This beautiful, Marinated Achiote Chicken Recipe, also called Pollo Pibil, is juicy, succulent, and full of rich, deep Mexican flavors.
I'm not an authority on Mexican cuisine -- a local in Loreto, Mexico gave me a rough idea of ingredients and instructions for this dish.
When I was in Loreto, Mexico I visited an fantastic shop that I loved, Semillas y Especias el Gavilan, which translated means “Seeds and Spices Sparrow Hawk.” It was in this store that I learned this amazing Achiote chicken recipe.
Gabriel Vazquez owns and runs the shop, which isn’t just full of seeds and spices. This tiny shop also holds the largest dried pepper selection in Loreto.
A bought a bunch of Guajillo chile peppers -- hey were such a pretty, deep red color that I couldn't resist.
I asked Gabriel what he cooks with them, and he started telling me about a chicken recipe he makes for his friends.
Achiote Chicken Recipe
Gabriel immediately grabbed the achiote paste off another shelf, and off the top of his head, he described what I’m calling Marinated Achiote Chicken Recipe.
I was hanging on his every word as he so kindly, generously shared his creation with me.
When he mentioned adding orange juice, I was in. I imagined how delicious that tangy sweetness would be with the smoky guajillo peppers and the achiote paste.
I've also created a vegetarian counterpart to this recipe: Achiote Roasted Cauliflower.
Gabriel Vasquez inside his store, Semillas y Especias el Gavilan.
The Ingredients
- dried Guajillo peppers - Guajillos are available in any Mexican market, some larger grocery stores, and you can get them here on Amazon. (See below for more details.)
- Achiote paste - You can find Achiote paste in any Mexican market, some larger grocery stores, and you can get it here on Amazon. (See below for more details.)
- orange juice - Preferably freshly squeezed.
- fresh garlic - Use firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter. (Pro tip: If there are green shoots in garlic, slice the cloves in half and remove them with the tip of a paring knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
- chicken - This recipe uses bone-in, skinless pieces of chicken. Fresh raw chicken should be a light pink color with white pieces of fat, little to no odor, soft and moist.
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
How to Make it
- Add the Guajillo peppers and water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it stand for 30 minutes.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the hydrated peppers.
(Leave some seeds if you want more heat.)
- Add the hydrated peppers and the water to a blender along with the achiote paste, orange juice and garlic, and blend until smooth. It's the most beautiful brick-red color.
- Add the chicken pieces to a large zip-lock bag and pour in the achiote marinade, which shouldn’t be hot because of the addition of the orange juice. Move the chicken pieces around to be sure they’re all well coated, remove the air from the bag and seal it. Then put this in another large zip-lock bag to ensure it doesn’t leak. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and once the chicken is done marinating, add it, and all of the marinade to a large enough baking dish to hold the everything snugly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake just until it’s cooked through, about 45 minutes. Flip the pieces over about halfway through the cooking time and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once it’s cooked through, flip the chicken over once more, sprinkle sightly with a bit more salt, and serve.
What are Guajillo Chile Peppers?
- Available year round, Guajillos are currently one of the most commonly grown chile peppers in Mexico.
- Unlike many dried peppers, Guajillos have the same name whether they’re fresh or dried, though they’re most commonly found in their dried form.
- Guajillo chile peppers have a sweet, smoky flavor that’s especially delicious in sauces and marinades.
What is Achiote Paste?
- Achiote is another name for annatto seeds.
- Achiote paste, which is typically formed into a small block, is a Mexican ingredient that consists of ground annatto seeds and various spices that might include cumin, pepper, coriander, oregano, cloves, and garlic.
- A gorgeous deep red color, achiote paste originated in the Yucatán region of Mexico and can be used in sauces, marinades or rubs.
- The mild flavor of achiote paste is slightly sweet and peppery.
Substitutions
- If you'd like to substitute the bone-in chicken for boneless, skinless thighs or breasts, go for it. (You will need about 2 ½-pounds.)
