Ingredients
Chicken and sauce
- 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs about 2 lb total
- 1 cup raw hulled unsalted pepitas about 130 g
- 12 ounces tomatillos husked and rinsed
- 1 poblano chile stemmed and seeded
- 1 serrano chile optional, to taste
- 1/2 white onion cut into wedges
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems loosely packed
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth divided, plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt plus more to taste
- 2 cups cooked white rice warmed, for serving
Equipment
- Large oven-safe skillet or broiler pan
- Blender
- Wide heavy skillet with lid
- Food thermometer
Instructions
Make pipián verde
- Set a dry skillet over medium heat. Add pepitas and stir 3 to 5 minutes until some puff and begin to pop; do not brown them deeply. Transfer to a plate.
- Broil the tomatillos, poblano, optional serrano, onion and garlic on a lined pan for 8 to 12 minutes, turning once, until softened with some charred spots. Let cool slightly.
- Blend the toasted pepitas, softened vegetables, cilantro and 1 1/2 cups broth until very smooth. Add a little more broth if the blender needs help.
- Pat chicken dry. Heat oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium-high heat and brown thighs for about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; they are not cooked through yet.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet, add salt and simmer 5 minutes, stirring. Return the chicken and any juices. Cover and simmer gently 25 to 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of each thigh reaches 165°F, avoiding the bone when measuring. Thin sauce with remaining broth as needed.
- Taste the sauce for salt. Divide warm rice among four plates, add one thigh each and spoon over the pipián.
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 37gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 630mgFiber: 5gSugar: 5g
Notes
Use unsalted pepitas. For mild sauce, omit the serrano. The sauce thickens as it sits; thin with broth. Nutrition and cost are estimates and include 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving.
