Guatemalan stew is a hearty stew with a rich and tangy tomatillo sauce. You don’t have to be from Central America to appreciate this meal!
I learned this recipe many years ago for our youngest son Joshua, who is from Guatemala, but our whole family looks forward to it every time I make it. It’s great served over white rice along with some corn tortillas for soaking up all that flavorful sauce.
How to make Guatemalan stew
In a large pot, boil 4 bone-in chicken breasts along with 1 pound of husked and rinsed tomatillos, a stemmed and halved jalapeño pepper, and 1 Tbsp salt for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Drain the chicken, tomatillos, and jalapeno and set aside. Reserve the cooking broth.
While the chicken is boiling, in a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 6 chopped green onions, 3 cloves chopped garlic, and a green bell pepper that has been cored, seeded, and chopped and sautee until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the sautéed veggies, the boiled tomatillos and jalapeño, 4 corn tortillas torn into small pieces, and 3 cups of the broth from the chicken to a blender and blend until smooth. Work in batches if necessary.
Artzy Foodie Tip: When adding hot liquid to a blender, fill only half way, remove the center piece of the lid, and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Add the sauce to a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add 1 tsp salt and the juice of a lime, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the bone and shred. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer another 10 minutes.
Serve over your favorite rice with corn tortillas or corn chips.
Get out of your comfort zone and take a visit to Central America. You’re going to love Guatemalan stew!
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Guatemalan Stew
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken breasts
- 1 pound tomatillos husked and rinsed
- 1 jalapeno pepper stemmed and halved
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 Cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 6 green onions roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 green pepper cored, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 4 corn tortillas torn into pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- the juice of 1 lime
- cooked white rice and corn tortillas or corn chips for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, add chicken, tomatillos, jalapeño pepper, and 1 Tbsp salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Drain, reserving the broth, and set aside chicken, tomatillos, and jalapeño.
- While chicken is boiling, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add cilantro, green onions, garlic, and green pepper, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to blender and add tortillas, 3 cups of the reserved broth, tomatillos, and jalapeño and blend until smooth.
- Transfer to a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add 1 tsp salt and lime juice, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken from bone and shred. Add to sauce and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Serve over rice with corn tortillas or corn chips.
Niki, the flavors in the stew sound AMAZING!! I love tomatillos and cilantro and pretty much anything. Such a great recipe. And BTW – your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you!