Guatemalan Chicken in Yellow Achiote Sauce

Pollo en amarillo is a Guatemalan chicken stew in a thick yellow sauce made with achiote, tomato, and spices, with vegetables cooked in the same broth.

It’s one of the most commonly made stews in Guatemalan homes, valued for its mild flavor and relatively simple preparation.

Guatemalan Chicken in Yellow Achiote Sauce

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• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Guatemalan

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 kg of chicken, in pieces (about 2.2 lb)
• 4 of tomatoes, roasted
• 1 of onion, roasted
• 3 cloves of garlic, roasted
• 1 tablespoon of achiote (annatto)
• 1/4 cup of corn masa (to thicken)
• 3 of potatoes, in pieces
• 2 of chayote squash, in pieces
• 2 of carrots, in pieces
• to taste of salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Cook the chicken, boil the chicken pieces in salted water until tender, reserving the broth.
2. Blend the sauce, blend the roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic together with the achiote and a little broth until you get a smooth sauce.
3. Thicken, dissolve the corn masa in cold water and add it to the blended sauce.
4. Cook the stew, pour the sauce into the pot with the chicken and broth, and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring.
5. Add the vegetables, add the potatoes, chayote, and carrot, and cook until tender.
6. Adjust seasoning, correct the salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve, serve hot, with white rice and tortillas.

Tips for getting it right

• Achiote is the ingredient that gives pollo en amarillo its characteristic color; it shouldn’t be left out.
• Roasting the tomatoes, onion, and garlic before blending gives the sauce a deeper flavor.
• The corn masa should be fully dissolved in cold water before adding it, to avoid lumps.
• It’s a mild-flavored stew, ideal for those just starting to explore traditional Guatemalan cooking.

Traditional variations

• It’s one of the most commonly made stews in Guatemalan homes for its simplicity and mild flavor.
• Some families add green beans alongside the potatoes and chayote.

How to serve

Pollo en amarillo is served hot, in a deep bowl, with white rice and corn tortillas.

It’s an everyday dish, very popular in Guatemalan home cooking.

Recommended sides

• White rice
• Corn tortillas

Did you know?

The characteristic yellow color of this stew comes from achiote, an essential ingredient in several Guatemalan stews.

It’s one of the most accessible dishes to prepare within the tradition of Guatemalan stews, ideal for everyday cooking.