Pollo A La Diabla

Kate Ramos

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!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Soaking Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 781

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Video Notes

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

Equipment

Method

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 781kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 43gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 1165mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8g

Video

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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