This comforting and spicy pollo a la diabla recipe is just what your week needs! Guajillo and chipotle peppers are puréed with tomatoes and garlic to provide a rich base then chicken thighs get a good browning before simmering in that spicy sauce until tender and infused with flavor. Delish!
Pollo a la diabla, which translates to “chicken in devil’s sauce,” is a classic Mexican dish known for its spicy kick. While some versions might leave you reaching for a fire extinguisher, this recipe dials back the heat just a touch, allowing the smoky richness of the chiles to shine.
Don’t worry, spice lovers – there’s still plenty of room for customization, we’ll get to that later.
You may be more familiar with diablo shrimp which uses this same bright red chile sauce and succulent shrimp, but it goes equally well with juicy chicken thighs or drumsticks.
The first time I made it I used diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts and the meat was a little dry and chewy—dark meat is definitely the way to go, much juicier and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
The next time I made it, I poached the chicken first in a large pan, like I do for my salsa verde chicken tacos, which is typical of a more authentic Mexican recipe, but I honestly like this braised chicken method better.
The skin gets caramelized and releases some of its fat into the pan which makes an overall richer, more complex sauce.
If you cook Mexican cuisine with any regularity you probably have all these ingredients already in the house. What are you waiting for?
What Is Pollo A La Diabla?
According to Larousse Cocina Dictionary of Mexican cuisine, anything “a la diabla” indicates something very spicy that uses different fiery chiles depending on the region.
These types of sauces are usually made for fish or seafood that are either fried or grilled and covered with the sauce or cooked in it.
In this case we are cooking tender pieces of chicken in this fiery red sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Pollo A La Diabla Recipe
- Easy; just blend the sauce and brown the chicken and combine
- An excellent make-ahead dish—the robust flavors taste even better the next day!
- A great weeknight meal
- Just like my easy enchilada sauce, this recipe has a spicy, rich, smoky sauce with just a few ingredients
- Healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free, low carb and keto-friendly
Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
- Dried guajillo chiles. A mild dried red pepper.
- Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Add more if you want to raise the heat level of the sauce. See my favorite brands of canned chipotle peppers before buying.
- Roma tomatoes or any other ripe, juicy tomatoes.
- White onion or red onion.
- Garlic fresh cloves, peeled.
- Chicken broth to make the sauce, saucy.
- Kosher salt. I always use Morton’s kosher salt unless otherwise noted.
- Canola oil or olive oil.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks or both.
- Limes. Cut into wedges and serve with the chicken for squeezing lime juice over the top.
- Sour cream. Optional but I like to add a dollop to each plate.
- Black pepper. For seasoning the chicken.
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Soak the dried chiles. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling remove from the heat, add the dried chili peppers, and push them down to submerge them in the water. Let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate.
step two
Brown the chicken. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken, skin-side down in the pan and let cook, undisturbed until it is golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove from the heat. Set the chicken aside to a plate and save the pan for the sauce.
step three
Make the sauce. Once chiles have soaked and are soft, remove them from the water and add to a blender or food processor along with the chipotles, garlic cloves, white onion, tomatoes, salt, and a cup chicken broth. Blend the mixture until smooth.
step four
Simmer chicken in sauce. Return pan to medium heat. Once the oil that was leftover from browning the chicken is shimmering, pour the diabla sauce and stir, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Bring sauce to a boil then lower heat and add chicken pieces and any juices back to the pan. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is fall-apart tender.
step five
Serve. Enjoy chicken with a dollop of sour cream over steamed white rice or Mexican rice, refried beans and warm tortillas and lots of lime wedges for squeezing fresh lime juice over the chicken. Any leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How To Control The Spice
If you want to add extra spice to the sauce you can soak a few chile de arbol peppers along with the guajillos or just add more chipotles to the blender. If you want to lower the heat, add fewer chipotles, or add just a tablespoon of the adobo sauce that the chipotles come in. Or leave out the chipotles all together and just go with the guajillo chiles.
Top 5 Most Popular Mexican Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Flautas Mexicanas
- Enchiladas Verdes with Chicken
- Chicken Mole Verde
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Chicken Tomatillo Stew
How Good Does This Pollo A La Diabla Look?
The smoky flavors, the melt-in-your-mouth chicken, the luscious sauce—it’s all a dream! When you make it, snap me a pic and tag me @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno on Instagram so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Pollo A La Diabla
This comforting and spicy pollo a la diabla recipe is just what your week needs! Guajillo and chipotle peppers are puréed with tomatoes and garlic to provide a rich base then chicken thighs get a good browning before simmering in that spicy sauce until tender and infused with flavor. Delish!
Ingredients
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2-3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks or a combination of both
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 5 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 pound (about 3 medium) tomatoes, cored and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 large white onion, quartered
- 1 cup chicken broth
For Serving
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- Steamed white rice, brown rice, or Mexican rice
- Refried beans
- Warm corn or flour tortillas
- Arugula tossed with lime juice, olive oil, and salt
Instructions
- Soak chiles. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the 6 dried guajillo chiles and submerge under the water. Cover and let sit 30 minutes.
- Brown chicken. Meanwhile, season the chicken pieces all over with the 2 teaspoons kosher salt and the 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Heat the 2 tablespoons of canola oil a large skillet (large enough that it will fit all the chicken pieces and the sauce) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces skin-side down and let cook, undisturbed, until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove pan from the heat and remove chicken to a plate. Save the pan for the sauce.
- Make the sauce. Remove the guajillo chiles from the water and place in a blender along with the 5 chipotle chiles, the 3 tomatoes, the 3 cloves garlic, the 1/2 white onion, the 1 cup chicken broth and the 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend until smooth.
- Fry the sauce. Return the large skillet to medium-high heat. Once the oil leftover from browning the chicken is sizzling, pour the sauce into the pan and cook, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer the chicken. Add the chicken pieces back to the pan with the sauce. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cook until chicken is fall apart tender, about 30 minutes.
- Serve. Enjoy the chicken with rice and beans, a crunchy arugula salad and warm tortillas. Garnish each plate with a dollop of sour cream and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over everything.
Notes
- Serving suggestions: Other garnishes to pair with this dish include: sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro, and pickled red onions.
- With shrimp: If you enjoy the flavors of this dish, try swapping the chicken for shrimp. You don't need to brown the shrimp first, just add it to the sauce in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes or until firm.
- Chicken breast: While dark meat is preferred, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Reduce simmering time to 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Spice control: Start with less chipotle chiles in adobo and gradually add more to taste. You can also substitute some of the adobo sauce for milder flavor.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 781Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 1165mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 7gSugar: 8gProtein: 43g
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