Guatemalan Pepián Chicken Quinoa with Sesame and Nuts

Name: Guatemalan Pepián Chicken Quinoa with Sesame and Nuts
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 4 large (about 2 lb) (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry; ¾ tsp (4½ g) kosher salt; ½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or canola); 4 large (50 g) dried guajillo or ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; ¾ cup (95 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas); ⅓ cup (50 g) sesame seeds; ⅓ cup (40 g) raw almonds; 4 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, peeled; 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, quartered; 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced; 1 tsp (5 g) cumin seeds; ½ tsp (2½ g) coriander seeds; 3 whole (½ g) whole cloves; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground cinnamon; 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste; 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice; 1½ cups (270 g) white quinoa, rinsed; 3 cups (720 ml) water; ½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional); for serving lime wedges (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A vibrant stovetop dish featuring tender chicken thighs in a rich, aromatic pepián sauce made from toasted pumpkin seeds, sesame, dried chiles, and warming spices, served over fluffy quinoa. This traditional Guatemalan-inspired sauce is thickened with ground seeds and nuts, creating a complex, deeply flavored dish that's both comforting and elegant.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 1¼ cups quinoa and 1 chicken thigh per person)

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Ingredients

4 servings

4 large (about 2 lb) (900 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
¾ tsp (4.5 g) kosher salt
½ tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
4 large (50 g) dried guajillo or ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
¾ cup (95 g) raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
⅓ cup (50 g) sesame seeds
⅓ cup (40 g) raw almonds
4 cloves (20 g) garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, quartered
1 tbsp (15 g) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tsp (5 g) cumin seeds
½ tsp (2.5 g) coriander seeds
3 whole (0.5 g) whole cloves
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon
2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice
1½ cups (270 g) white quinoa, rinsed
3 cups (720 ml) water
½ tsp (3 g) kosher salt
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
for serving lime wedges (optional)

Equipment (7)

Large heavy skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch)
Medium saucepan with lid
Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
Small skillet for toasting
Blender or food processor
Chef's knife and cutting board
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Pat chicken thighs dry before searing so they brown well
Toast the dried chiles lightly to awaken their flavor, then soak them
Have all spices and ingredients prepped and within reach—this sauce comes together quickly once you begin

1
Toast and soak chiles
- Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat.
- Add the stemmed and seeded dried chiles and toast for 30–45 seconds per side, pressing gently with a spatula until fragrant and darkened slightly.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with 1 cup hot water, and let soak for 10 minutes until softened.
- Reserve the soaking liquid.
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Ready when: Chiles are pliable and have deepened in color
Tip: Don't over-toast—chiles can turn bitter. You want them fragrant but still flexible.
2
Toast spices and seeds
- In the same small skillet, combine cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and cloves.
- Toast over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind coarsely.
- Add the ground cinnamon to the ground spices and stir to combine.
- Add sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds to the skillet and toast separately for 2–3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until lightly golden and fragrant.
- Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the toasted sesame seeds for garnish; transfer the rest of the sesame and pumpkin seeds to the mortar with the ground spices and cinnamon.
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Ready when: Seeds are lightly golden and smell toasted; spices are fragrant
Tip: Toast seeds and spices separately so you can control their timing—seeds brown faster than whole spices.
3
Start quinoa
- In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil.
- Add the rinsed quinoa and 0.5 tsp kosher salt.
- Stir once, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender with a visible white germ.
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Ready when: Water is fully absorbed; quinoa grains are fluffy and show a thin white tail
Tip: Start the quinoa early so it finishes around the same time as the sauce.
4
Season and sear chicken
- Season the patted-dry chicken thighs evenly with 0.75 tsp kosher salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper on both sides.
- Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 2 minutes).
- Working in two batches if needed to avoid crowding, place chicken skin-side down in the hot oil and sear for 5–6 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crispy.
- Flip and sear the other side for 2–3 minutes until golden.
- Transfer to a plate.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden brown and renders some fat; interior is cooked through (165°F internal temperature)
Tip: Don't move the chicken once it hits the hot oil—let it sit to develop a proper crust.
5
Build the pepián base
- In the same skillet with the rendered chicken fat, add the quartered onion and sauté over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until just starting to soften.
- Add the peeled garlic cloves and sliced ginger, and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent at edges; garlic and ginger are fragrant
Tip: The rendered chicken fat adds depth—don't skip this base.
6
Blend the pepián sauce
- Transfer the softened onion, garlic, and ginger to a blender.
- Drain the soaked chiles, reserving the soaking liquid.
- Add the drained chiles, toasted pumpkin seeds and sesame (except the reserved seeds for garnish), almonds, tomato paste, and 1 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid to the blender.
- Purée until completely smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
- You may need to work in batches or add a splash of the broth if the mixture is too thick.
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Ready when: Sauce is completely smooth with no grainy bits or chile seeds visible
Tip: A completely smooth sauce is essential—it should be the consistency of heavy cream.
7
Simmer sauce with chickenOven 165°F / 75°C
- Pour the blended pepián sauce into the skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute to warm it through and deglaze the pan.
- Add 2 cups chicken broth and stir well to combine.
- Return the seared chicken thighs to the skillet, nestling them skin-side up into the sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 18–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone).
- The sauce should bubble gently at the edges and reduce slightly.
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Ready when: Chicken reaches 165°F; sauce coats the back of a spoon and is no longer watery
Tip: Keep the heat at medium-low to avoid breaking the sauce or drying out the chicken skin.
8
Finish and season
- Remove the skillet from heat.
- Stir in the 2 tbsp fresh lime juice.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt or lime juice as needed.
- The pepián should taste balanced: slightly spicy from the chiles, nutty from the seeds, warm from the spices, and bright from the lime.
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Tip: Add lime juice off the heat to preserve its fresh flavor.
9
Fluff quinoa and plate
- When the quinoa is ready, fluff it gently with a fork and divide among four shallow bowls or plates.
- Spoon a chicken thigh and generous pepián sauce over each serving of quinoa.
- Garnish with the reserved toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro if desired.
- Serve with lime wedges on the side.
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Tip: Reserve some toasted seeds for garnish to add texture and a final burst of flavor.

Good to know

Tips

Toast your spices and seeds just before use—this releases their essential oils and deepens their flavor, which is essential to pepián.
The sauce should be completely smooth; any graininess means it hasn't been blended long enough. A immersion blender works well if you prefer not to transfer to a countertop blender.
If the pepián sauce breaks or looks separated, whisk in a tablespoon of cold broth off the heat to emulsify it back together.
This dish pairs beautifully with warm corn tortillas, pickled vegetables (like curtido), or a simple green salad dressed with lime and oil.

Make ahead

Prepare the chile soaking and toasted spice blend up to 8 hours ahead; store in airtight containers. Sear the chicken thighs up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate. On serving day, reheat the chicken and build the sauce as directed.

Storage & reheating

Leftovers keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce and chicken actually deepen in flavor overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened. Do not freeze the quinoa (it becomes mushy), but the pepián sauce can be frozen separately for up to 2 months; thaw overnight and reheat before serving over freshly cooked quinoa.

Substitutions

raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) → sunflower seeds. Use the same amount; toasted sunflower seeds provide a similar nutty richness and thickening power.
dried guajillo or ancho chiles → dried mulato or pasilla chiles. These are milder and slightly sweeter than guajillo; use the same amount but taste and adjust seasonings.
raw almonds → raw walnuts or hazelnuts. Use the same weight; they add body to the sauce with a slightly different flavor profile.
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Use 1.5 lb (675 g) total; sear for 4 minutes per side and reduce simmering time to 12–15 minutes.