Jocón de pollo
Jocón
Green Guatemalan chicken stew — tomatillo, coriander and spring onion, thickened with toasted tortilla.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Jocón.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Jocón is the green one. Chicken in a sauce of tomatillos, coriander, spring onion and green chilli, thickened with toasted tortilla so it coats a spoon rather than running off it. It is tart and grassy, the opposite of pepián's smoky depth, though both come from the same highland kitchens and the same method: poach the chicken, blend the sauce in its broth, fry the sauce, put the two back together. This version uses fresh tomatillos and a blender and is done in a little over an hour. White rice on the side is part of the dish, not a suggestion.
What you'll need
14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Chicken, bone-in pieces1.2 kg
- Water1.2 l
- Tomatillo, husked and rinsed500 g
- Coriander, a big bunch, stalks and all60 g
- Spring onion, roughly chopped6
- Green pepper, seeded, chopped1 medium
- Fresh chilli, jalapeño or serrano, seeded for less heat2
- Onion, quartered1 medium
- Garlic3 clove
- Corn tortilla, toasted dry until stiff and spotted2
- Neutral oil30 ml
- Salt9.9 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
- Rice, cooked plain, to serve (optional)300 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Simmer the chicken in the water with the onion, garlic and salt until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Skim as it comes to the boil. Lift out the chicken and keep the broth.
30 min
Step 2
Boil the tomatillos in a little of the broth for 5 minutes until they turn olive-green and soften. Toast the tortillas in a dry pan until stiff.
8 min
Step 3
Blend the tomatillos, the cooked onion and garlic from the pot, coriander, spring onion, green pepper, chilli and torn tortillas with about 400 ml of broth until smooth and bright green.
4 min
Tip: Blend in two batches if your jug is small. A thin sauce means you added too much broth; it will reduce.
Step 4
Heat the oil in a wide pan and fry the green sauce for 8 minutes, stirring, until it stops tasting raw and thickens slightly. Season with pepper and more salt.
8 min
Step 5
Return the chicken to the sauce with enough broth to half-cover it. Simmer 15 minutes. The sauce should cling to the chicken. Serve over rice with tortillas.
15 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 623 kcal
- Protein
- 80.2 g
- Carbs
- 36.1 g
- Fat
- 15.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.1 g
- Fibre
- 4.8 g
- Sugar
- 7.7 g
- Sodium
- 1450 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Toasted tortilla → 2 tbsp masa harina slaked in broth
Same corn thickening, slightly smoother sauce.
Tips
- Keep the coriander stalks in. They carry more flavour than the leaves and the blender takes care of the texture.
- The colour dulls as it cooks. That is normal; a handful of fresh coriander at the end brightens it again.
History & culture
A Huehuetenango dish by reputation, now cooked across Guatemala and offered in almost every comedor that lists a plato típico. It is weekday-possible where pepián is not. Served with rice and tortillas, sometimes slices of avocado, and a bowl of chirmol on the table for anyone who wants it hotter.
Jocón descends from Maya green sauces of miltomate, the small wild tomatillo, and fresh herbs. The chicken came with the Spanish. Pumpkin seed sometimes replaces tortilla as the thickener. In 2007 Guatemala named jocón part of its national cultural heritage together with pepián and kak'ik.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Jocón de pollo take?
1 hr 20 min all in — 20 min prep, 1 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 5 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
5 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot, Blender, Frying pan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Toasted tortilla → 2 tbsp masa harina slaked in broth. Same corn thickening, slightly smoother sauce.
Any tips from this recipe?
Keep the coriander stalks in. They carry more flavour than the leaves and the blender takes care of the texture. The colour dulls as it cooks. That is normal; a handful of fresh coriander at the end brightens it again.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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