Pollo en Recado Negro (Yucatecan Blackened Chile Chicken)
Chicken cooked in a sauce of charred chiles with Yucatecan spices.
About this recipe
Pollo en recado negro, also known as chilmole, is a dark Yucatecan stew where chicken is cooked in a sauce of intentionally charred chiles.
History & Origin
Pollo en recado negro, also known as chilmole, is one of the most mysterious dishes of Yucatecan gastronomy. What makes it unique is the black recado: a paste made from dried chiles intentionally burned to charcoal. This technique produces a deeply smoky, bittersweet and earthy flavour. Ancho and mulato chiles are toasted to carbonisation, then ground with spices and epazote. The chilmole has a central role in Yucatecan ceremonial gastronomy: it is an essential component of relleno negro, a giant tamal for weddings.
Estimated cost
$7.25
Total cost
$1.21
Per serving
* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets
Nutritional information per serving
360
Calories
32g
Protein
20g
Carbohydrates
16g
Fat
3g
Fiber
600mg
Sodium
* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.
Method
- 1
Quema 6 chiles ancho y 4 chiles mulato en comal seco hasta carbonizados. Remójalos 20 minutos.
💡 Esto NO es un error: los chiles deben estar carbonizados. Hazlo con ventilación.
- 2
Licua los chiles con ajo, cebolla asada, pimienta gorda, clavos, comino, orégano yucateco, epazote y sal.
- 3
Cuela la pasta negra. Fríela en cacerola con aceite 5 minutos.
- 4
Añade 1.2 kg de pollo en piezas y 3 jitomates asados licuados. Cubre con caldo de pollo.
- 5
Cocina tapado a fuego medio-bajo 40 minutos.
- 6
Sirve con arroz blanco, tortillas y cebolla morada encurtida.
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Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for European kitchens. Based in Madrid since 2018.
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