- Guajillo chile pepeprs. The best substitute for Guajillos are Ancho chile peppers. (The flavor will be a bit more smoky and bitter.)
- The best achiote paste substitute in my experience is paprika paste, with the addition garlic, cumin and oregano. (For this recipe, use the amount of paprika paste listed for the achiote paste, and add 1 large garlic clove, ½ teaspoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon ground oregano.)
Recipe Tips
- When you remove the Guajillos from the water, they will likely be full of water inside. When you remove their stems, pour the water that's inside them into the blender over a small strainer to hold the seeds back. (This is highly flavorful water!)
- When you buy a whole, cut-up chicken, the skin is almost always still on. If you have any trouble removing it, pull it with a paper towel. It'll come off easily this way -- especially on the legs and wings.
Serving Suggestions
Achiote chicken is delicious with so many different side dishes. Below are a few of my favorites to serve with it.
Sometimes I make the Achiote sauce/marinade and serve it on it's own, right out of the blender, with tortilla chips. It's so delicious!
I baked the chicken in my Chamba pottery baking dish -- it can go on the fire, in the oven, and is beautiful to serve in.
Making it Ahead
- Since the chicken is cooked on the bone, it will be extra juicy and will be delicious for a few days.
- You can make the entire dish up to 3 days ahead. Let it cool completely, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The day you're serving it, remove it from the fridge about an hour before dinner. Heat it in a preheated 375°F oven just until it's hot, about 10 minutes.
I seriously encourage you to make this Marinated Achiote Chicken recipe (Pollo Pibil). It is truly out of this world.
Enjoy!
Marinated Achiote Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 dried Guajillo chile peppers (about 6-inch)
- 1 cup water
- 2 ounces achiote paste
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 3 small to medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled, roots trimmed (about 1½ tablespoons)
- 1 approximately (3½ pound) whole cut up chicken, skinless, bone-in
Instructions
- Prepare the chiles. Add the Guajillo peppers and water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for five minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it stand for 20 minutes. Remove the stems and seeds from the hydrated peppers. (Leave some seeds if you prefer more heat.) Add both the peppers and water they hydrated in to a blender.
- Blend the marinade. Add the achiote paste, orange juice and garlic to the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Marinate. Add the skinless, bone-in chicken pieces to a large zip-lock bag and pour in the achiote marinade, which shouldn’t be hot because of the addition of the orange juice. Move the chicken pieces around to be sure they’re all well coated, remove the air from the bag and seal it. Then put this in another large zip-lock bag to ensure it doesn’t leak. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and ideally overnight.
- Bake and serve. Preheat the oven to 375°F and once the chicken is done marinating, add it, and all of the marinade to a large enough baking dish (approx. 9 x 13-inch) to hold the everything snugly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.Bake in the preheated 375°F oven just until it’s cooked through, about 45 minutes. Flip the pieces over about halfway through the cooking time and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once it’s cooked through, flip the chicken over once more, sprinkle sightly with a bit more salt, and serve.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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BarrieHurst-Dreyer
I’ve got my chicken marinating in the fridge and it’s getting cooked tomorrow. The marinade is delicious, and I added a squeeze of honey to balance a slight bitter note (maybe I used too much Achiote Paste). I am a big Mexican cuisine fan and love cooking with dried chilies. This dish was calling my name as soon as I read the ingredients. It was very easy to make and can’t wait to taste it. When I rinsed my blender container that held the marinade, I used that marinade flavored water to cook my rice. As a result, the rice has an amazing flavor an color!
valentina
Oh, I love that you used Achiote water to make the rice! Brilliant. I hope you love this dish as much as we do, and the touch of honey sounds delicious. Thanks so much for sharing and trying the recipe. Happy Holiday season to you!
Giselle Nuveaux
Can I marinate the chicken over night?
valentina
Yes you can! Hope you love it! 🙂
Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash
I've been wanting this recipe. Have the achiote paste in my pantry. Thank you.
