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Pollo en Jocón

A traditional Guatemalan dish — Pollo en Jocón is the home-style version of the highlands’ famous green stew: chicken simmered in a vivid sauce of tomatillos, cilantro, and green chiles, with potatoes soaking up all that herbal goodness.

⏱ 25 minPrep time
🔥 60 minCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Pollo en Jocón - Guatemalan cuisine

A traditional Guatemalan dish — Pollo en Jocón is the home-style version of the highlands’ famous green stew: chicken simmered in a vivid sauce of tomatillos, cilantro, and green chiles, with potatoes soaking up all that herbal goodness. It is the sort of meal Guatemalan grandmothers make on ordinary days — bright, tangy, and gently spicy. Serve it with rice and let the sauce do the talking.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Season the chicken with salt and brown it well in oil in a heavy pot; set aside.
  2. Boil the tomatillos in water for 8 minutes until soft; drain.
  3. Blend the tomatillos with the chiles, cilantro, onion, garlic, and cumin into a smooth green recado.
  4. Cook the recado in the pot for 5 minutes, stirring, until it turns a deeper green and smells fragrant.
  5. Return the chicken to the pot, add the broth, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
  6. Add the potatoes and cook for 20 minutes more, until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are soft.
  7. Season with salt and serve with white rice and warm tortillas.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Blending the sauce until silky is the secret — a chunky sauce won't coat the chicken the same way. For extra depth, char the tomatillos instead of boiling them.

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Recipe details

Prep25 min
Cook60 min
Servings6
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →