Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken)
Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken) – A Latin inspired chicken dish with big personality. Healthy, hearty and habit-forming… in a good way.
Why We Love This Pollo Rojo Recope
This easy Pollo Rojo, aka Red Pepper Chicken, is a simple chicken mole recipe that features a bold, deeply smokey, and mildly spicy, red pepper sauce, made out of reconstituted (rehydrated) New Mexico chiles.
Rehydrating dried chiles unleashes a mass of flavor and untold possibilities. I have a certain endearment to chile peppers. Although I love spicy food, that is not the reason for my appreciation. My love for chiles has more to do with their color, intensity, versatility and universal appeal.
Every country, every culinary endeavor throughout history, has been affected by the chile pepper. Even European cuisine, although generally considered mild and rich, has been deeply influenced by this ancient self-pollinating crop.
This chicken in chile sauce offers a rustic quality with a touch of sweetness that makes the chicken ridiculously exciting. Red pepper sauce is a brilliant sauce for the Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken) but is fantastic on beef and pork as well!
This Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken) recipe is a family favorite, full of healthy goodness and warming spice!
Are There Benefits to Cooking with Chiles?
In certain regions, chiles have a long legacy as a dietary staple. More than just heat, chile peppers lend vibrance to otherwise boring dishes. They offer deep smoky flavor, sweetness, and even the acidic note that certain dishes need.
As for versatility, chile peppers are used for all sorts of things around the world including: warding off pests in fields, as dyes, and to keep feet warm in socks. Loaded with Vitamin C and Capsaicin, (a powerful antioxidant) they are thought to cure:
- Migraines
- Sinus Issues
- intestinal disease
- Heart Attacks
- Cancer
- Stomach Ulcers
- High Blood Pressure
- Toothaches
- Joint Pain
- Promote Weight Loss
I love to grow fresh peppers in the summer. But this time of year, I rely heavily on the dried varieties.
Ingredients You Need
For the Sauce
- New Mexico Dried Chiles – Like Anaheims or California red chiles.
- Garlic – Whole garlic cloves work well.
- Chicken Stock – Or chicken broth, for a savory flavor!
- Cumin – Adds a latin-inspired flavor.
- Honey – To balance out the smoky and spicy flavors.
- Rice Vinegar – For a slight tang!
- Salt – To taste.
For the Chicken
- Chicken Cutlets – You can use chicken breasts and cut them into thinner pieces. If you prefer, you can also use chicken thighs.
- Oil & Butter – To sauté the chicken. You can use any cooking oil including olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Salt & Pepper – To taste!
How to Make This Pollo Rojo Recipe
Prepare a bowl of boiling hot water. Place the chiles in the water and allow them to soak for 10-15 minutes, until soft to the touch.
Remove the stems, seeds and membranes, rinsing each pepper in the bowl. Then place in a food processor or blender.
Add the garlic cloves and half the chicken stock. Puree until smooth. Then add the cumin, honey, vinegar, salt and remaining stock. Blend again until smooth. Taste and salt again if needed. The sauce should have a very intense flavor, but not be overly spicy if the seeds and membranes are properly removed.
Pro Tip! If you don’t have a high-powered food processor or blender, you might have some chunks in the sauce. For a super smooth sauce, pour the sauce through a strainer and stew until warm enough to serve.
Heat a large skillet to medium heat or medium high heat. Pat the chicken cutlets dry and salt and pepper on both sides.
Add the oil and butter to the skillet. Once melted, place half the cutlets into the pan. Sauté for 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
To serve, warm the red pepper sauce in a pot and pour the mixture over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro leaves and queso fresco and enjoy!
Pro Tip! If you are using chicken thighs, after searing on both sides, you can simmer them in the red sauce until cooked all the way through!
Serving Suggestions
This chicken with red pepper sauce is a delicious main meal that can be served with a variety of side dishes! Don’t forget some fresh sides, too, like avocados and a lime wedges! Serve this pollo rojo recipe with some of my personal favorites:
Frequently Asked Questions
Rojo literally means red, but in this case it is a red sauce that gets its color from dried red chili peppers. The result is a rich, red sauce that is smoky and slightly spicy and goes perfectly with chicken! It is very similar to a mole sauce.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days! You can store the sauce and chicken together or separately. Reheat in the microwave before serving!
Looking for More Latin-Inspired Dishes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Red Pepper Puree
- Mexican Chile Pops
- Pozole Rojo
- Achiote Chicken
- Baked Tacos
Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken)
Ingredients
For the Red Pepper Mole:
- 14-15 dried New Mexico chiles, Anaheims or California
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken stock (any stock would work)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare a bowl of boiling hot water. Place the chiles in the water and allow them to soak for 10-15 minutes, until soft to the touch.
- Remove the stems, seeds, and membranes, rinsing each pepper in the bowl. Then place in a food processor.
- Add the garlic cloves and half the chicken stock. Puree until smooth. Then add the cumin, honey, vinegar, salt and remaining stock. Puree again until smooth. Taste and salt again if needed. The sauce should have a very intense flavor, but not be overly spicy if the seeds and membranes are properly removed.
- Heat a large to medium-high heat. Pat the chicken cutlets dry and salt the pepper on both sides.
- Add the oil and butter to the skillet. Once melted, place half the cutlets in the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining cutlets.
- To serve: Warm the red pepper sauce and pour over the chicken. Garnish with cilantro leaves or queso fresco.
this was delicious! My husband is no fan of hot spicy foods and you said it wouldn’t be “hot” and it wasn’t just enough heat and so flavorful. I was a bit intimidated with the California peppers but the sauce turned out great no problems. Unfortunately my food processor broke after I was adding the stock the large pusher tube broke so the safety mechanism wouldn’t allow it ti run so I had to switch everything to my Vitamix. Just a little messy. I served it along with some roasted potatoes Thanks !
Delish
I followed to recipe to the t, but it looks nothing like the photo. The sauce turned out watery for me. Any suggestions?
Hey Melissa, I’m not sure why that would have happened. But what I would do to thicken the sauce is to place a sieve over a bowl and line in with a paper towel. Pour the sauce into the sieve and drain until the desired consistency is reached.
Let me know how it turns out!
Recipe looks fabulous. Found it on Pinterest. Can’t wait to try it!
I just made the sauce and it’s watery. Is there a thickening agent you used? I used 1 cup stock and the other ingredients and it’s not thick like the picture.