I've sailed in the Sea of Cortez near La Paz, but never made it up to Loreto, although friends of mine have and say it is lovely. What a wonderful getaway for you.
valentina
Thanks so much Patricia. What a beautiful place to sail -- must have been an amazing trip! 🙂 Hope you try the chicken and love it. xo
Jan desjardins
Anxious to try this recipe but there are no portions of ingredients. Can you supply them? How many peppers and how many pieces of chicken? How much achiote paste?
valentina
Hi Jan. I'm not sure why the ingredients are showing up for you -- they should all be there. In case you still can't see them - - -> 2 dried Guajillo peppers, 1 cup water, 2 ounces achiote paste, 1/4 cup plus 1 T orange juice, 3 small to medium garlic cloves, and 1 (approx 3 1/2-pound) whole cut up chicken, bone-in and skin removed. Hope you try the recipe and love it! 🙂
Brian
Can you added more citrus? Maybe lime or lemon juice or would that mess us the recipe???
valentina
Hi Brian, Yes, you can definitely add more citrus. I don't think it would mess it up, but it will change the flavor to be more tart, depending on how much you use. I would go easy and not add too much, and I think lime would be better than lemon with this. Enjoy and let us know how it turns out. Thanks! 🙂 ~Valentina
David
Looks perfect! Would love to visit Gabriel’s shop!
valentina
I have a feeling you would love it, David. 🙂
David Scott Allen
Obviously, my memory is terrible. Now I’m wondering if I could create a version of achiote paste! Would love to make this!
Valentina
I'm sure you could create it. Seems up your alley. Please let me know if you do. 🙂 ~Valentina
Christina | Christina's Cucina
I do believe I've been in this shop!! What a great way to get an authentic recipe, Valentina! I'd love to try this! Would love to travel the world and collect recipes! 🙂
valentina
Oh my gosh, Christina, I LOVE that you've been in this shop! So fun! And here here to collecting recipes all over the world! 😀
Cathy
That is one gorgeous chicken and what a fun adventure. I will have to look for these peppers.
valentina
Thanks so much, Cathy! And one day . . . Oman and delicious dates for me. 😀
Pam Moeck
Looks amazing. Can it be cooked in a crockpot???
valentina
Hi Pam! I haven't tried it, but I don't see why not. Great idea. I hope you love it and thanks for visiting my site. 🙂 xo
Riddhima Nair
It looks so yummy, thanks for sharing!
valentina
Thank you, Raddhima! 🙂
Suki
Thanks sooo much for this- awesome❤️😘🌴
valentina
Thanks so much, Suki! So happy you love it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Natalie Ellis
Is it really sweet? Cuz when I see the chicken is all red, it makes me scared a bit 😂
Anyway, I believe you! xD
valentina
Hi Natalie. It's only subtly sweet -- I wouldn't call it sweet in the true sense of the word. 🙂 The red color is from the annato seeds which is what makes up most of the achiote paste. It almost like a dye, like saffron. Enjoy and thanks for checking out this recipe. 🙂
Fran Dodson
I made this dish in my restaurant in Kauai. I used chicken breasts. I would pick a banana leaf, wrap the marinated breasts in the cut banana leaves and bake them. The banana leaf adds a bit of sweetness that seems to bake into the chicken meat. Back here in the northwest I have to use frozen banana leaves I buy in a local Mexican grocery store.
valentina
Hi Fran. Thanks for writing in and visiting my site. Sounds fabulous with the banana leaves. I have a Mexican market near (in LA) me where they sell them too. I bought them once to decorate a table. 🙂 Now I will buy them to try making this the way you did. The subtly sweet flavor adding to the chicken sounds so tasty! Enjoy! Valentina
Annie
Im thinking of making this recipe in the flow cooker? What are your thoughts? How long do you think it would take to cook? Would it taste the same?
Valentina
Hi Annie. Thanks for writing in. 🙂 While I haven't tested this recipe in a slow cooker, I think it would take about 2 on a high setting. This is based on a bit of research, so not guaranteed. I do think the taste would be the same (delicious!). I hope this helps, and that you love the recipe. ~Valentina