National Dish Guatemala: Pepián (Recipe)
In this article
Pepián is one of the oldest dishes still cooked in Guatemala, and it is built on toasted seeds. Sesame and pumpkin seeds are dry-roasted, ground, and used to thicken a sauce of charred tomato, chilli and onion. No flour, no cream, just seeds.
About Pepián
Pepián is Mayan in origin with Spanish additions, and Guatemala declared it part of the national cultural heritage in 2007. The technique that defines it is recado: charring the vegetables on a dry comal before blending them, which gives the sauce a smoky depth that raw ingredients cannot.
Chicken is the usual meat, though beef and pork versions exist.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500g chicken breast, cut into pieces
- 2 tomatoes, roasted
- 1 large onion, halved and roasted
- 2 garlic cloves, roasted
- 1 red pepper, roasted and deseeded
- 2 guajillo chillies, deseeded and soaked in warm water
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh coriander, to garnish
Shopping for the ingredients
Guajillo and pasilla chillies are sold dried in Latin American shops and online. Buy pepitas, hulled pumpkin seeds, not the ones still in their shells. Chicken thighs on the bone give a better sauce than breast, since the bones enrich the stock it simmers in.
Preparing the dish
Char the tomatoes, onion, garlic and pepper directly on a dry pan or under a grill until blackened in patches. Toast the seeds separately in a dry pan until they pop and smell nutty, then cool them before grinding or they turn to paste.
Step-by-step instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper in a large pot, sear it briefly, then remove it from the pot.
- Place the roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, pepper and soaked guajillo chillies in a blender and purée to a smooth paste.
- Return the paste to the pot and let it simmer over medium heat for a few minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the chicken back in and pour over the chicken stock. Stir in the cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Grind the toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds in a mortar and add them to the pot. Combine well and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Once simmered, lift out the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Return it to the pot and heat until the meat is cooked through.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Pepián is naturally gluten-free, since seeds rather than flour do the thickening, and contains no dairy. It is one of the more accommodating national dishes. Check the stock only.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
The seed-thickened sauce is the dish and it does not need meat. Guatemalan cooks make a vegetable pepián with green beans, chayote and potato in vegetable stock, and it is a real dish. Mole de plátano is the sweet counterpart.
More tips and tricks
Char the vegetables properly, to actual black patches, not just softened. That smoke is the flavour. Toast the seeds until they pop and then cool them. And strain the blended sauce if you want the smooth texture served in restaurants, though home versions are usually left as they are.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Pepián de res uses beef and takes longer. A tortilla toasted and blended into the sauce thickens it further, which is the traditional trick. More chilli varieties give more complexity.
Ingredient substitutions
Pasilla or ancho chillies work alongside or instead of guajillo. Sunflower seeds can replace some of the pumpkin seeds. Chicken, beef and pork are all used.
Drink pairing ideas
Guatemalan coffee afterwards, which is worth the trip on its own. Horchata or rosa de jamaica with the meal. A cold Gallo lager is the everyday choice.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it with white rice and warm corn tortillas, which are used to scoop rather than as a side. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the chicken. Coriander over the top.
A bit of history
Pepián predates the Spanish conquest and the seed-thickening technique is Mayan; cinnamon and chicken came later. It survives most strongly around Antigua and Chimaltenango. Its 2007 designation as intangible cultural heritage was part of a wider effort to recognise indigenous contributions to Guatemalan cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Pepián
Pepián is chicken in a sauce of charred vegetables thickened with toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds. Char the vegetables to blackening, toast the seeds until they pop, and grind them cool.
