauce of walnuts, soured cream, stock and poblano chilli, producing a dish of opulent appearance, delicate flavour and velvety texture that is the pride of Puebla banquets and highland weddings. The walnut provides an incomparable natural creaminess.

History & Origin

The walnut (Juglans regia) arrived in Mexico with the Franciscans in the 16th century and found in Puebla a perfect climate to thrive. Puebla's convent kitchens were the first to incorporate walnuts into chicken and turkey stews, following the tradition of almond and pine nut white sauces from al-Andalus. Chicken in walnut sauce is a close relative of chiles en nogada - whose nogada is also walnut-based - and shares with it the baroque elegance and white colours characteristic of Puebla's high convent cooking.

Estimated cost

£11.84

Total cost

£1.97

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

460

Calories

38g

Protein

Carbohydrates

30g

Fat

Fibre

430mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Poach the chicken in salted water with garlic, onion and peppercorns for 25 minutes until tender. Reserve the stock.
2
Peel the walnuts: soak for 5 minutes in hot water to loosen the skin. Drain and peel off the brown skin so the sauce stays white.
💡 Peeling the walnuts well prevents bitterness in the sauce.
3
Char the poblano chilli on the comal, wrap in a bag, peel and devein. Blend the peeled walnuts with the poblano, soured cream, cream cheese, garlic, onion and 150 ml of stock until a smooth, white sauce.
4
Heat the walnut sauce in a casserole over low heat, without boiling, stirring constantly so it does not split.
💡 Walnut sauce must NOT boil or it will split.
5
Add the cooked chicken to the warm sauce. Heat for 5 minutes over very low heat. Adjust salt.
6
Serve the chicken generously coated in walnut sauce. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Serve alongside white rice.