• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Mexican at Heart
    • Media
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
Home » Chicken~Pollo » Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima (Achiote Marinated Chicken)

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima (Achiote Marinated Chicken)

August 24, 20162 Comments

151 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I came across this recipe for Pollo al Achiote several years ago and was intrigued by the beautiful, bright red colors of the achiote. Achiote is prepared using annatto seeds combined with other spices. It does not really have a strong flavor, but yet a more subtle, earthy and smoky flavor. Since then, I have experimented with countless recipes using the annatto seeds, oil, powder and paste. I have never been disappointed with the dishes, but I have certainly learned quite a bit since then. And I continue to learn and that’s the beauty of cooking. There are so many variations, techniques and flavors yet to be discovered. I know for most, cooking soup during the month  of August is a big fat, NO! Lol! I could eat soup anytime of the year, as long as their is AC available, ha, ha! This recipe and it’s flavors was adapted from the Yucatan. The flavors of achiote, sour orange and habanero are very common in that region’s dishes. And even if you don’t exactly feel like eating the the soup part of the recipe. I really suggest you try the chicken with the achiote marinade. Prep it the day before and next day just pop it in the oven to roast  or on the grill for a short time. Here’s to getting creative in your kitchen and discovering new flavors! #foodieforlife #mexicanfood

 

 

If you did not want to serve as pictured and serve the pollo a achiote on it own and save the soup recipe for another day.

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima(Achiote Marinated Chicken)

No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Ingredients

For Chicken Stock

  • 4 chicken legs about 3 pounds total
  • 1/3 large white onion reserve the rest
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 serrano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Handful of cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
  • Salt to taste

For Achiote Marinade

  • 1 1/2 ounces achiote paste
  • Sour orange juice juice of 2 oranges and 2 limes mixed
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 chipotles in adobo
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Salt to taste

You Will Also Need

  • 1 large beef steak tomato quartered
  • Reserved onion from above
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper
  • 1 poblano
  • 1-2   chile guero caribe or yellow wax pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 cup broth from cooking chicken
  • 6 limes
  • 1/2 cup cilantro

Instructions

First Day 

  • Prepare the Chicken Stock and Marinade:
  • Add the chicken to a large pot. Fill with 8 cups of water and remaining ingredients listed to prepare stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, skimming off the top as needed.
  • While the chicken cooks, prepare achiote marinade. Add all of the ingredients to the blender. Blend on high until smooth, set aside.
  • Remove the cooked chicken from the broth into a storage container. Pour in the achiote marinade and toss to coat evenly. Marinate in refrigerator overnight. Strain the broth, let cool on stove top. Then refrigerate overnight.

Next Day

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil paper. Add the tomato, onion, bell pepper, poblano, and chile guero. Roast for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool.  Remove stems and seeds from peppers. Transfer all vegetables to the blender. Add bouillon and chicken broth. Blend on high until smooth. Strain into a bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Transfer marinated chicken to a baking sheet lined with a wire rack. Let come to room temperature for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. Then cook under broiler for 3-5 minutes to crisp up and brown the skin. Remove chicken from oven and cover with foil paper to keep warm.
  • Preheat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium heat. Add the strained sauce and cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes. Skim off any fat from top of stock. Add  4 cups of chicken stock, juice of 4 limes and 1/2 of the cilantro. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
  • To plate, add one piece of chicken to a shallow bowl, ladle in the lime broth. Garnish soup with sliced limes and remaining cilantro Garnish chicken with pickled red onions(see link below). Serve with rice and warm corn tortillas.

Notes

This recipe requires marinating time overnight. Enjoy together or as two separate recipes!
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

 

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

If you do not live in an area where a good mix of mexican products are available, this achiote paste in readily available online. A little goes  along ways and can be used for many dishes. 

 

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

 

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

 

 

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

The simple ingredients will yield some of your most delicious dishes.

Roasted Poblano

Roasting in the oven is the way to go when you need them fast and for blending or rajas!

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

A good blender is a key to many, many Mexican dishes. 

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

I know it’s easy to skip the straining of the sauce, but it’s a must in my book. It makes a world of difference. 

 

Cooking the chicken first to create this tasty homemade stock is a win, win situation. After the short roasting time, because the chicken was previously cooked, it was very moist and flavorful!

 

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

Two of my favorite things when cooking mexican foods, cilantro and limes!

Pickled red Onions with Habanero

Click onto picture above to see recipe on how to prepare Pickled Red Onions right on site.

Pollo al Achiote en Caldo de Lima

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Chicken~Pollo, Soups~Caldos Tagged With: Annatto/Achiote, Caldo de Lima, Chicken, Pollo al Achiote, soups

Previous Post: « Alitas en Salsa de Tamarindo (Tamarind-Chile Grilled Hot Wings)
Next Post: Green Chile and Cheese Tamales »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. julie k

    January 4, 2024 at 9:49 am

    Thanks for this recipe! I was going to make Sopa de Lima but realized I had unused achiote paste. Followed the recipe loosely using what I had on hand (cooked chicken breasts, jalapeno pepper, Xmas turkey broth that I steeped some citrus peels in…). Very tasty!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      January 5, 2024 at 3:47 am

      Hi Julie! Thank you for trying the recipe! I appreciate your feedback too!

      Reply

Would Love to Hear From YouCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

Never Miss a Recipe

Get all the latest directly to your inbox

View Privacy Policy Before Subscribing

View our privacy policy

Mariscos-Seafood

Chilean Sea Bass in Adobo

chilean sea bass plated

Crispy Masa Crusted Shrimp and Poppers

popper with cheese and bacon filling

More Ceviche & Aguachile!

aguachile verde in a heart shaped cazuela

Filetes de Pescado al Ajillo-Garlic Butter & Lime Cod

You might also like…

Spicy Chorizo and Shrimp

Sopes de Chorizo con Papa (Potato and Mexican Chorizo Sopes)

Easy Mexican-Style Chorizo~Breakfast-Brunch Enchiladas

Copyright © 2025 LA PIÑA EN LA COCINA

151 shares
MENU & SEARCH
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Mexican at Heart
    • Media
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie Settings Accept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d

      Rate This Recipe

      Your vote:




      A rating is required
      A name is required
      An email is required