Gallo en chicha is a festive Guatemalan stew of rooster cooked in a chicha (fermented fruit drink) sauce, considered a traditional delicacy shared with Salvadoran cuisine.
It’s a special dish reserved for important celebrations, valued for the complex sweet-and-sour flavor the chicha imparts to the meat.
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Guatemalan Rooster in Chicha
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Guatemalan
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg of rooster, in pieces (about 3.3 lb)
- 500 ml of chicha (fermented fruit drink) (about 2 cups)
- 4 of tomatoes, roasted
- 1 of onion, roasted
- 3 cloves of garlic, roasted
- 2 of pasilla chiles, toasted and soaked
- 1 of cinnamon stick
- 3 of allspice berries
- to taste of salt
- to taste of oil
Instructions
- Brown the rooster, sear the rooster pieces in hot oil until browned on all sides. Set aside.
- Make the sauce, blend the roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and soaked chiles until smooth.
- Cook the sauce, sauté the blended sauce in the same pot, adding the cinnamon and allspice.
- Add the rooster, return the rooster pieces to the pot along with the sauce.
- Add the chicha, pour the chicha over the rooster and sauce, and cook over low heat until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.
- Adjust seasoning, correct the salt to taste.
- Serve, serve hot, with white rice and tortillas.
Tips for getting it right
- Browning the rooster well before adding the sauce gives the final dish a deeper flavor.
- Rooster takes longer to cook than chicken, since its meat is firmer.
- Chicha gives the dish its characteristic sweet-and-sour flavor; its quality directly affects the final result.
- It’s a dish traditionally reserved for special occasions and family celebrations.
Traditional variations
- It’s a dish shared with Salvadoran cuisine, considered a traditional delicacy in both countries.
- Some families add dried fruit, like raisins, to the sauce to intensify the sweet-and-sour flavor.
How to serve
Gallo en chicha is served hot, in a deep bowl, with white rice and corn tortillas.
It’s a festive dish, traditionally reserved for special celebrations in Guatemala.
Recommended sides
- White rice
- Corn tortillas
Did you know?
Gallo en chicha is considered a traditional delicacy shared between Guatemala and El Salvador.
The chicha used in this dish is a fermented fruit drink, distinct from the region’s other corn-based chichas.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a festive Guatemalan stew of rooster cooked in a sauce based on chicha, a fermented fruit drink.
No, it's a dish shared with Salvadoran cuisine, where it's also considered a traditional delicacy.
Rooster is traditionally used for its firmer meat and more intense flavor, though it requires longer cooking.
It's a festive dish, traditionally reserved for special celebrations and important family gatherings.
