Go Back Email Link
Print Recipe

Achiote Chicken with Wilted Chard

Achiote has a slightly peppery taste and imparts a nice red color to this dish. It is mixed with other herbs and spices to create a paste that gives a smoky flavor to meats, fish and poultry. You can buy pre-made achiote paste in most markets, but it is easier and tastier to make your own.
Serve on a bed of wilted chard that has been sautéed with some onions, garlic, and bacon, with a drizzle of good balsamic at the end.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Marinade time1 day
Total Time1 day 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Building Blocks, Condiments, Main Course
Cuisine: South American
Keyword: achiote, annatto, chard, chicken

Equipment

  • Mortar and pestle or spice grinder
  • Mixing bowl
  • Gloves
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Saute pan

Mise en place

Achiote Paste

  • 1/4 C achiote powder
  • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 ea whole cloves
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 c orange juice fresh squeezed
  • 1/4 c lime juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar

Chicken Legs

  • 4 ea bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters leg and drumstick attached
  • 1 tbsp salt

Sautéed Chard

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ea slice of bacon or pancetta cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1/2 ea red onion 1/2" diced
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 lb rainbow, red or swiss chard stalks removed and cut into 1" pieces, leaves cut into 2" long ribbons
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar

Method

Make the achiote paste

  • Combine achiote powder, coriander seeds, dried oregano, peppercorns, cumin seeds, salt and whole cloves in the mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Pulverize into a fine powder.
  • Add garlic cloves and pulverize until smooth. Transfer spice mix into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the remaining liquid ingredients and stir to fully combine. It will create a paste you can use immediately, or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the chicken

  • Pre-heat the oven to 425
  • Season the chicken leg quarters with salt. It tastes best when you let the seasoned chicken to rest uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This seasons the chicken inside and out and makes the skin crispy when you pull it out of the oven.
  • Wearing food-safe gloves, rub about 1/2 C of your achiote paste all over each chicken leg quarter, making sure they are fully-coated, including a little under the skin.
  • Roast the chicken in the oven on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 60 minutes, or until done (as soon as the internal temp hits 165 degrees). Let rest 10 minutes and serve.

Make the chard

  • While the chicken is resting, add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat, then add the chopped bacon. Sauté 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the diced onions and slivered garlic and sauté 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant
  • Add the chard stalks first, and cook 3 minutes more to soften a bit.
  • Add the chard leaves a handful at a time, and sauté until slightly wilted before adding the next handful.
  • Once the chard leaves are wilted and the stalks are cooked to their desired doneness (al dente with a little crunch), add the balsamic vinegar, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve

  • Divide the chard into four portions. Mound each portion of chard in the center of each plate and top with a chicken leg quarter.

Notes

An old-vine Zinfandel goes really well with this dish.
When using achiote paste to flavor meats, it tastes best when you let it marinade with the spices for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Try using a little achiote paste to color empanada or tamale dough.